The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-03-21
GRADlALEMPROyEMEST.
How Time IL Working Cham
yes IN the Interest of Law
and Order.

Il has been said that the railroad, Ielc-
urash wire. the press and pulpit, are the
great promoters OF CIVILIZATION, socia
order and ub"dian"e u law and this truth
is no more stronglveXrmplihed anywhere
than it is in Texas to-day. and we may
not 20 b. yOnd our own county limits to
mad the proof OF those who incline to-
ward progress, law aud order. We
shall not speak. because it only requires
the ability. or rather the means to carry
to the fullest extent With su h people.
Il IL OF those who vii not until compel
eli 10 DO so leave the cuuAtry that
food tor gratifying reflection can be
gained. To come nearer 10 the subject,
all old settlers IN This section remember
how hard II was 1t oGe inc TO stop law
lcs-ucss ana cr nc, anu what grcaJ iisad-
vantages ShcriffS and Otncr officers OF the
law labured under. Before Uewspa pcrS
were published in the different co mites
Of the interior IcXa, WAS che best tie tor
desperate rascaS in the whole IN on. 1t
was fortunate TOR the state that she did
not have many OF that class then, but
those which she did have, though bold
and successful. did not deserve much
credit. even among raScals, for their eX-
ploits. for they had unlimited sway
Some mes II took ride OF one OF two
DAYS 10 the home of the nearest
officer, and then, perhaps, he
was huniled miles away
in ano h.r direction. The press and pull
nit, 6otil feeble in ali but Willingness, at
fl, Il dld then utmost in The direction OF
suppressing crime ami bringing about
proper regard ter law and order. Both
learned tor t4e day OF their co-labOfers.
the locomotive and telegraph wire and the
officers OF the law looked tor that time
with the greatest anxiety. During and
after the wal. tor several years. Texas was
Ovprrun by hoard OF blick-lcgs, thieves,
plunderers and murdererS. and their dep
relations We're open and frequent. The
q firreat counties had - good and faith
tul guardians Of the peace a. any state IN
the Union. but unless within sight Of those
ViOiatOrs, or at least on hot trail, they
WeIe pow less 0 effect their capture, be
cause hey htd the whole state 70 range
over zee nom mulCStation by officers III
other counties. because there was no
mea. OF communication between officers
and the circulation of papers was entirely
local. But after the railroads began 10
build and telegIaphic communication
could be had with cerD@in points what do
we finp: The hard cases and law break
ers and dcticrs OF every class found there
officers were on too nearly an equal loot
ing with item in Night and pursuit to
risk their precious al casses in such local
lilies and they retired to the frontier
counties In the last few years railroads
and lines OF telegraph began TO be
built through the various thicklv settled
portions OF the tate, McLennan, among
other counties. For 4 time some of the
hard cases, train robbers, mu de- ers,
rapists and the more daring class OF horse
thieves stuck TO tn il old haunts and de
lied officers. steel rails and lightning. but
they found law AMI order had the field.
and they :, knoNledged they were unequal
to the force brought against them by re-
firing again to the wi.dS Occasionally
Bill Po>ty would be heard Of. but in few
years. whenever the press locomotive and
telegraph wire took possession, that class
of dcSpciadOas handled down to Bill
Bahb's. and from that TO the sneaking
horse thief ard night pIowier. OF course,
there have been occasional instances when
Il bad character would spring up or cold
biOOGed murder be committed, a. in the
case OF all states. but it has been noticed
that in nearly all cases the telegraph
wires. vigilance of sheriflS and the better
means of communication between officers
have resulted in their capture. Just rs
tUlV rs the Indian and buffalo IT ceJe be-
fore the white man, so does the desperate
hate ciyi izatiOn and good order, and, /
though it Il his point 10 fight il always. it
is only to ian ete its march and hold ter I
Titorv as long Is possible, and not with /
any Thought OF disposSeSsing it when /
oaus it takes root. \ Bill Posey, hing /
Fisher, Wesley Hardin OF sam Bass, in !
Jbeir most desperate moments. would not |
think OF entering and remaining in Nc /
Le1Gan county tor even tOrty-eight hours !
with one OF their gangs with the present |
means Of iatercep ny and capturing |
Ehem. Whatever else may be said o. him, |
il would be u SANDER on brave men TO say .
sam BdsS was nor one. and he was in one !
sense OF the word monarch OF all he sur
vev1d as cong Us lie kept Oat of range of
railroads and telegraph wires. True he
col them hlsf, but tiey were the means
.hal produced his end in large meas
are. He entered district in which law
md order must be maintained and citizens
protected at any and all cost. and the man
Who detitd Officers and law in the wilder
less. not because they were not his equal
Il bravery, but from the fact that there he
lad them at q disadvantage, when he
Ound himself at disadvantage, took the
chance fight and run. But
We can look back to the Disadvantages,
hangers and priyaiions officers
suffered in our own county.
BECAUSE isolated from their
brother officers and rot knowing at what
moment To look tor q call from these deS-
oerate men. To-day The sherfs, though
lot having perfect system of communi-
alton, have very good one and work in
perfect harmony. the wire giving one i
nance 10 warn The others, and when a
rhine ig committed in one section where
and wires penetrate, il can be
Known in lew hours in all other sections
where they are. This has caused desper-
lie cases TO make themselves scarce in
ormcr haunts and 60 beyond civilization,
VI at least TO points where they can defy
aw for want of adequate means 10 COM
peii compliance. Nearly every day per-
ms are arrested here on kilograms from
,tier counties, and if wrong is commit
ed here that is punishable by law.and the
party fl Is IT is but to land in the grasp of
/ sheriff III some other county who has
Geographic warrant in his hand waiting
or him. Railroads and telegraph lines
nave at least in a laTge part of Texas
: ven the vgilant officer who has so long
lee1 at dis. dvantage, something Ike a
hancc 10 cope with lminals When we
I'VE railroads and telegraph lires credit
or increasing or population by immi.
,lation, building up cir cities and towns,
II reducing manufacturing interes 5. etc,
sc en- with equal truth give them credit !
or aiding ~ the largest measure in freeing
many OF the tairest portions of our state
rom a class OF people who at one time
eTOrlled it. {
4 Lew snnplv of Broo,n's Iro,, pit,.r, , I