The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-03-05

can earn $50 as a farm hand, from SO to
$50 as q COW hand, and from sos 10 $500
IN driving herds across the plains or with
surveying parties. OF course It would be
right to add this amount which he could
earn to the 500 deficiency above, to aseer-
tain what amount the State asks a private
soldier to pay for the privilege Of lighting
Indians.
Is It not strange or worse than strange,
that such a death-blow to such measure
should have been dealt By frontiersman
OF course the gentlemanhFhO brought In
the fatal amendment is not opposed to the
protection of our border The voice Of
his constituency and the history Of
his section forbid such belief. The
murdered family OF Williams, once
formed a happy circle in bis district.
The blood Of a mother and child stii STAN
the walls Of home not far from his own.
Was II not In his own district that Upton
gave his life 20 save the lives of others
fronting his danger and meeting his death
alonel Are the murdered herders Of the
Flat Top rancho, in Coleman county, so
soon fOrgottenl Have the men from the
frontier not heard Of Lee murdered at the
door Of his home, his daughters borne away
and held in hideous captivity almost within
bugle-sound Of Fort Silll Hany one has for
gotten all Of so many dark pages in the his
tory of our border, ought not our people
to well remember himi
Economy was the ruling argument. l do
not wish TO Impugn the motives of any mem
ber-and am willing to give some of them
credit for that rigid virtue which, in this
case, has weighed dollars against blood.
But here are questions that will suggest
themselves. VIII not good soldier, who
equips himself and braves danger, hardship
and privation night and day, earn his two
dollars per diem as fairly as some Of our eco
nomical statesmen earn their eight dollars
between the hours Of 10 4 N. and . p NJ
Mardi Gras not interfering! Cannot econ
omy De put somewhere where it will not
cost bloodl If not, does not Texas pay too
high price for econOmyl Can State
which affords to give princely domains to
corporations not afford to protect the lives
OF her citizensl How long are tho border
citizens to know the authority of the
State only in the collection of taxes!
Can we hope for anything better in the
Senatel It was suggested to me to-day
that the pay would be still further reduced
in that body. IL such be the case, it would
be better to defeat the bill entirely Not
that we wish TO exhibit any childish per
versity, but because money spent in an
amount too small to obtain the required
object is simply that much money thrown
away, and TO this we axe opposed on mo-
tives of economy. We don't want com
plimentaTy or sympathetic vote-crcating a
mere wOrdy fuliillment of campaign pro-
misc. We want efficient protection in some
form. For this our people have listened
anxiously ever since the opening of your
session. II you will not give us that,
speak ont your refusal rs candidly rs your
Radical predecessors have all along spoken
it. During the days and weeks To which you
coolly assign the indifferent discussion of
this question, life and property along an ex-
tended line Of border lie at the mercy of
the savage, unless you act with efficiency
now the full abandonment Of protection
will have become, not distinctive feature
of RadicaIism, but the popular policy Of
any State government in Texas, and we of
the border will know exactly what we can
expect of the State. Attention has been
called to the recent letter of Woodward in
tine STATESMAN. He can see no good in
any but regimental organization. The
truth is, thnt much can be said for both of
the proposed plans. Let us not lie so
welded to either as to lose sight Of the OBJ
jecG proposed. Date of commission will
sufficiently establish seniority when it is
necessary for companies TO cooperate, and
there is no, other special objection to the
company plan which Woodward so opposes
than that there will be jealousy among the
commanders of companies. Certainly, the
Jacksboro company is now. doing good ser
vice. Respectfully,
PAIO PINTO