The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-07-01
GOvERNOR COKE AND THE PUB-
LILO DEBT.

Governor Coke has published a very
proper letter, in which he says:
Some so-colled Democratic Journals, IN aid
Of the efforts OF the late Republican con-
vention ut Hampstead, by the most absurd
Misrepresentation Of the amount and in
crease of the public debt of Texas, to bring
the present administration into disrepute
with the people, / refer to II statement of
the public debt made 10y the Comptroller,
Hon. s. III. Darden, on the fourth day of
March, 1875, and sent by me to the Senate
on that day, in response to resolution
from that body calling for said statement.
The statement, with special message, will
be found on pages from 357 to 461 Of the
Senate journal of last session. respect
fully urge the importance of making this
statement known in the most public man
ner for information Of the people.
j call special attention to these facts,
viz. That am paying interest and sink
ing fund on the public debt contracted by
Governor Davis, say per annum 1870, 900 ;
also, frontier defense appropriation $500,
900, which does not belong to the cost of
administering the government, and are
Items which Davis never paid
by the sale of bonds | have paid the
railroad debt, and pay out of the ordinary
revenues the interest and sinking fund on
it. pay out of the ordinary revenues for
frontier defense, while Davis issued war
rants and bonds for it that have had to
pay.
Some lime ago we copied a statement at
fecting this debt and its management from
some Democratic paper and commented
properly on the facts as given. To this the
Houston organ objects with absolute feroc
ity. 1t WIGS bad enough to make an organ
howl. but seeing that there might have
been an error in the statements given by our
contemporary-thc Victoria Ado0catc, we
believe-the STATESMAN announced some
days ago that full and fair statement and
discussion Of the financial condition of Texas
would appear in these pages. But it never
occurred TO us that the question of the
STATEsMAN's Democracy or Radicalism was
involved in the truth or error of this tinan-
cial statement. The Houston organ thinks
differently. But an organ is paid to think,
and we are only amazed that gentleman
occupying the dignifed position of his En-
cellency should descend to such assertions
and tricks of~arant demagogism. The
very truest Democrats of Texas have con-
demned peculiar features Of his State policy,
and none have asserted their Democratic
infdelity. Not many days ago, one Jere-
miah Goliath Wilson, Vice President of
the United States, disapproved the South
ern policy of President Grant, and We have
been expecting Governor Coke's organs to
claim the aforesaid jeremiah, who is weep
ing himself to death over Grants follies
and crimes, as high priest of De-
mocracy. The great mistake made by
little politicians everywhere arises from the
fact that they contemplate themselves
through their ihordinate vanity. They alb
solutely deem themselves the party and
their DEGREES its platform, and their acts
constitute tests of all wisdom and of all
craftsmanship. II is very absurd of John
Ireland TO do this. But his head is pecu-
liarly shaped and nobody is amazed by his
egotism, and he means no harm by it; but
when the Governor of Texas, to whom we
viii do perfect justice, as he shall see, rises
in his boots and absolutely undertakes to
read newspaper, through u prepaid
organ, out of the Democratic party because
such newspaper criticised his Excellency's
financial skill or wisdom-well, we can't
help thinking that his Excellency descends
from proper dignity and usurps the office
of tho oommonest demagogue. A hired
organ may well resort to the clap-.rap de-
vice Of calling names; but when the whole
people Of Texas, with degree of unanim-
ity perhaps never known before, eject
Davis from Office aud crown Richard Coke
with the highest honors they can bcstow
when they make him the inpersonation of
the intelligence aud dignity aud decency and
wisdom OF the proud commonwealth, it Is
painful to see such man, in such a place,
resorting TO arts as unworthy of him, oil
his good sense and good taste, as Of the
people he represents.