davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16
WHAT rs sam ABOUT 1T.


MAJOR Tom Brackenndge, of San Anto-
nio, who was of the Tom Scott st. Louis
convention, tells the San Antonio Express
that "a
THIS Texas and Pacific as now appro-
priated by st. Lauis and Philadelphia
might as well be called Kansas Pacific,
or Missouri Pacific Railroad. As to It's be-
ing Southern Pacific Railroad, taking the
shortest route to the Pacific Ocean, and so
opening the heart of Texas, iIOm North
east to Southwest, and penetrating the
richest mineral anu agricultural regions OF
M exico, the great object Of such road, SO
lar as Texas is concerned, il Is all q mis-
take. Instead of following this great nat
uIal route, demanded by the interests of
Texas and the South and especially de-
manded by the vast latent riches to De de
veloped N Mexico, il only skirts along our
Nortbern border, beRefiting only n few
counties. ~
Thus, Mai. Breckenridge says, the vast
land subsidy OF Texas, anu the credit OF the
United States government, are to be given
% what is called the soutaern Pacific fail
road through Texas, the last great Ssate
and national help that ever viii be given
for such purpose, and yet that the great
objects aimed at in such an enterprise will
NOT be tain 4. A Southern Pacific Rail-
road, ptSp-~., will never be built; the heart
OF Texas viii rot be developed; her cities
and ports will be ignored, and the untold
wealth Of Mexico will be untouched.
And We see from an article quoted BY
the Galveston Nsss from the Jefferson &m-
Pi<eats, that Col Culberson, who was also
a delegate to St. Louis holds similar views q
TO those Of Msj. breckenridge. He says
that the real pisn. and on which the iufir-
snce Of the convention viii be used TO esrrv
lhs bill through Congress. is % secure 1
guarantee of the interest on the bonds Of
the company ~ the rate Of forty thousand
dollars per mile from sherman 70 Fort
Worth, and thence to San Diego, CAlifor-
ma from ShEeeepofk 70 NicksburR. and i
brsnch inom Shreveport to Aenphis. The
Atlantic and Pacific road Is 70 form juno
ton with the Texas and pacifc
railway tuo hundred and lfty miles
east Of FL Psso. Six hundrsd miles Of
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16

this road is to receive the same sit. from the
government; and from the junction west
ward they shall constitute one ruad. II
will he observed, if this proj.c. is accom-
plished, that there will be a direct line OF
railway from San Diego TO S. Louis, then
20 On cago, New York sDd Ph.is ,phia,
and will, doubtless, become the goat high
way across the country, bes.Owmg la d large
measure the benefits oi the Pacific trade
upon cities anil sections vi Aich are now en-
10y ny tue beEehts of monopoly of trade
from the preseat Completed Road To the Pa
cihc Ocean, 40 which the government issued
over hfTy millions of dollars 10 aid the
consti uctiou thereof The lower, Ur Texas
route. will be greatly crippled III this COM
bina:ioE, ami the benefits which will flow
from this line will be restricted 10 local
trade. the coast cities of Texas, as we'll
tHe ciiies on her eastern borders, are en-
Iirely ignored in the combination, and the
Gulf aud Atlantic cities deprived of legit-
Imnte share of the Pacific trade. The ex
tension of the road from Shreveport to Sa-
vannAh, and All Abandonment of the COM
binatiOIs nOrthwHru, would have made
the enterprise truly what now it is only in
nane
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16
TaE NE 5 1Gas.

Grants message signifies nothing unless
the Congress aud newspapers assent To his
purposes and array churches against one an
other and excite religious war. The Bible
in-the-schoOis question Is sought to be ma
tionalizei; il Is proposed that the Federal
government shall be the country's school
master, and that alter 1890 none shall vote
save those who can read and write. In
fact. when the STATESMAN denounced
Grants little speech, made some weeks ago,
just prior 10 the Ohio election, it Denounced
this message, which is a reiteration of the
extraordinary speech. Grants purpose is
TO array the churches against one another,
to beget anarchy, and, seizing the reins of
empire, convert anarchy into despt tism.
But Congress and the press will surely have
discretion enough to defeat the scheme OF
selfish ambition conceived and planned by
the terrible Morton and accepted by the
Sphinx of the White House.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16

THE Supreme Court of Tennessee COM
pels the city government of Memphis to
levy special tax to pay interest and prin-
cipal of bonds issued to take up scrip, one
dollar in bonds buying two of scrip, the
scripholders having bought it at thirty and
forty cents. The courts uniformly decide
against taxpayers, and yet taxpayers com
monty have no voice in the creation or con-
troll of CITY governments. By bribery and
force a street-paving contract is forced
through the vulgar body called the city
council, enormous prices are paid for worth
less concrete or gravel or wood, aud the
fellows who bribed boards of aldermen en-
ter courts with clean hands and are perfect
ly best. Confscation and taxation are
cnrreIative terms.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16
AN APOLOGY FOK THE RUTABAGAs.

Tom Scott, when he was of the exploded
Southern Security Railway Company, was
possessed of mania for the purchase of
bankrupt railroad lines. He absorbed a
thousand miles of roads In the South; but
the Southern Security Company was a
mythical, bogus, bottomless, credit mobilier
corporation, created by villainously cor
rupt Legislature of Pennsylvania, and the
roads have been restored to their owners
1t was this grave body of Pennsylvania law
givers that fell into the tender, velvety
clutches of the illustrious speculator, even
rs did our pitiable Rutatsga concern. Many
will recollect that when these Pennsylvania
lawgivers were about to adjourn a good,
honest Rutabags member rose in his place
and said, " Mr.. Speaker, if Col. Tom Scott
have no further use for as, move that we
do now adjourn Tom was telegraphed,
we presume, and the Pennsylvania Legisla-
ture was dissolved Even so it happened
here in Austin. AS soon as Tom Scott
grssped the resources of Texas and appro-
priaied them to the aggrsndizement of the
Pennsylvania Central and to the payment
of debt he incurred on account of the
bankrupt Atlantic and Pacific (St. Louis
and Vinita) road, he suffered the Rutabsgas
to go home, and may God pity them
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16
THE SHIKC HF NESSUs.


"The STATEsMAN." the Examiner say4,
fully expected v rnor C.ke To opp1se
the ratification OF tue new Constitution,
and is greatly outraged thmt he has not ar.
rayed himself against it, as that paper has
uone." -tJ..tf f#tH
The STATESMAN not only expected but
know that Governor Coke would give the
new Consultation quasi support. He ac-
cepts because of the difficulties with which
the majority in the Convention invested
any other course. Governor Coke assents
from compulsion. The trainers of the or
ganic code not only paid Tom Scott to fight
the other railroad forces of the State, but
without an organizrd government, that his
patient suhjection to Ru abaga and Radi-
cal despotlsm is almost compulsory. The
Governor consoles himself with the rehec-
10 the exteut that We may easily throw it
IF, and it is II curious fact that the press
approves theor, tlcally because it is easy to
escape practically from the odious scheme
Oi uesIpIlc government lnsbituleu IOr texas.
The STATESMAN is not in Office like Cover
uor Coke and there is no sufficient reason
FOR il To place itself in this attitude of self
qualification. We.canuot approve and ac-
cept to-day system of philosophy in gov
ernment which, as Democrats we have been
taught through all our lives to abhor as in
tolerable. We cannot condemn Grants
personal government and schemes of cen
traliz tion in the Union and approve identi-
cal Rutsbagaism in Texas. No Democrat,
as such, can assent to the new Constitution,
and Governor Coke is a Democrat, thor
oughly comprehending the meaning, of the
term. State sovereignty, local freedom,
local independence, the freedom of cities
and corporations, these are foundation
stones of Democracy in government, and
this new Constitution is subversive of every
fundamental principle of Democracy. 1t
vests in the State rights that inhere in local
governments. 1t strips the people of power
and even robs the legislature, springing
from the people, of Its proper functions.
Texas must put on q straight jacket, and
the Governor consents, unwillngly, it is
true, aud solely for the reason that if it be
. shirt of Nessus it does not stick.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16

ENGLAND, the dispatches tell us, has
bought a majority of the stock in the Su, z
canal for twenty million dollars The Brit
ish government, anticipating the partition
of Turkey, must hold the highway to the
East indies. and the route through the Suez
canal is 1000 mites shorter than around the
African cape. England does not propose to
hold Egypt, but only to protect herself and
her rich Indian possessions. When Turkey
falls the Khedive has provided for his own
security by masking England his ally. How
the Khedive is to pay his little personal
debts, amounting to torty millions, we don't
exactly see; but Egypt, AS we'll as Turkey,
is bankrupt, and it occurs to US thai it is
good time for the Archaeological Society of
Austin to secure mortgage on the Pyra-
mids and Sphinx and other queer old relics
of hoar antiquiCy that adorn the shores of
the Nile. Ii is said that Disraeli managed
the negotiation with Egypt admirably we'll
and that the purchase of the canal stock is
the most brilliant political coup OF the CEN
tury-one worthy the author OF Contarini
Fleming and Lothair, and, withal, as SEN
sible and practical as the veriest Gradgrind
could desire. No whisper of it had been
heard. the curtain was kept down until
every part Of the grand transformation scene
was in its place. In an instant the change
was made, and before the country knew of
1t or dreamed of it, the Suez canal, which
England first opposed and afterward found
indispensable to her trade and unity, passed
from the keeping of the Royal Turk into
tnat of plain John Bull. By long odds Mr..
Disraelfs last feat is his most famous.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16
Political.

Senators Christiancy Cameron, Mcmillan
and Paddock. nOminalIy Independents, will
all act with the Republican party. Senator
Booth will be the only Senator who will go
into neither caucus.
The Democratic triumph in Mississippi
involves the cutting down of the State
printing bill from Si00, 900 year to $16,-
900, and Republican newspapers in the
country are very generally suspendi1g.
Senator Ferry, of Michigan, the acting
Vice President of the United States, de-
nies being IN infis,ionisf, but he thiuks the
government should accept It's own currency,
even for the payment ot customs duties,
and dorhts the wisdom Of tie 'resuinJ tion
act.
Gen. Spinner has not lost sny faith in the
3.65 bond project. He wrote of II in a re-
ceut letter: The SCHEME will prevail as
soon as it shall be thoroughly understood.
The bugbear cries of imitation, .repnslia-
ton and 'rrg BABY have mad their dag.
Next YEAR election Will be fought on this
issue"
Charges OF gambling aud gross corruption
in Office have been made against Col. Young,
the collector Of the fourth internal revenue
datrict of North Carolina. One portion of
the Republican party demsrds his imTnedi-
ate removal, while another, headed By ex-
Govenor Holden, urges that such action
would be impolitic anu dangerous Al party
poinG OF view at the present time.
Speaker Kerr says there Gao be nc doubt
as to his views on the currency, as they
were vel known. He said that as y mem
ber OF the House. whether Speaker or not, he
should do bis utmost TO help rke Democratic
ms iority preserve broad national policy In
all things, aud "a abstain from all acti0n Of
. merely partisan charAc.er, such As has
characterized the Republicans majority OF
the House for the last ten years or more.
An abstract Of the statements Of the State
superintendent Of public schools Of Viz
GINA, shous that during the last year the
State has expended over million OF dollars
for school purposes. about one-hnsf Of which
has been raised b. State taxation, aud 3ns-
half b local taxsEi0n, while 81, 323 came
IRON TIE Peabody fund. The 7ilnss Remarks
that when Ws rrmeml,eE that the scisools
hsvs been lqs ibe most psrt fuanded since
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16
TEXAS KAVAGEO AND IMPOVRR-
ISHED.

Some people seem not TO understand that
after the Tom Scott Pacific road is built he
and his partners will manage it and run its
trains and control the course of commerce
ever it. st. Louis and Philadelphia papers
know this and openly boast of it. The
Texas branches are only ''feeders" to the
great through lines. Itabsorbs everything,
drains the country and its roads and gives
them nothing. 1t is the old story. The
lion was sick (Tom Scott owes seven mil
lions), and all the animals of the forest
were invited to his cave IT, see him. The
Ruta bagas-a lot of asses-went in Ii body
God pity them. The tracks all lead in
one direction. There are now none coming
out = nulla restigia retrOrsum = Southern
roads run into the Tom Scott Texas and
Pacific, but the Texas and Pacific does not
feed Southern or Texas roads
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16
WHY TrIE G;OVEANOR GAN APPROVE
lHE NEW CUNsTII

The EzaHintr must approve the STATES
MANS course If it approve Gov. Coke's.
The Examiner says Of His Excelency:
How coul.i he do otherwise than make
sacr tice of many OF his personal views,
when the good III the people is concerned" !"
There are reasons why the Governor
should sacrifice personal views" which
cannot affect an honest newspaper. He alb
hors the Jew Constitution because he is a
Democrat devoted to the ultimate theories
of Democracy in American governments.
THIS Constitution violates every fundamental
principle of Democracy, and the Governor,
dctesting it. is forced, in order to evade a.
most anarchy. to assent to au absOlntism.
He is in power and holds the helm, and will
remain there two years longer; we, ON the
contrary, are in the hold of the vessel.
He is quite willing to walk the deck, a very
master of the empire, while we are bound
hand and foot and slowed away in the fore
castle, helpless and powerless, by those
who built the unsightly craft. Office
holders and candidates for office
have good berths, the better and more
agreeable to the very extent that the COM
mon seamen nre ensaved and robbed and
tyrannized over. Governor Coke, there
fore, as representative placeman, is most
generous when he condemns an instrument
that invests government, of which he must
be the first central figure, with despotic au-
thoritya and Governor Coke can well afford
tn go further than the STATESMAN, because
the Governor is preferred creature and
the STATESMAN and people are victims of
the intolerabie scheme of government.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16

TIE Davis CONSTITUTION is hostile to De-
mocracy and yiolstive Of the creed of our
party, and of the true theory Of American
government. Even so with the Ru,abaga
code; but Rutabagsism goes further, and is
not only odious, In its philosophy of des-
potic, centralized government, but 1t puts
the State in the stocks, shackles its limbs,
fetters and trammels it on ali sides, and is
Davis's Constitution is hostile to Demo-
cratic principles and asserts many harmless
absurdities; but the Rutabaga instrument
is practically ruinous TO progress and alike
to Democracy, and is thus doubly worse
than the Davis Straight jacket.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16
GovERNoR,s PnocLAmA11oS.

By reference to our fourth page it will be
seen that the Governor has issued his proc
lamation for q general election to be held
on the third Tuesday, fifteenth day, of
February, 1875. At this election State,
district and county officers, and complete
judiciary are to be elected under the pro-
visions of the new Constitution. Para
mount to all these and going with it, how
ever, is the presenting of the new Consti-
tuition to the people for ratification or rejec-
ton. 1t is needless to add that we con-
ceive the first duty to be rejection of the
Constitution, and the next to select the best
men for office in view of its probable ra,i6-
cation.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16
CHARLEsrON CONeURs WITH
AUSTIN.


Referring 20 recent events affecting the
fortunes of Tom Scott snd Rutsbagaism,
the Charleston Nelrs Gad Courier says:
"Tut the easily daped Southern people
have lent ready ear 10 the airy nothings,
whose local habitstirn Is Philadelphia, and
whose name is Tom Scott. To tell them
the truth, aud to arouse them and their
representatives IN Congress to realization
of the actual injury that Tom Scott's pro-
ject viii do the South, is the object, and
the only object, We have in view"
In all this we would cooperate with the
Nesrs and Courier, and GO even further
Texas is not only cheated like the rest Of
the South, and loses all that would be
gained by trAns-coutinental or inter-
oceanic railway trAversing the State, bat the
State is robbed Of property of incalculAble
value Without il, Texas cannot build her
part Of the California and Tex road from
Fort Worth and frOm Austin 10 FL Psso.
The fraud rerpetratsd bY Scott and the stu
pidisy he prnetleed upon, are so glaring
th1t Tiolent r.sisssn,;s. 4 II become neess-
szgy. 70 lbs consruImasios Of he sehsu,
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16
LAMAR IN rna sen ATE.

| The New York HeraH thinks Mississippi
as happy now as was Arkansas when Con-
gress refused 70 execute Grants decree az d
overthrow the learned and patriotic Cover
nor G.rlaBd. The Hsrald further thinks
there has been general reconciliation. -
ain thar an EZRA Of good feeling" may be
inangura'el every where ia the South. All
nI which is very b-z1tilul on paper, aud
a'ili ." remain uhle>s irrepressible Radical
isn sncceed. before the mex elections. In re-
producing loyal leagues, ovsrrbrowing the
whife plaeehOlders aud restoring the doni.
nation of thieves. Meanwhile the har-
mony Of dominant Democracy in Mis-
siss'ppi must be short-lived. Lamar
any possible Democratic Competitor, ex-
cepr, perhaps, WalthalI or Ham Chalmers.
and while thIs is true the color line Demo
crat4, whose theories are riehr, will make
desperate effaurs To substitute for Lamar
some sucii man rs McArdle or George. the
former the foremost editor ana the latter
the ablest lawyer OF the STATE Ii I.smar
do not attend the session of the Legislature
he will lose the fruits Of his victory. He
contributed much in words TO the revolu-
tiph In Mississippi, while i'll fact the contest
was waged and victory really achieved by
means OF the distinctIIess aud ciearness with
which the color line w4s drawn. Lamar is
man Df wonderful genius. His intellect
operates with force akin TO ferocIty. His
brain is so taxed that he often swoons. as
did Prebtiss, after great mental effort.
We difer toto cello from Lamar IN
his purpose, utterly impossible Of
achievement, and infinitely less desira-
be than possible, to break down
the color line. The whites bought or
wheedled or persuaded" the blacks to co
operate with the Democratic party, but
there was no absorption of one party by the
other, as happened when Northern Whig-
gerry went down iuto Republicanism There
was no merger, and the races were as dis
tinctly separated and as remote from one
another after, as before the election. De-
spite the non-acceptance of L4mar's pretty
theories affecting the obliter.tion of race
features in politics, which so delight the
Hsratd. Lamar's genius and taste and elo-
quepce captivate the people, and no polti-.
cal event would be more gratifying than his
accession to Seat in the Federal Senate.
He would worthIly succeed Alcorn and re-
fleet Infinite honor upon the taste, inteli-
gence and patriotism of his fcliow-country-
men of the South.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16

A Berlin letter ssys the much-talked-of
duel, or rather challenge, that passed be-
tween Count Won Gutenberg and his superior
officer, and created such furor of excite
ment and hard feeling between the nobility
and the burghers, has at last been settled
10y the Emperor. The count became enam-
Ored of pretty, accomplished aud enor-
rnonsly wealthy girl, whose father, plain
citizen, lives IN a modern place, Unter Den
Linden. The count proposed aud was nc
cepted When the bstrothal, according 70
custbun, wss published. AL the officers in his
re.sinn:pl, he being a lieutenant In the Garde
du C0Tps, notified him that II he mar. led 40
lsene.Ih his rank he would have tn leave
the regimen. RssentIng the Insult offered
ais bride, the count challenged three OF his
superior Oihcers. The result Of this tenieri
q was = eouft-marIIs,, ~ which he xas
adiudged 20 imt1ison,nent ia fortress
with discharge from his regiment. rbe
friends Of The count appealed from the de-
cisi0n Of the courtmartial, and presented
the case 10 the Emperor. His Majesty.
with his usual good senfe, eaHeeled the
whole proceeding. saying tie IieHtenant had
Alright 10 marry whom be chose, ard rcin-
stated him in his regiment. SO far 50 good.
But nov SC rtnsins 10 be seen IL the young
count has the moral courage % retain bis
position under the covert insults be will be
made 10 feel on every possible occasion.
HIS comrades. IN the face Of the Emperor's
verdict. cannot dismiss hin, out they can
and will make his life purgatory, 70 which
death viii be prsfersbie. These noble gen
tlemen complsin that the fafher0T the bride.
aside frum being Of vulgar birth, emassed
bis fortune b. pursuing most fgD0ble oc-
cupsrion, and i is TOD hamiliafiBg 70 tie
aristocrscy Of Prussia TO have one Of its
members sllsed 70 50 piebeian = family.
Everybody. Of coarse. awaits With iniesesf
the decision Of thr young count and the un-
envinbie fate Of ste nnhappT girl
Some new hsbs - throen upoa 1Hnister
schenck conileetior Uith he Emms Nins
bF the Ioue n hss Suddenly
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16

THE new Constitution gives over the es-
tates of decedents to a system of courts
maintained by ''perquisites, T" and after its
adoption we beg OF our friends, having
property, not to die As for the rest OF US
it does not signify anything. We can af-
ford to accept scheme OF government
which is fraud, and scheme Of indIrec-
ton and of demagogism. 1t is said that
the fees and perquisities of the county
judges in several counties will exceed
500 per annum, and yet the blessed
Rutabagas, full of the instincts of dema-
gogues, reduced salaries and gave us a
starved Judiciary. The people see the sal
airy bu: their pockets are deftlY picked
when they pay perqulsites. us an awful
cotch, this new Constitution.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16

1Treqaires no Iii,ie pluck in lifelong par.
tisans to face all the coming candidates for
all the multiplied Offices under the new Con.
stitu,ion and oppose its adoption. But the
Guadalupe 7imesdeclaring that RichardC Coke
and II. B. Hubbard are its preferred c2bsli-
dates for the offices they now ill, says 1--WE
are against the new Constitution even il
Flournoy did say it was the noblest docu-
ment ever submitted TO 3 free people
'fsnd,' = Col flournOy forgot TO say. .tbe
colored troops they fought nobly.-