The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-10-16

JUDGE IRELAND IN 1878.
His Campaign Against schlsicher.
A Democratic Estimate of the Man and his
Methods. 800
From the San Antonio Express, October, 1873.
[NoTE-We have been furnished some ex-
tracts from the San Antonio Express during
the Schleicher- Ireland campaign Of 1878,
which are very appropriate now to enable the
public to form correct judgment Of Judge
Ireland from democratic standpoint. The
Express is the same in every essential partic-
ular that it was then-a democratic organ.
-[EDIroR LIGHT.
RETROSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE CONGRESSIONAL
p. .f RACE. -t.a
A few weeks before the adjournment of con-
gress there was no member in that body
whose popularity among his constituents was
representative from the sixth Texas district.
On every hand, both republicans and demo-
Gratis and the people of all classes pointed with
especial champion of their rights, who laborcd
ndustriously In their interests instead Of
spending his time on political issues In every
for our fonter and in at
the attention of the general government to
the situation of our border. He voted
against the Bland silver bill, not because he
did not favor the remonetization of silver,
for he was the first to advocate that PROPOSE
ton, but he did not consider the bill as meet.
ing the re luirements Of the people. Some Of
this action, while Others believed he was right,
but the expression was general this was the
only act performed that did not meet with APP
prevail by his people, and the expression was
general among those who disapprOved this act
that in view OF the great good that he had &C
| cOmplished, and his usefulness and great abili-
return to congress. Up to about the adjourn
ment of congress, no man scarcely entertained
| q thought that any one could he found to enter
! the lists against him ut the ensuing election.
| Even Judge Ireland, at that time next to Mr..
Schleicher probably the most prominent and
| influential man in the district, stated to a
| friend that Mr. Scheicher must be returned to
titt y change came Instead of following the
example of other congressman and fastening
to ioSk aegr hs SSfssr when
manned in Washington several weeks
| looking after certain interests of his con-
stituents. Then it was that Judge Ireland's
| greenback spasm was speeding through the
| country agitating the people: Mr.. Schleicher
was not present to look after his interests, 'and
| nOw," thought Mr.. Ireland, "is my OppOrtun-
ty." He seized upon the greenback craze,
doubtless as he once united mis- fortunes with
| the knOw-nothings, because it promised brief
friend, the chairman of the congressional CON-
mittee, had the convention called nearly fOU
months ahead Of the election, and at time he
his constituents, rushed his strikers out
through the country to create furOre in biz
favor, and carry the nomination by storm. Then
the people were tod p;i that Mr.; schleicher
pie; that he was the friend and plant
tool OF blOated bond : hOlde.S, and the VAN.
pires of capitalists and national banks, and
nothing as representative. Bnt, nOtwith-
| standing these great efforts when the cOnven-
ton met nearly twO,thirds of its members
| of this district, though no nomination could
he made. 1t is well known the opposition was
based, not ON principle, but on personal
grounds, personal friendship of the delegates
favOring Mr.. Ireland. They knew he was de-
feated in the convention, but determined to
defeat a nomination i'm order to give their
land delegates bOasted that they would not
| make nomination, and when a delegate from
GOliad county told Mr.. ireland, in the hall of
the Vance house, that he believed the best
| thing to do would be to select compromise
candidate, Mr.. Ireland promptly declared his
friends never yield, though he has since de-
| clared they was ready to compromise with
any one who would endorse their greenback
| theories
Since the convention, as is well know l,J Judge
| Ireland and his friends have stumped the dis
electiOneering documents, some of them known
| to have forged signatures attached to them.
They have dealt lavishly in abuse and misrep-
| resentatiOn, and expressed themselves in favor
of any thing and every thing calculated to catch
| u vote. To such great extent has this been
carried, that to-day scarcely u man in this dis
trict knows what Judge Ireland's position on
the financial question really is, and so vascilla-
ting has he been that 1t is well known that
very large number of greenbackers, and the
leading members of that party in this district,
will support Mr.. Sch.eicher in preference to
Mr.. Ireland, because, as they declare, they do
not know where to find the latter, and cannot
| trust him. -s f...g
Mr.. Stockholders course has been entirely
different. He didn't attempt to 'straddle the
fence" on the financial question, or pursue
vascilating course to curry favor with the
greenbackers. He simply held to the princi-
Piles he had enumerated long before, and for
which he had been commended 10y Judge Ire
land himself, rs well us by the latters present
friends and supporters, and time has already
shown the wisdom of course as far as the Bland
bill was concern d, as the demand Is general
for its amendment, for it has not accomplished
the purpose for which it was intended.
We have given statement Of the case which
no one can successfully deny. Does any one
believe that Mr.. Schleicher would have had
any opposition, had he returned from WASH
ingtOn at the adjournment of congress instead
of remaining there to finish his work?
West virl inia.