The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-03-09
MIR. PuANsl OPEN LETTIR.


We have received n copy of m open letter
from Hon. A. j. Evans, Of Waco. Mr.
Evans Is Unit States District Attorney for
the Western district Of Texas, and Is Is Re-
publican of the "most strictcst sect" in lact,
Is n stalwart, lie lays down eleven PROPOSE
tons, or probably, more properly speaking,
gives eleven panks Of n platform on which
he stands, and which said platform he
insists must BIO made the basis Of that polit-
cal structure which must obtain In Texas,
Ito says there must be reform in the State
Government or the commonwealth must
perish. We'll. there arc many thousand
Democrats in the State, those of progressive
and advanced views who shy there must be
achangc from the policy of tho present nd
ninstraton aud they aro working diligently
10 that end, but they insist that it be done
by the Democratic party, and are UNI
willing for tho Republicans to try
their hands at reform, MS the State has had
about rs much OF that from 1870 10 1874 MS
II could we'll stand. They do not think with
Mr. Evans, though, that the Commonwealth
is in any great danger of perishing. In his
secondly he says sour taxes by the eternal
must, and by the help of the people of the
State, shall be reduced That sounds
nicely, pleasantly. There is something very
winsome in tho idea of n reduce
iion of taxes, but let us look
back to the days when the Republi.
lcan party was in power in the
State and consider of the question Of taxation
then. Martial law was declared at Groes-
beeok and militia force sent there to terror
lac and tyrannize over the people of that
section, and the people were taxed to deiray
the expenses Of that infamous proceeding.
Martial law was declared in Walker county
and armed troops sent there and the people
had to foot the bill. An armed police force
was sustained by pulling money from the
pockets of the people, which
armed police shot down good
citizens when they saw proper, arrested and
imprisoned others at will, interpreted the law
a. il suited them and executed it rs caprice
and malignity dictated. The Adjutant-G Cen
eral of the State, who was at the head of this
armed police, vacated his office without the
Formally of resignation and left the State
between two days with $4,000 of the peo-
pies money These are specimens of the
reduction of taxes under the Republic
can regime, which the people have
not forgotten, and which is apt
to make them prefer "the ills they bear,
rather than fly to others they know not of, y
especially as those others, if Mr.. Evans have
his will in change of political dominance
in the State are to bo the same as they en-
dured from 1870 to 1874. His "thirdly''
treats of public schools, and all he SAYS in
favor of them, progressive Democracy en-
dorses, but when he says the school fund
must be drawn from the State of Texas and
securely invested in other friendly corpora
atoms" heis whisting against the wind. Who
should be the custodian of the public school
funds'if it Is not the State And what better
or safer securities could that fund be investe d
in than those prescribed by the Constitution
the bonds of the State of Texas or of the
United States To place the public debt in a
situation it will be impossible for it to in
crease, and where ats speedy ultimate pay.
ment' will be provided for, as his fourth
proposition demands, is just what
every good citizen would like
10 see done, is what the Democracy
rs far as practicable, has done. The fifth
plank of his pronunciamento is demand for
immigration, seven though it costs the emas-
culation of our deplorabe Constitution"
That is Democratic thunder, in part, at least
The progressive Democracy wants immigra-
lion, and wants the Constitution changed at
least to the extent of permitting the Legisla-
tnre to make provision for the advertising of
the advantages and resources of Texas. I'm
der the sixth head of his plaintiye
vail he wants the Democracy to
stop multiplying offices and officers and
wants the judiciary system changed for bet
ser one. Under the Republican dsmina-
lion of the State the Legislatures met yearly,
is members received eight dollars day and
Il remained in session about ten months eacs
year. 1t had twice as many pages for eseh
House as Democratic Legislature since then
bnye had, and at twice the pay given by the
Democrats. Nearly every committee had a
clerk at not less than five dollars a day and