The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-03-16
HORSE IHIEyEs AND STATE TROOPS

An excellent citizen and farmer of this
county, whose horses are advertised as sto-
len In another place, tells US that, living
as he does, within twenty miles of the State
capital, horse thieves from the frontier
make annual raids into his district, taking
away from his farm from one to half q
dozen of his most valuable animals. He
does not submit TO his repeated losses with
the patience of Job. In fact, our adverti-
ser Is stone biud and the more restive
when contemplating his wrongs. He says
that the raiders always select the best of
his horses, while, in dealing with his neigh
bors, they drive away the valuable and
worthless Inditferently. 1t is quite need
less to say that our blind advertising friend
is impatient of robbery. He says that he
often wishes to behold the bright stars and
blue skies of Texas, but that he cannot help
thinking that the world would be brighter
and the delight of contemplating its beau
ties and splendors infinitely heightened if
the horizon, towards sunset, were decked
with swinging horse thieves. He thinks
law and order fine things to talk about, un-
til patience with horse thieves becomes IN
volved, and then the ''law" of vengeance
and ''Order" of drum head court-martial
should be invoked. The thieves are band
ed together. 1t is impossible to confne
them in county prisons. Captured and in
carcerated, they are soon liberated. To
convict them is almost impossible. They
prove ''Gli6is." The courts availing moth
ing in giving protection to farmers, the
only recourse left them is found in Judge
Lynch's intervention. Remote western
counties in all new States, especially since
war gave birth to countless knavas, are
overrun with desperAdoes and regues. The
Western confines of Texas, for thousand
miles along the Rio Grande, constitute the
paradise of horse thieves, and they must be
exterminated or driven beyond the river.
1t is no part of the duty of the United States
to furnish a force tor this purpose, and there
is no recourse left US. We must clothe
Governor Coke with power to use militia
command to exterminate rapacious scoun-
drelism. By no other means can the kna-
very of horse thieves be repressed; by none
other can the people be restrained when it
is possible to avenge robbery by consigning
felons to an improvlsed hsngmsn's tender
mercies. The blind farmer of Travis s'can,t
see wink" but sees this very clearly that
the people must protect themselves or the
Governor interpose. However earnestly we
and others have inveighed against violent
deeds done now and then by the people, when
exasperated by repeated depredations com
mitted by bandits of the border, we must
confess that the story of the blind farmer
convinces US that the Governor must inter
vene, not only to prevent sudden wreaking
of vengeance by the exasperated people up
on thieves, but to protect farmers of the
West in the possession of their property. If
his Excellency could effect an understand
ing with President Lerdo, and the State caval-
ry could pursue highwaymen across the Rio
Grande, evils, of which our visionless ad-
vertiser tells, might be speedily extirpated.
Very certainly the western counties of
Texas, like border counties of all new States,
have peculiar population, and while per-
manent citizens and land owners are law
abiding and honest, there is a strong ele-
ment of utter lawlessness gathered there
from every American State and city. These
are often the Mexican highwaymen" of to-
day and Comanche thieves of tomorrow,
and Governor Coke should be invested with
authority to make them blessed dwellers in
the land of shadows.