The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-03-30
THE ROBBERS OF THE SAN MARCOS.

THE ROBBERS OF THE SAN MARCOS.
The robbers Of the stage coach, within
forty miles Of Austin, in broad daylight, on
a much-frequented highway, and within a
few miles of the prosperous, growing town
of San Marcos, the most beautiful spot on
the continent, will startle the people of the
whole country. Deeds of.wild violence,
common in England three or four hundred
years ago, are reproduced, even now, and
even in Texas, and the exterior world must
believe that we have a condition of society
and government hardly to be tolerated by
civilized men. Whose fault it may be is
an inquiry more easily made than answered.
Many facts contribute to results which de-
cency and intelligence deeply deplore.
Burglars, thieves, and highwaymen do
desperate deeds everywhere and SO numer-
Gus are they that as the laws exist and are
executed they absolutely control elections,
and representatives of their own morals
and men fearing their influence with the
reckless rabble are often invested with
local offices.
The South, and not the North, was the
scene OF a terrible and lasting conflict.
The very worst men of both sections found
brutal instincts. When the conflict ended
the knaves of armies and of society, as
affected by war, remained in these impov-
erished States, subjected through series
of years to debasing, polluted governments
of remorseless scoundrelism. Corrupt adj
venturers managed the Freedmen's Bureau
and all Federal offices that ever cursed
Sicily when the satrapy Of VeIres were
filled by men not decent enough to hold
office in the favored North, and yet having
claims upon those invested with the appoint
ing power. The whole country was thus
stocked, like fishpond, with deprayity.
The war supplied it from its own horrible
womb full of woes and foul diseases; un-
accustomed poverty drove many to reck-
lessness and desperation, and as carpet
bagism was repelled and deoency became
potent, an army of desperadoes focked to-
b wards the lawless confines Of Mexico.
These are peculiar local causes for the
local development of villainy, and North
ern partisan newspapers have promoted
these results. Their policy has impelled
them to mlsrepresent and exaggerate every
evil OF our unfortunate existence. They
have thus induced the worst people of
Northern cities to seek places Of security in
the South, and such are pictures this dis
tempered press has drawn, especially of
Texas, that each desperate Of Chicago, like
the inimitable Mccartney, coming over
the pages of the Inter Ocean or of HarPsr,s
Weekly. naturally supposed he would find
adelightful abiding-place in Western Texas.
Partisanship in the North has thus cooper
ated with delights Of ecstatic carpet-bagism
in the South and with the brutality of local
negro governments to draw hither the very
worst populations from beyond the Ohio.
Morton's Internal harangues in the Sem
ate have served especially to send US hordes
of roughs and universal suffrage in South
ern town and county elections has gilded
with gold, in the eyes Of Eastern knavery,
the novels OF African ignorance and stu
pidity. No wonder there are robbers and
thieves in tho South, and that devilish
deeds are mirrOred N the glowing surface
Of the sparkling San Marcos. - -
y But there is another and more terrible
cause for crime ever operative, ever rainous,
ever appalling in the eyes of honest intelh-
genee. More than two hundred and twenty
i've millions per annum, over and above the
sum needed to extinguish the cost Of
government, are stolen from the country'i
industry by placeholders. Enough has beer
stolen in ten to pay the whole cost Of ad
ministsring the government for the past
four years. When we add the sum tota
OF depredations practieed upon town, coun
~ and State governments to those effected
by the greater villains representing FEEDER
alism, the sum extorted from the people il
almost incalculable. Add to these robber
les the vast sums required to MAINTAIN hon
estly the four systems of government, city,
county, State and Federal, as now extrava
gantly conducted, and II viii be seen thai
more than half the annual products of tn,
whole wealth aud industry of the Who'll,
country is absorbed by placehOlders and b.
thieves representing the governing classes
In fact, Southern society is now ORGANIZED
into three classes; one, Of strangers sen
down upon us by Federal power, like 10
Gusts upon plains Of Egypt; the other, o
State officers, mighty army of forty-fv'
hundred, organized to rob society and par
alyEe industry under the new Constitution
of Texas; and then the third class are tn
beggared, plandered, toiling ''mudsilis" o
society as il now exists. These last hav'
been robbed by the tariff and by navigation
acts and fishing bounties and by JaN
Cookies iron tie, and by sewing machines
and other patents, and by contraction,
which sqneezes all value out Of farms and
the products Of farms and doubles thesval
ne Of money-these farmers and taxpayer
have been plundered tin industry is prolt
less. Labor is robbed by system, and tn
system Is fraud, operating in the dark, a
does the tariff. Industry Is thus slowl,
smitten with incurable paralysis, govern
ment promotes idleness. aud then com
robbsries Of stage coaches here in Texas an'
horse thieves steal for amusement, and i
the Territories And mining districts Of til
remote West murders are hourly peEpsirnte'
and violence and disorder distinguish socl
eiyin the s'prOvinces" even as TIE pollu
tionof women and knavery Of men max
Pstfiotism and deceney blush when con