The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-09-21
COL. TRIGG,s SPEECH AT THE
COURTHOUSE LAST NIGHT.
The same Old Greenback Fiat
Lunatic Song.
Judge Terrell Called on by the
Crowd, hut the q. Rs
Squealed
And the Judge Was Not Allowed
TO Reply,
And Thus It IL They Will "De
molish Terrell,


at the court house last night to hear Col.
B. Trigg discuss the issues of the day.
The gathering was made up principally
of Greenbackers, with fair proportion
of Republicans and colored men, and a
few Democrats as loOkers-on in Venice.
Although Col. Trigg proposed to speak
to the people, regardless of party,
the Greenbackers took charge of
the meeting, elected chair.
man, and the show opened by the
introduction of their recently armored
Hercules who twas to demolish Terrell, 4"
as the next senator from this district"
Col. Trigg began his speech by the as
sertion, in his peculiarly plain speaking
manner, that he was Greenbacker-all
that the fiat lunatic implies. He then
spoke for perhaps an hour upon the
Greenback idea, but said nothing but
what has been rehearsed by Greenback
orators for years past. He simply dis
cussed, in general way and very blunt
to make and coin money This argument
in this particular was voiced upon the
usual line. He then took a stand with
the centrallsts, eontending that the con-
stitution is not compact, as claimed by
preme power. He said, or reasoned.
that the voice of the people is the voice
of God, and as he claimed that the
Greenback party is the party of the peo-
pie; to rid them of the tyranny, rascality
aud villainy of the other two political
machines, left the natural deduction that
God alone rules the Greenbackers.
He laid premises and then theoretically
onf to 70 lich III
tackled Senator Coke and endesvored to
make it appear that the latter gentleman
had telegraphed an absolute falsehoou
with regard to the record of the Texas
delegation on what was known as the
Grape or national bank extension bill.
To prove this he read Coke's tele.
gram to Gov. Hubbard to the
effect that the Texas delegation stood
solid against the bill, and then stated
that Mr.. Mills did not vote but was
paired. This argument was not even
good demagogary, it vas silly, for Mr..
Mills was paired with man who If
present would have voted for the bill.
He then dropped down to state: affairs,
and said that not single act OF the
legislature of Texas for the past six
years had become law but which was
opposed to the poor classes and in favor
of rich men and monopolies. In his ar
gument upon this line he sought
to create If possible class preju-
dices, and with the ignorant per-
haps succeeded. He then attacked the
new capitol project, and censured Judge
Terrell very severely for his part in that
transaction, the burden of his complaint
being the fact that the capitol lands were
sold to rich syndicate in one body. He
failed, however, to suggest any better
plan. He referred to the STATESMAN,
and intimated that Judge Terrell is
partner in the paper. This lie has been
told so often that we are surprised at
Col. Trigg repeating it, but, for the ben
fit of any who may be inclined to give
credence to the story, we will here
state that any assertion that Judge Ter
rell is partner or financially interested
in the STATESMAN, or ever has been, is an
infamous falsehood, come what source it
may. He accused Judge Terrell of hold
ing two offices, in violation of the consti-
tution-that of state senator and also su-
preme court reporter, and referred by
innuendo to the Judges writing legal
instrument for the capitol syndicate for
which he refused to accept fee. He
then stated that he desired to conduct the
canvass in a fair and gentlemanly way,
but warned Judge Terrell's friends that
he would not submit to any utilization
of himself. and in that connection
referred to the speeches of Col. Peeler
and Major Martin at Georgetown, in
which the latter gentlemen abused him
personally. He then devoted a half
hour to the present tax law, after which
he got onto the free school question. He
attacked the proposed university, or at
least the manner in which it is to be
erected, as q fraud. He closed his
speech with an eulogy upon Wash Jones
and piece of machine poetry upon Ire
land, in which he attempted to burlesque
the latter gentleman.
The speech as an argument was ex-
tremely lame, but being fine
talker, and forcible in his manner,
the speaker managed, with the aid Of
few well1studied humorous thrusts, to
please his audience. This, we suppose,
is all he desired to do, and thus both
speaker and audience were happy.
At the conclusion of Col. Trigg's
speech some of the audience called for
Judge Terrell, that gentleman being pres
ent. He was on the point of responding
when some of the Greenbackers, among
them the chairman, objected. upon the
ground that it was Greenback meeting:
This claim being made, Judge Terrell
said he did not desire to speak, but that
he would reply to Col Triggs speech to
night.