The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-05-02
TEXAS AND HER FUTURE.

Considering the events OF tne last
thirteen years, that our beloved state,
from April, 1861, to April, 1865, had
over hundred thousand of her sons
enrolled as soldiers in bloody civil
war-that our cause was lost, and tens
of thousands of families reduced from
comfort to comparative poverty, and
that for nearly nine years succeeding
the mighty contest in the field of blood,
we were denied the rights of freemen
considering these facts, and now re-
alizing, for the first time, that our sus-
pended liberties are restored, accompa-
MED by every prospect of prosperity,
and with rush of emigration to our
borders heretofore Unprecedented
considering all these strange things,
thoughtful men realize that a grave
duty is imposed upon our people as
members of such commonwealth.
The hour of prosperity always, but
especially when preceded by years Of
depression, is a dangerous ordeal to
any people. Our natures are SO con-
stituted that we are prone to bound
from one extreme to another. The
lessons of adversely are soon forgotten,
even when the hand of deity is mani
fest in the chastisement, as evidenced
in the inspired history of the chosen
people of God. From great reverses
in fortune men are prone to relax
moral principles in the desire of recu-
peration. The love of sudden gain is
liable to become epidemic, and when
this occurs, the people are in danger of
Decentralization. At such time, and, to
some extent, such time is now abroad
lin the land, men who appreciate the
responsibilities of good citizenship,
should fortify themselves against
alluring temptations, and endeavor
to maintain in l. healthy equi-
poise proper principles for the govern
ment of individual and aggregated
action in all the business transactions
of life. Parental influence should be
exerted to restrain their sons within
just limits, from high moral incentives,
i'm their business matters, and spare no
persuasive to guard them against temp
tations to acquire wealth illieitly and
dishonesty. All observing men know
that during and since the war thou
sands of fortunes have been corruptly
acquired, and sometimes by men who
stood well before the tempter came.
Yet, it is solemn but gratifying tact,
requiring no stretch of pious faith to
be received as proyidential, that great
numbers of such fortunes have as sud-
denly slipped from their possessors.
Many such now Hive in prison walls,
whittier others are tending, and all are
looked upon as foul IDIOTS upon the
country. Fisk, Tweed, Genet, Pome-
roy, Caldwell, Sanborn and hosts of
Others no longer parade the streets in
coaches of six, with Inverted drivers.
Our nation stands disgraced in the eyes
Eof the world from the unparalleled
number of public men who have bar
tered away official character in an
inordinate greed for money. The
whole country has been awakened by
the revelations substantiating these
facts, and a healthy reaction is purging
the public service of such men.
Yet, while there is much to cheer the
good citizen, let it be borne in mind
that the war sowed broadcast in the
land the seeds of loose morals in trans.
actions between men, and that ma.
jority Of the voters of to-day have
arrived at voting age since the war be
gan. While ardently desiring the
prosperity of our state and rapid in.
fiux of population, let it be our aim a,
people, to act upon and inculcat'
honest and yirtuous principles in husi
ness as well as all other matters lie
not the young conclude, by the silenc'
Of the old, that trickery in business !
right or defensible. On the contrary