The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-05-12
EMERGENCIES

government, When there ara no In
Of law, It's majesty yindicaies
itself, In the matter OF the recent
train robberles aud the means resofied
TO- 10 break II up, the lesson IL taught
to tho government and people OF Texas
In tho most ioroible way When the
Allen robbery occurred tho governor
could have had ono Of tho companies
OF the Frontier Battalion on the ground |
In ten days, and by this time Bass and
the whole gang would infallibly have
been in the hands OF the law, The GOV
ernor weakly waited until no had o
pretty strong expression from the peo'
ple before no could summon sufficient
nerve TO move IN the matter, and until
three more similar robberles had ocs
cured In the same neighborhood
While no was getting on" this queer
sort of Dutch courage, Bass was doubts
less taking steps 10 secure safe line OF
retreat, and which, when the hour Of
trial came has served him eiieotually,
General Steele, the efficient and able
adjutant general Of the state, Is not u
man who, II left alone would have over
looked such u chance IN this II there
were any way 10 get an expression from
him on this point, wo hazard the pres
diction that, but for executive interler-
enco, such action was planned, After the
fourth attack (Mesquite), the governor
acted, but how2 lIe ordered the CONS
mander Of the battalion to recruit, on the
ground, new company, where Bass and
his men could keep up with every
move, and provide against IL M the
emergency required, This, together
with the delay OF any action, has operN
ated 10 rob the law of the satisfaction of
incarcoraling the Williams for life, and
the example Of such fate is lost. The
officer selected finally for the new oom-
pany, VIM the right man in the right
place, M Is abundantly proven by the
fact that Bass found things becoming
hot, and was compelled to decamp, SO
far M the people are concerned imme'
diately, the driving of would be as
effective ~ capture, if II was only nc,
companied by sufficient guarantee
against return. The officers doubtless
leel an active interest in the rewards
offered, but tho people need quiet, and
complain that the means used after the
fourth attack, were not used after the
first. This train robbery trouble cer-
tainly constitutes an emergency with
which his excellency, Governor Richard
b. Hubbard, could not grapple and the
people of all Texas alike, suffer the con
sequences in the bad odor into which
the state has fallen, both in consequence
of the robberies themselves and the fail
ure to capture the perpetrators, who for
a month or six weeks defied openly,
both the local authorities and the state
forces, IL does constitute q great evil,
and Governor Hubbard must bear the
odium of passive acquescence in its
preparation.
1t is all well enough for his oxoellency
to follow the illustrious example of an.
other eminent candidate for the gov>
ernorship (Lang) who, while the grass is
growing up and choking tho struggling
cotton on his home farm, il addressing
sweet music to the tickled ears of
the toiling grangers; but the masses Of
the people would prefer if Hubbard
would pay more attention to the
wedding out Of the crop of bad men
who are choking out immigration, and
thus hinderng the development of tho
country, than he does to making pretty
speeches to the women and children at
Maifests and other spring gatherings at
the country sides. The business of gov>
erning Texas at this time-when
death struggle is being waged by the
fugitives from justice who have sought
asylums here to retain their footing-is
n serious one indeed, and he who essays
the task has no time to fritter away in
irivolties such as our ponderous gov.
ernor mingled in the other day at
Waco.
When our public officers pay more
attention to the discharge of the duties
devolving upon them by reason of their
election, and less to securing reelection,
we will have better and more efficient
administration, and they will better Sc.
cure their first object. We commend
this lesson to the attention of Mr. Hub.
bard. 1t is homely one, to be sure
but it is important, also, by reason of
the direct application to the scenes
which have so lately shocked the people
of our section of Texas.
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