The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-01-30


4 Our friends, regarding this os bust
ness, will not fail to respond.
HOW MAKES MEN
DICANTS AND TRAMPS OF THE
PEOPLE.
The pension bill passed last week by
Congress, and signed by the President,
will take 500, 900, 900 from the treas
|nry, and prevent the further reduction
Of the public debt, unless Congress i'm
pose much heavier rates of taxation
than those that now obtain. The
East and all tariff mongers voted
for the wasteful measure because it
renders a reduction of customs duties
impossible, and since the tariff en-
riches the East, and these 500, 900, 900
are taken mainly from the South and
expended wholly In the North, it will
be readily seen how the South is made
to pay at leasttwo-thirds of the cost of
this magnificent scheme of charity,
conceived IS a means of buying votes
in the presidential election in 1880.
The bill was forced through Congress
by q competitive vote of the dema-
gogues Of that illustrious body, and
even Southern Democrats approved
because the interests of the
party in 1880 required it. The
President did not veto the bill.
II he had done so, his own adherents
would not have had the moral courage
to sustain him. The animus of these
party leaders is further illustrated in
the death-blow given William and
Mary College, the next most venerable
and most honored of all American be-
nefcent institutions. Federal armies
had applied the torch, as ut the old
University of Alabama, and it was
only asked that buildings and books
burned be restored. Strange to say,
the proposition was defeated by North
ern Democratic votes, Republican par
~ leaders approving the proposition.
Randall and his whippers-in were vio-
lently hostile to the measure. They
declared that they could not stand up
befSie heir Northern constituents and
defend thar action if they con-
~ceded such . boon to- ~ ~
intelligence and well BAR Z q ssNs
South, and yet these same Democrats,
when the poverty of Southern soldiers
3 infinitely more universal and more
atolerable than that which befals
. northern veterans, and when the South
must foot the bills and receive not a
dollar-in the face of these facts and
of the rejection of the bill to recon-
atruct William aud Mary College, even
many Southern Democrats, reckless of
patriotism and of the burdens of tax
payers, stood by Randall and his gang,
and voted for the one hundred million
pension bill.
And will somebody tell where this
process, insugurated by vicious Repub-
| lican legislation, is to endG Here we
see the State giving to each citizen of
Texas one hundred and sixty acres of
land. It also comedies to each house,
hold $4,000 homestead, and yet when
million dollars are taken from tax
payers and given for no possible or
conceivable good to wandering peda-
Rogues for three months of invaluable
idleness the pedagogues and mendi-
cants still demand more. Not only is
the independent, industrious, toiling
citizen forced to pay for the tutelage of
the children of the worthless or mean
aud selfish owner of homestead hard
by, but his money must go to distant
counties that never pay dollar into
the common fund. This process of
converting governments, State and
Federal, into grand eleemosynary
Institutions has gone so far
that honest, toiliny people be-
gin to contemplate governments
much IS they do highway robbers.
They begin 10 wear the aspect of cssa-
lire, as painted by Cicero, who SAID of
the unblushing villain that his only
virtue consisted IN the fact that he was
-faei7as alieRi prOdigHs sWi-as prodigal
IS ne was avaricious. Such are gov
ernments from the highest to the low
eat, and Jet We pretend to admire the
philosophy Of jefferson and Jackson,
who uniformly declared that govern
ment best which governs least. And
shall We have government conducting
schools and training children to rely
upon government and not upon
The family OF themselvese Must
hey be trained from childhood as
dependents upon this public char
ify, and must they owe the State
more than the father or the mother
that gave them life. The theory Of
she public free school system is wrong
or personal and local freedom and indie
pendence are wholly wrong. The State
81 Texas giving millions Of acres Of
land, has done enough for her proper
children. They are miserable mendl'
cants II they ask for more, and sinc'
the Federal government, as admins
tered By politicians aud demagoguel
and wresched trading party-ieaders
exacts one hundred millions from rs I.
be distributed in charity, il become
. our Legislature to retrace its steps AM
retriere its errors. A million dollar
asted on worthless peripatetic peds
.keues last year, should be retaine'
brthose who toll for il. Aendieanc
should be the last lessen inculcsted b
1hs Leais,etnss.of Texas.