The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-08-04
THE PRESS ON THANKSGIVING AND
PRAYER.

4
sectarian prejudice in this matter,
says:
"1f the ill-natured suggest that
! Governor Foster is working the
thanksgiving day project to aid his
own canvass for reelection, it is his
own fault. He should have confined
himself officially to his official duties.
They are prescribed in the cOnstitu-
tion OF Ohio, which gives him no
power to appoint religious feasts or
fasts. He has no more business, as
governor, to call upon the people
for prayers than he has to step up to
an altar and say mass in the capitol
at Columbus. When American citi-
zens feel inclined to- opray-which, by
the way, is not very often-they do
not need to get the cue from their
public servants"
The same paper refers to the out
cry against Governor Roberts, as
follows:
"a number of sentimental people
in Texas are fiercely den Incing
Governor Roberts for declining to
proclaim, officially, day Of thanks
giving and prayer, in response to
Governor Fosters invitation; but
from the tone of Roberts note, we
imagine he is a man who will not
be greatly troubled by denunciation
of this sort. The universal and
spontaneous sympathy expressed by
the people OF all sections and par
ties for the president, was an en-
couraging and charming evidence of
the downright goodness of the popu-
lar heart of America. The religious
of its most consOling features. No
formality of thanksgiving can add
anything to the feryOr with which
the whole people Of all churches and
parties devoutly and ardently pray
ed for the president'srecovery. The
services of prayer in the churches
were eminently appropriate, because
they were spontaneous and earnest,
and because officialism had nothing
whatever to do with them. Let the
churches sing Ie Deums and offer
prayers, and let public officials at
tend to their political duties. A
railroad president has just as much
right to call for prayers as a gov
| ernor."
The Anzeiger WeStenS, of 81. Louis,
speaks in no uncertain way in its
approval of the governors course.
1t says:
Der @ouberneur bon SeTas, .. SO.
81 &oberts, bat ben Wutb gebabt,
Dem OanfiagunsSsSumbug often ents
eeeensutreten. lln9lsib pieIea anbes
rem @ouuerneuren, Die iid BON Dem
Speideueder uno Sntriaunnten SOFTER
bon Ohio inS S6lepptau nebmen lie
Ben, bat er bieiem auf ben 8orfdlas
surSeitIebung zines aIaemeinen Oants
faeun9sta9S fir 9arfielbs @enelung
nit eiuem ebenio entl6ieoenen, pie
treffid begriinbeten Stein 9eantiuors
tet.
.gSenn id Sbnen nid)t Sbrem gSuni9 ent.
| iprefeno antpOrte - lagt er ibm ungefabr-
10 iit oas our9aus nidJt aus Nan9el an Nits
gefiibl fur ben Yrdiioenten, iOnoern neil i'd
es nit ineiner Stellung ais @ouperneur nidlt
pereinbar CLAUDE, eine proclamation CUR Gns
Oronung religi6'er Seierlid)feiten su erlniIen,
ipabrenD Str d nno Q taat in ibren SlInf.
tiOnen 9etrennt iino uno getrennt erbalten
iperDen follten. Sd sneifle nidJt, Dap DnS
SOIf pom Seras fur Die gSieoerberitelIuug oes
| Rrdiioents, 5,enio Iebbafte 9Silnidls heat uno
! ebenio iUHis beten Dli2 a's oae Bolt ieoes
anoeren Stdates in Der lInlOn."
@s lit mohltbuenb uno ermutbigsnb,
enolid) einmal einen uniercr oberlten
@recutibbeamten gu iebeu, Der ebrli9
unb mutbig genua lit, ben grOBen ames
rifanii9en @runbiab Der Srennun9
sfpilden Staat unS Stride ober sipis
i9en 8olitit aud III Der 8raris gu
befolgen unb benz, biefen 9runoiab
uno Die 9etpihenSre6te picler Biirger
beraepaltiaenpen Sanfiasun9ssSums
bug friid unb frei ent9e9en gu treten.
The Jlmplecatte thinks "for one
time" the governor is right. 1t says: /:
"This thing of mingling church
and state, and ordering people to
pray, is not exactly what we take to
be religion. All should be allowed
to do their own praying when and
where they please"
The Bellville (Austin county,
Times, sustains the governor, and
says:
"We thank Governor Roberts for
his correct position, and for his re-
fusing to tumble our great state on
her knees before any man, or for
any mortal before the great 1 Am,
who judges men by their actions
and thoughts. not by their worldly
good"
The Jefferson Democrat in refer
ring to the call for a mass-meeting
at Houston to condemn the gov
ernor, says:
"From the way this call is man
aged, we presume it is designed as a
rebuke to Governor Roberts. In
this view 1t merits a rebuke itself,
and the men connected with it,"
The Gonzales Inquirer thinks the
governors ground tenable but not
polite. He was not dealing with a
political question.
The Navasota Tablet believes the
SOtCIAOI dLll luCo COlICCJ anu
constitutional principle and acted in
accordance with his conscientious
convictions of right and duty, but
it appears that he fails to perceive
the difference between a principle
and the veriest bubble. Governor
Roberts has, by this latest vagary-
for such it will be cOnsidered-pro-
voked liberal criticism from the
press and the public OF Texas. We
predict, however, that the governor
will complacently ride the storm of
popular Indignation, and come out
uBscathed. There will be mass
meeting in Navasota to-day for the
purpose of voicing the sentiments of
this community regarding the gov
ernor's action.
The Galveston Journal of Com
merce, which opposes Governor
Roberts in all things, admits that
this practice of thanksgiving and
prayer with executive sanction has
been a conspiracy against republi-
can government, but that he could
not have chosen more inopDortune
moment for Haunting it before the
world"
To this the Age replies:
Governor Roberts did not "choose"
the moment; it was thrust upon
him. When Foster first sent his
message the governor paid no at
Il