The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-29
THE EVIL OF LARGE MAIORITIEs,

peace and prosperity to country There Is
no better exempliacstion of this fact than
is witnessed in Europe. Every nation on
that continent watches zealously this thing
and guards sgainst it. Let one power
become aggressive and J 70
extend its dominions, and at
once the other powers combine against it. 1t
ia this principle HAT keeps Turkey in
turmoil and that secures to Switzerland indie
pendence and tranquility as republic.
Here in Texas, where the Democratic party
has clear majority of from $1,000 to l0O,-
900, there Is no check upon the party, and the
party itself and the entire state suffers in con-
sequence. II there was an oppo-
stion to Democracy here Of sutti-
Gent strength to make it watch
full, TO make it guarded in all its acts, to
make it particular in its management of the
affairs of the state, we would not hear the
name Of Governor Roberts mentioned for
reelection we would hear no voice raised
against free schools; we would witness no
apathy in the matter of securing immigrs-
ton; we would find no Objectionable
laws upon the statute books ; we would know
nothing of the reckless squandering of the
public domain we would read no blood
curdling accounts of crime and lawlessness
in our midst. By its own weight and I'M
weildiness the Democratic msjority has
fallen from over one hundred
thousand in 1873 to less than seyenty-iye
thousand two years ago. Such huge pre-
ponderance of strength begets heedlessness,
leads to experimental Legislation and thrusts
mediocrity to the front at the expense of
ability. There are to-day, we earnestly be-
lieye, forty thousand good Democrats in
Texas who ere willing to support an indie
pendent ticket made up of strong, able men,
rather than support the Democratic nomi-
nees, if they be weak men. This feeling is
but the legitimate outgrowth of an unwielay
msiority-such as the Democratic party has
had since it came into power in Texas in De-
cember, 1873. If the Democrats had carried
Texas in that year by only from
five thousand to ten thousand
with the knowledge that it would take thor.
ough organization and the pursuance of q
wise policy and strict adherence to princi'
pie in the administration of state and county
affairs, Texas to-day would have largely
over the population she has; free school:
would be fourishing in every community
the public debt would be smaller than it Isl
there would be prison room for all the con
victs of the state to work within walls and
not come in competition with free labor; We
would have more miles of railroad than We
have now; the rate of taxation would b'
much lower than it is; there would be M
, grounds for newspapers and people abroad
: to base the charge of lawlessnes
against our state. Our principal cities woul
= have over the population the census rolls nov
x show. Galveston would have deep waite
;. and be great southern seaport; manufactc
ries of all kinds would bevsible on ever
hand and there would be no section Of tn
state lacking in prosperity. We would nee
he no state troops on the frontier, no cOmpan
of state police to aid the civil officers in th
execution of the law. This overwhe!min
majority has cost Texas perhaps, at least
" half million inhabitants, and untold millior
:. of wealth. There is no principle of Demo-
~ rscy at fault there is n
= tenet of democratic faith tn,
"a begets the evil. 1t is the recklessnes
the arrog ance, the self assumption of tn
u. majority that, in the pride of its strength,
ut repellant, defiant, brooking public opinion
ID In that arrogance it says it will do
0. it pleases, it cares for no more accessions
10 strength and utters its indifference to any wi
r that may run counter to its will. Rome
p. the days of her grandeur and glory BEGAN
intoxicated with power almost identical wit
u this, grew arrogant, supercilious, over6earir
W tyrsnnicsl and then she fell. Her four.snd-
IL half millions of people dwindled away; h
az coliseum crumbed to ruins and the prot
IS. creations of wealth and human skill tn
e. marked her seven hills and made h
the greatest city the world ev
y saw, sunk into decay and nc
1T she stands in her squalOr and her ii
,g significance with none so poor as to do hon
lis to her save in remembrance of the days
m her magnifeence and potency. The Repub
i'd can patty to-day is crumblng because of d
sessions brought about in the idea that it W
too strong to be hurt by any opposition.
H. grew ntolerant dictatorial, intoxicated.
es 1t is with the huge majority of the Democrat
n party in Texas. 1t is intoxicated with Il
Nv plentitude of its own power, is lulled to
A. worse than indifference by its strength. 7
ay work of disntegration has set in Y
ne see some Thousands of Democrats who ha
MS gone over to the Greenback party. We q
ht told by leading authority in the party tb
TX some forty thousand Democratic votes W
~ be lost if some acceptable independent cane
he date is nominated for the gubernstion
IN. office, and all because of the csrelessne
heedlessness, arrogance of this stupendo
-, majority. The remedy for this evil ought