The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-05-30
Governor Hubbard Z Hearns Depot
He Assrrts Falsely that he 1IaIn-
Iains the Law.
HorsroN. May 15. 1878.

Inappropriate on an occasion of tha
character. / undertake 10 say that th,
: proprieties of such an occasion coulc
not have been violated only from mer
cenRTy motives. 6 II the assertion thai
the people OF Texas have ''cAuse fol
congTaiula;ion that there is so little
crime in Texas and that crime is on
the decrease" is true, why allude "a
it, except for his own laudation if i,
Is untrue, why assert the contrary, il
not for the purpose of bolsterlng up
the credulous and attacking the in
credulous in their uDbelief. Are the
people OF Texas barbarIans, that, In
the most commonplace speech, wheth-
er responding to toast or serenade,
they are TO be congratulated by their
Governor that there sis so little crime
among them" or are semi-barbarians
but ''their crimes are on the decreaseg'
RE PRESSES THE OCCASION.
A social occasion is not the place for
the speaker to take advantage of the
courtesies extended him and "blow
his own horn," and especially when
''blown" at the expense of so much in
nocent blood shed by murderers,
train robbers and such other vii
lalns, who are bowling to society
for fresh victims. Doubtless al
the very time Governor II. was
extending his congratulations he was
trembling with fear that the very train
that would take him to Waco would
be attacked by these villains, who in
the darkness would demand his blood
o. money.
THE TRUTH THAT is IN HIM.
/ propose to deal fairly with our
present condition of affairs, and con-
trovert the Governors most extrava-
giant representation of them. It. is in
furious that such o state of affairs
should exist; but if existing, it is far
more injurious to Us to have our Chief
Magistrate denying it instead of apply
ing remedy vigorously aud without
| stint or fear. What is to be the re-
suit to the people of Texas, if after hav-
ing had the worst and most dangerous
species of crime committed among
them, and when the woods are full of
marshals and State troops hunting
down marauders, they are to be told
by the Governor 1t all amounts to
nothing, and that "crime is on the
decreaseg" Are we to be callous to
crime in the midst of the whoop' of
the turbulent element now infesting
us2
LET Us REVIEW 1T.
A retrospective view of matters since
Governor Hubbard became Governor
will not be out of place here. In 9TH
er days when murder was committed
the excuse of self defense was
offered; when theft was
committed it was claimed fer the beg
carly wretch that necessity made him
steal, and if wantonly done it was GER
talnlY stealthily done. There were no
bold, daring and desperate chances
taken in the taking of life, or in the
pluDder of property. A hlghwayman
was scarcely heard of, stage robbery
was laughed at, and such thing as
train robbery was never dreamed of
but how changed the condition now
The Tyler Courier, the Governors or
gan, in its issue Of the eleventh, says:
"More prisoners arrive at the State
Penitentiary than ecer before The
daily average is about ten, and yet there
are thousands to go, including some of
the worst characters known to Tex
history" This is in strange contras
with the Governors congratulations.
The devilment commenced with the
lonely traveller being attacked and
made to give up. This, of course, was
shocking innovation on the old way.
Success here increased boldness and
brutality, when the plan was conceived
n or n
ItS passengers; this was done in more
instances than we can now enumerate.
To make a dozen men fall out of the
stage and throw up their hands to be
plundered by two or three of the
''boys" was not daring enough. For
three Texas robbers to initiate Rob
bin Hood, Will Scarlet and "Little
JohD," the notorious ''freebooters,
got too common to constitute small
amusement for them. Something more
daring and desperate, and still more
novel and 'warlike had to be done to
make them equally as notorious as
Friar Tuck and his associates. The
element was here, but it lacked leaders
who had planned similar campaigns.
TRAIN RoBBING.
The news of Sam Bass and Joel COL
lins's great achievements on the Un-
ion Pacific Railroad filled their souls
with admiration and constant longing
for such leaders. The killing of joel
Collins and the pursuit of Sam Bass by
law officers of Nebraska made this
noted bandit look to Texas as a fine
field in which to operate; he came here
and al once assumed the leadership of
the element referred to and boldly de-
fed the law, society, Governor Hub
bard and everyone else. In the trail
of dozen instances where individuals
were robbed by highwaymen, and in
that of stage robberies too numerous
to mention, he planned and success
fully robbed one of cur great thorough
fares, at Allen Station. Notwithstand-
ing the terrible state of affairs result
ing from the acts of these dare-uevils,
which showed organized bands of free
hooters in our midst, the Governor did
nothing. Then came the bold and
slccessful robbery at Hutchins Station
where, after a fight, the train crew
had to succunb; yet the Governor
did nothing. Then next on the cata-
logue of crime was the Eagle Ford
robbery on the Texas and Pacific Rail-
road; still the Governor remained
quiet and continued to offer more re-
wards than Texas can pay in several
generations. The imbecility of our
Governor was the laughing f1nd Of
Bass & Co., and it served to embelden
them in their daring conception OF
crime, until with fendishness they
redeemed their hands in the blood OF
Alvord at Mesquite, sacked the train
of its contents, and mockingly laughed
at the rewards of Hubbard. Whoever
heard of such q murderous assault and
''freebooter's yeln for life and prop
ertY in a country where there was so
"iittle crime" or of such an occurrence
where ''crime was on the decrease7"
''PowERLEss" eovERHoR.
Against the insecurity TO life and
property following the numerous stage
and train Tobberies up to this time,
Governor Hubbard claimed that he
was powerless TO act, and had no
authority to enforce; no right TO inter
pose with the local suthorities. May
ask what was there in the Mesquite
robbery so viiiainously violative OF law
in excess Of the other robberies that
changed the GoYernor's authority OF
his power TO act3 Was there any ap-
peal for help from thelocal authoritiesl
Let the Governor and his friends answer.
If he had no Authority IN one in