The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-07-12
THE WOMEN WON'T STAND IT.

A"S SiAibSAAN has bdlu tnAt IL II
commonly true of the inhabitants OF ,
capital that they are wholly devoid o.
public spirit or energy. They are de-
pendants, like the beggariy, helpless
miserable stiLendianes of government
having clerkships at Washington. Tt
a greater or less extent the whole peo
| pie OF that seat OF government are de,
based and corrupted by the very facts
that make barnacles of the ship oil
State the most despicable and un.
worthy OF our race. Fawning syco-
plants they are, bending hunbly in the
presence Of those above them and
strutting as hsughtily before those hav.
ing lower Offices or none. They meas
ure a mans personal and moral worth
by the office he administers or influ-
Cnce he wlelds. There is unuttersbie
degradation 10 place holding and place
seeking, aud the capital oil the conntry
Is the city Of sneaks AMI sniyrlrrs, of
fawning sycophants and depraved, self
ish, ambitious scoundrellsm. There
are exceptions, but We speak of the
| masses and dwellers in the country's
capital. To less extent the same
moral influences are felt in State capi-
tails. Their populations are depend
ent upon sums doled out by the pub
lie treasury. Their women become
boarding-hOuse keepera and husbands
old women. They staJve in vacations
and are III rags when there are no
sessions of legislatures, but strut
superbly when the hash-house paws
rJund sums. Land aud lot owners
i a her 10 rents and whisky shops pay,
and even the holder of real property
and of houses IS fat and greasy and
smiles when the government spends
money javishIy and again is seedy aad
sullen aud very miserable when two
years intervene between sessions of the
Legislature. Then tenants can't pay
merchants are Idic; the genial bar
t ;ndcr no longer ditfuscs Smiles" If
great calemity befal capital or a
great necessity be imposed property
owners and merchants and ''old
women" we were talking about, of
both sexes, can whine and shake their
empty heads and fold their arms help
lessly and deplore hard times and the
depreciation Of property. If we tell
them the plain truth, that they must
put their own shoulders to the wheel
and help themselves, they are even
offended. They are of that miserable
class who sigh and are exceedingly
solemn and sad and groan over hard
times, but never dream of looking to
themselves for help. They never see
that the fault is their own, that the
town dies because they are rotting be-
fore they reach the boneyard In de-
PRAYED, debased selfishness. They look
to the government for help even if lit
tlo narrow gauge railway must be built.
rbey see Austin bereft of one-third or
half of Its trade by road from Hous
ton to San Antonio; they see other lat
eral roads coming up from the Gulf;
they see that while all resources south
---I ---A ~EF .ha T-4---a.;o-aI
deprives US of the trade of the widest
district once tributary to the capital.
The remedy is palpable. There is but
one. 1t is easily attalnable. The very
effort of property owners to secure it
adds to the value Of the property and
makes the task easy. The sum de-
manded of each citizen, if measured
by the taxable property of each, is tri-
fling. But so depraved is that moral
character, framed by the presence of
government, that it sinks helplessly
in the presence of dire calamity-a
calamity none the less terrible because
its approach is slow as it Is well de
fined, withering energy and paralyzing
intelligence and appealingto the mean
est stlfshness of merchants, bankers
and property holders. AS the evil ad-
vances, as store houses are vacated
and rents fall and merchants fail
they even learn to prcvaricate.
They will listen to the paid agents of
broad gauge roads who would prevent
by all means the construction of the
cheaper and more useful rival line.
They will swear vehemently that they
need no narrow gauge to meet that
coming down from Denver; but that
we do need turnpikes, ferries and
woolen mills. They know that this
narrow gauge road built and owned by
Austin would charge no more for
freight and passage to Austin, from
Brownwoed or from Lampasss, than
from Brownwood to Round Rock.
They see how small the cost and how
light will be freight and passenger
charges and how densely populated
the country must become along such
highway. They confess that the very
existence OF Austin AMI the value of
property depend upon the investment
of part of this decaying wealth in this
road before houses and lots cease to
have value. Then It will be too late !;
now property will gain twenty per
cent. in value the very moment it is
taxed five per cent. to build this road.
Shall VIC not have meeting Of
property holders and merchants and
settle the question whether we shall
Impose this tax upon ourselves and
build this road towards the northwest
or helplessly and basely confess un-
worthiness Of the names and positions
of men I Must We beg Texas for help
or be content to have Austin remain
a miserable city of boarding houses,
its men the veriest sniveling old
women, and its capitalists helpless de-
pendants upon the bounty of the COM
monwealth. The true, brave women
of Austin will not tolerate this shame
full abandonment of self respect and
betrayal Of & beautiful city by those
who call themselves meR.