The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-03-02
DODGING RESPONsIBILITY.

1t is painful to see the efforts OF
the Post to dodge any responsibility
for these political movements in op-
position to Democracy. 1t charges
unfairness against the STATESMAN
in directing attention to- the re-
sponsibility charged to it, and
tries to make it appear that
it has been imposed upon
The fact is admitted, but it is due
probably to the credulity of the Post,
which is large. 1t is well remem-
bered how the Post attempted to
give a boom to the Young Democ-
racy" movement at Austin, in
the spring of 1881, but it would
now lead the people to believe
that it did not consider the matter
of such importance as to go col
umn expense on an Austin telegram
regarding the movement, and then
to boost it with much editorial ap-
proval. 1t is not that the Post does
not love any. movement against
Democracy that it attempts
to avoid the godmothership
of "Young Democracy" but it
is its compunction of conscience at
allowing the poor thing to die, that
makes it now deny maternal respon-
sibility. 1t was delighted, 1T was
jubilant, over the birth of the
babe, and it fondled it, just
as thoogh it were an old and expe-
rienced mother. and it should not
now go back on the being of its
adoption. 1t is unnatural, unworthy
the Post, that stands away out in the
dim, unreal political world, ready
to stand for anything that is
new and that is especially
like itself, unreal, underlined. We
had not expected the Post to deny
responsibility for this slightly
prolonged sickly, puny life, and we
are truly surprised to see it
SO ungenerous as to at
tack the character of its guam
dam great political adviser, Mr.
Speer. The STATESMAN saw this
gentleman placed at the most re-
sponsible post on the outskirts of the
Posts advanced line; he was placed
in Austin during the session of the
seventeenth legislature to show
what character of genius the Post
could command. He was at the
political center of the state, placed
here to observe and advise and di-
rect, as all understood, the conduct
of the Post as seen from
the lights reflected through him
during one of the most active ses-
sions of the state legislature. Yes,we
are surprised beyond measure, when
the Post even maligns a gentleman,
then holding its greatest confidence.
simply and plainly to shield
itself, from being now known as
the heading "organ" of the "Young
Democracy" Mr.. Speer was the
light of that organization, and after
it had been ushered into life with
six witnesses, he took it tenderly in
his charge. and turned it over to the
Post who ruthlessly killed
it on taffy diet. The Post
surprises us when it calls
its trusted agent, by name, an Gin
triguer," in an ungenerous sense
The STATESMAN was satisfied that
the gentleman was an in
triguer, but in a different sense from
that implied by the Post, and it was
then satisfied, since the Posts exist
ence was to be one ofintrigue against
the Democratic party, that the SER
vice of an intriguer was demanded
in its interest. Had the Post only
been possessed of the genius to back
intrigue, it probably could have
succeeded in forming new parties
but it has signally failed, and now
it is ungenerous enough to attempt
to make it appear that the
responsibility for failure rests on
single individual, for whose acts it
was not responsible, while at the
same time he represented il
with signal ability and with bold
purposes. The Post should, Ger.
tainly, not conduct itself thusly; il
loses caste among Its best friend:
when it does so. Can the reborn
"Young Democracy" confide in it
Can Independentism flop its wings
on the top of the Post, anG
prepare for grand descent upor
Democracy? Can Wash Jones OIL
"Gnat Curious" or Colonel Ton
Ochiltree appeal to it in time o.
need, with confidence? Can Ma
honeism transplant itself il
Texas through the agency
of the Post? Never, never
they will all ask how it treated
Speer's baby, and when they learl
its sad end they will all look some
where else than to the Post for /;