The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-04-27
TEXAS PRESS OPINIONS.
COMPETENT FOR THE TASK.

anu dNOlu ullluuslCilhS ohA .
away their time without any profit
to the country. They have some in
tricate problems to solve, and, 1t
seems, they are competent for the
task.
HOSTILE LEGISLATION.
Brenham Banner Railroad and
land bills continue to occupy the
time of the legislature. The Hous-
ton Post remarks that "hitherto the
state has acted with singular gener-
osity to the railroads." and it may
now be remarked that in view of
the benefits derived from the rail-
roads in the past, and the certain
benefit to accrue in the future, no
hostile legislation should be under
taken. The ultimate result of ad-
verse legislation will certainly effect
the interests of the producers more
than any others.
A LIFE ESTATE.
Pamela WatchmdR: To arrange
the districts so as to ENSURE" the
present fins" return to Congress,
would be to give them "life estate"
in these positions, and if this is to
be the policy, why not Grown" all
officials, from presidency down, and
be done with it. Then people would
know that there was no chance tor
them to hold an Office of honor and
emolument, and would lose no time
in preparing themselves to fill said
office, but would go about their bus
mess and attend to home matters,
resting content to let others say how
they should live and what proper
ton of the results of their labor they
should pay to support the privileg-
ed fellows for whom the offices
were made, and who fill them.
GERRYMANDERING.
La Grange Journal: This policy
we most emphatically condemn in
any party, and if we properly un-
derstand the principles OF Demo-
cracy such policy is Numerically
antagonistic to the fundamental
doctrines of that party. Democracy,
we understand to mean. government
by the people, not a clique,
not faction, but the whole
people acting as one man through
their representatives chosen by a
majority of the qualified voters OF
the territory they propose to gov
ern. But what do these gerrymand-
erers propose to do? To so divide
the state that sections of the coun-
try where different ideas of poll
tics from their own prevail will be
cut up and united with other Sec
tions having a large majority of
their followers, so as to form dis
tricts in which these people will not
be represented. If there are any
planks that should be in the plat
form of a party they are honesty
and consistency but how is it when
these would-be leaders of a party
claiming to be the peoples party
openly council the swindling of the
people out of their votes, and fac
tion ruling the masses. AS for our
part, we can see no difference in
prohibiting a man from voting and
of swindling him out of his vote
They both fall in the same category,
and are equally destructive of all
free government. A,aI p
-.'-----> A VAIL GOING UP.
Dallas Times: There is a wall
going up from the railroads. IC is
the cry of fear as the storm is aboCt
to burst. The grand corporations
which have ruled the roost for many
days past and were preparing to get
their work in for all the future, are
now upon their knees and suppli-
catingly address the people. A lit
tie over a year ago the legislator
was approachable. Within that
short space of time he has become
inexorable. Then his energy was
emusculated by filling his stom-
ach with choice viaDds. Now he is
temperate and industrious. He has
''seen" the voters who gave him his
position. He has looked upon his
constituency. and saw dissatisfac-
tion. He has returned to his post
with the determination to do his
duty. This is why the song of the
wine cup, sung so pleasingly into
the ear of the legislator one year
ago, has ceased, and the song of the
misericordia, with the chorus of
mercy-on-us, assails the ear of
the people. To the people the rail
roads come-come as victims of
persecution-come to show wounds
inflicted already by legislation and
to moan out their inability to stand
another crack OF the legislative lash.
These are masters who have never
accommodated-who have never
paid except at the end of the law !;
who have looked upon the fields
and land of this whole country as an
estate created to yield them tlthes,
who have corrupted lawmakers,
newspapers, and even courts, who
now change the hoarse voice of
command to the snivelllng whine for
mercy. But will the people, in their
natural kindness, listen? Will they
believe the silly arguments that to
curb the monster monopoly is to
create a plague of financial distress ?
Will they believe if Jay Gould and
his fellows depart from among us,
the grass will cease to grow, the
murrain will whiten the praries with
bleaching bones of herds and the
land sicken and refuse to yield?
THE UNIVERSITY LAND BILL.
Oot 1uO was
made III the senate, and as far as
that body is concerned the point
was won in favor of Texas honor
and the cause of higher education.
1t is a cause of regret to note in the
course of debate certain filings made
at the intention and scope of the
university, as if that institution
were designed to be a class estab-
lishment tor the benefit of a patri-
clan order-a sort of mill to turn
out lawyers, doctors, ministers and
gentlemen of elegent leisure-at the
expense and passiDg-by of the mass
of the people who must, forsooth,
put up with a business education.
Such talk is unworthy of thinking
and cultivated gentlemen. Higher
education is simply necessity to q
state like Texas. If it cannot be Sc
cured at home. it compels the stu
dents to go abroad Gas they have
been going these many years., and
necessitates the expenditure of hun
dreds of thousands of dollars an
nually that might easily be expend-
ed within the borders of the state.
Our judges, lawyers, doctors, clergy
men and scientific men will not and
cannot be prepared for their repre-
sentative positions by q common
school education alone. Whether
afforded by the state or not, they
must have the advantages of q
higher education, and the practical
! question is, whether it is not good
1 nolicv as well as n h0undan dufv