The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-03-18
THTRMOND-ALIvE AND DEAD

THURMOND-ALIVE AND DEAD
The recent tragedy at Dallas, quite
full accounts of which have been given
il our special telegraphic correspond
ence, appears, on its face, to have been
the result of a litter personal feud be-
tween the slayer and the slain. 1t is to
be remembered, however, that this per-
sonal feud was the outgrOwth of circum-
stances based on political, or at least
public matters; and hence, going be-
Meath the surface which the newspaper
people at Dallas have seen fit to reveal
to the outside world, it is easy to trace
strong under-current Of feeling that
invests Judge Thurmond's death with
/ an importance not warranted by
mere personal imbroglio, no
matter how strongly marked the
characteristics of the parti-
/ cipants. One is warranted III reaching
this conclusion by the tone of the local
press at Dallas, even were any o.ler
evidences lacking. The Herald, for
example, handles the matter very eau
tiously. Its statements bear traces Of
careful preparation and consideration.
Its comments are guarded and temper
ate, showing that a delicate subject Is
in hand The Times has not reached
us since the occurrence and its criticisms
are therefore lacking, But the utter
ances of the Blade, evening newspaper,
are-pOintedly significant. 1t headed its
account Of the fatal affair N these words:
"Ihurmond ACKNOWLEDGMENT Bullet
Does What His Brain Could Never Dor
Then follows a lengthy article from
which we take the f flowing extracts:
lie tThurmOndj was a man worse feared,
| more hated, best loved and withal one of the
brainlest men eyer in Dallas. The fash
Of Cowart's pistol furnishes food for the
worm again and takes from in instant's
time ofthe most patriotic aud liberal men
Dallas ever had; man whe lOvsd his friends
aud hated his eueInicsi man who had he lived |
would have done more for the city Of Dallas |
than any i've men in her borders. Git |
izeIs Of Dallas, was Judge ThurmOnd killed |
for trying to defend your interests against the |
grasping rapacity and inOrdInate ambit' on of 4 |
political clique If 50, will you desert the |
cause because your leader has fallen by the !
bullet of an assassin? We ask'you now TO stand |
manfully TO your colors. Let 1t not be said
that the majority OF tree citizens was over
awed and lntimdated 10y the death of a man
who Gipd as brayely s7 did Judge NJ. Thur
Mond
These are the expressions of d senti-
ment that had evidently found its expo
nent in the person of the now dead man,
who is TINS canonized, as it were-made
d martyr or IA patriot Of a man who lost
his life because Of his suppO-e Led devotion
to some public interest. 70 outs ders,
not conversant with the true inwardness
of the matter, all this seems queer, TO
say the lea of il. What the ontside
world knew of Judge Thurmond was
whether justly or unjustly, We cannot
say not of nature calculated to show !
llm up as representative type of the
nest element o: society in Dallas. But ,,
t is certain that he welded a peculiar
ma strong influence there; that he had !
lis friends and ardent ones; and, finally, ,,
hat his tragic fate Is sought to b. made i
| public rather than private matter. t
It is not difficult to ima.ine that ;
hough dead Thurmond may yet exer- ;
Use an influence IN the local politics {
If Dallas, of the earnest, bitter
nature that would have delighted him /
lllve. If our conclusions are to any ex-
-ent warranted the whole matter may be
accepted as another practical lesson,
general in its application of the deplora-
0le extremes to which communities, led :
by a few men, go III the.i foolish excite
ment over local or political issues, that
ought not to cause sensible man the
Oss of minutes sleep at night, much
ess the loss of life or lives The evil :,
$ not confined to Dallas. We have seen :.
time and again in other towns We d,
aw 1t here in Waco III the municipal Il
lection of 1876. The bitter memories :.
that struggle hnger yet They left Z,
leir impress on various phases of busl- .,
ess and social life This Dallas trag- p
ly is a little the worse of all. If the e
'ople there are wise they Will reso- n
tely set their faces against any and ~
eIy attempt to let it rise above the I'M
'rtance Of ID personal matter. Else it
ay plague the community, III various
,ys, for years to come. Or