The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-09-02
THE RRIaN OF RosRERs.

THE REIGN OF ROBRERS.
The condition of districts of Texas, AS in
tested 10y highwaymen, is by no means sin
gular. The oldest are in worse cnnditioI
than the newest states, and Massachusett,
and the country villages about New Yorl
city are perplexed as never before. Count
less thieves of all descriptions, each, Will,
in the city, having his own special spher,
in knavery and crime, and one rarely inva
ding the sphere of another, have become
thieves and robbers in the country. Ii is a
fresh field, and the business is lucrative
Houses in quiet villages and on secluded
farms have insecure fastenings, and lnno
cent country pumpkins surrender their hard
cash at wink given by a six-shooter. Vii
lage newspapers are filled with accounts ot
robberies and of unprecedented depreda
tions practiced by Robin Hoods of high and
low degree. There is valuable booty
in old New England farm houses. Time
and care and taste and intelligence
have gathered pretty 6JO'aerie and vases
and silver and gold. Texan farm houses
are not made attractive by facts of this
character, incident to age and hereditary
acquisitions, and therefore the footpads
and housebrealkers and burglars and
mounted highwaymen of Texas find vic
tins in travellers alone. To such an extent
has the evil grown that Massachusetts news
papers are earnestly inquiring what shall be
done with the vagrants ? In tins incident
of progressive civilization Dallas, in Texas,
stands side by side with Boston and Spring
field, and Dallas asks what shall we dc
with the drifting rabble with the thieves
and idlers and burglars making Dallas the
central seat of the empire of Southwestern
knavery
Strange, but true it is, that this disper
sion of knaves over the country is having
its effect on public opinion and sentimental
ism that was admirable when the knaves were
far away was then omnipotent, and if Texas
had established the whipping post before
this diffusion of knaves overwhelmed East
ern States there would have been six
teen.h constitutional amendment and Bos
ton would have shuddered that barbarism
in its worst aspects, was reproduced ir
Texas. But in coming over old statutes o.
Massachusetts it is discovered that in s
former age, before thieves and burglars
were confined to cities, where danger O
deadly violence is least because of the lm
possibility, in the midst of watchful multi
tudes Of concealment, there. were whipping
posts in Massachusetts, and in New y ork
and newspapers ofothose days thought tn
moral effect Of the stocks and of the lash ad
mirable. They drove knayes out Of the coun
try and then it was that, refined sensibiht
began to look upon the cato'nine tails as
relic of barbarism. When there are n
thieves we may we'll pronounce the onl
proper preventive punishment insuferabl
cruelty; but when there is no security fo
life and property, we begin to tolerate tn
whipping post. Imprisonment is veste
with little terror to evil doers. and it cost
too much and ayails nothing, while til
lash and branding ifon'relieve a community
at once of malefactors. .as5 49,. t..N
But we only proposed to show that whe
Massachusetts, was no older than Texas, th
people were poorer less intelligent. an
certainly less liberal in opinion and as muc
addicted to acts of barbarism as therobbel
infested districts of Texas or Illinois; whel
eastern newspapers begin, in view of fact
here recited. to speak generously G
the whipping post, perhaps tn
long-faced, blear-eyed hypochondrlaca
old fellows who groaned so dismal
when we have spoken kindly of the las
and branding iron, will confess that des
perate evils require desperate remedil
agents. 1t will also be confessed that
New England and New York must reprC
duce the detestable agenciesaof yengeanc
for crime which modern poetical lawgiver
have everywhere condemned, we may
pardoned in Texas for approving the onl
resource which will prevent the aggregl
ton in penitentiaries of such mighty mu
titudes of knaves that taxpayers will n
volt against their maintenance. Furnace
and mills, managed by agents Of the Stat.
will never be self-susfaining, and the sure.
way to spare the peoples money in dealin
with villains is not to spare the lash.
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Our city contemporary, with a very pa
donable and patriotic gush of emotion, ask
of certain anti-administration journals, ho'
can they consistently account for Texa
State bonds now being at par in New YORK
Our answer is, that Governor Coke, whoI