The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-07-13
"sCHLBICHER,s GHOsT.o
NEW BRAUNFELs, June %, 1882.

NEW BRAUNFELs, June %, 1882.
To the Editor Of the STATESMAN:
In No. z, of the ISras Sittings,
there is an article headed ''Schleich-
er's Ghost" written for the purpose
of terrifying Judge Ireland and
arousing an opposition against him
among Schleicher's cOuntrymen.
But as the whole of it Is a joke,
worthy of the genius of the SJ5ings,
who by producing every week bag
full OF jokes, has become a personi-
fed joker, it falls short of its aim
and as the jester's vital air consists
in the applause OF the multitude, he
is always ready TO distort facts for
the small benefit to see somebody
grin, while the hat is being passed
to catch little more OF the loose
change in ye countryman's pocket.
| Such is the case in the article allud-
ed to. "The SittingS," with a semi
comic serious face, asserts that dur
ing the Schleicher's campaign, Judge
Ireland had become a fiat money
apostle and that after the campaign
Mr.. Schleicher had been killed by
Ireland's manner of conducting the
campaign.
AS to Judge Ireland's Greenback-
Ism, every one who ever heard that
gentleman's speeches during the
campaign, will recollect the phrase
over and over again repeated from
the Colorado to the Rio Grande ::
"More gold, more silver, and more
paper, of the latter as much as can
be kept at par with the coin."
If that was Greenbackism,
then, surely we are all Green
hackers now, and General Weav-
er will have to adopt a new name
for his party.
The policy, however, advocated
by Mr.. Schleicher. consisted in hav-
ing the federal debt, which was con-
tracted in greenbacks at an enor-
nous discount, to be paid in gold,
or III silver dollars at the gold stand
ard. This was no doubt very gen.
erous to the creditors, but Demo-
Gratis thought it rather unfair to pay
more than was ever promised, and
to see the old familiar dollar of our
daddies wander into the melting pot
TO come out of the mint increased in
weight by numerous grains, worthy
now to pay the debt of billions
somewhat recklessly contracted un-
der all circumstances.
Mr.. Schleicher, in his views, was a
Jealous supporter of the national
banking system, in direct opposition
TO Democratic views. The questions
at issue during the last campaign
were OF financial character, and
Mr.. Schleicher, though Democrat
ON principle, being in the most i'm
portant matter in direct variance
with the views of the party, Judge
Ireland was called upon by his po-
litical friends to come out as their
candidate, representing their views.
As to the merits of the two positions,
time has proven that the views OF
the party whose standard bearer
Ireland was were the correct ones.
As to the cause of Mr.. Schleicher's
death, the SittingS furnish their
readers with dolorous story, meant
to rouse cheap sympathies for dead
man to hurt living one. In order
to accomplish this the Settings paints
our friend and countryman as fol-
lows: "Schleicher weighed about
270 pounds. Schleicher was very
sensitive man. and that the scanda-
lous charges made against him filed
him with horror and disgust" Once,
in the bitterness of his heart, Mr..
Schleicher exclaimed: "Politics is
dirty business. wish had never
had anything to do with it."
Poor, good Mr.. Schleicher to be
thus slandered in your grave by
men who style themselves your
friends and try to make you out a
fool, an old fat Teuton with flushed
face, womanish sentimentality aud
not sense enough to know that po-
litical campaign is not joking mat
ter, but requires a man of nerve,
muscle and courage. But our
Schleicher was quite different man
from what his good friends, the
SiftingS, present HIM. He was man
who possessed all the qualities for a
vigorous campaign. Before he went
to Washington, in pursuit of his bust
ness as a surveyor and engineer be
bore for years all the fatigues
of a wild Texas lite, notwith-
standing his corpulency, with
ease and smiling face. He
was always an uncommon clear
headed and cautious man, who never
engaged in anything without know
ing fully what he was about. Be-
sides all this sense, for more than
thirty years he had been connected
more or less with practical politics,
and had gone as candidate through
several campaigns victoriously. He
was far above the sickly sentimen-
tality which takes to heart the usual
labors of fpolitical warfare, and would
disgrace a man by saying, 'I wish to
God had never had anything to do
with politics"
The fact that Mr.. Schleicher was in
every respect considered strong
candidate was partly the cause of
calling upon Judge Ireland to take
the field against him. Although a
little more than half the weight of
Mr.. Schleicher, slender and pale
with a somewhat melancholy ex-
preston of face, Judge Ireland
could scarcely be expected to be in
point ofhealth superior to Schleicher.
AS to Ireland's manner of conduct
ing the campaign, however, any at
tempt to defend him against the
charges brought forth by buffoonery
would be an insult to gentleman
whom we have known as our neigh
Dor for more than thirty years, as
one of the kindest and best of men,
and as always enjoying a prominent
social and political position.
In conclusion, we must repeat.
Poor, good, Schleicherl after years
of rest in your honored grave, sur
rounded by peace and with your
laurels yet fresh on our memory,
you are called upon by pretending
friends to rise and play their ghost
in one of their comedies, slandering
a gentleman who was once your
honest and worthy. opponent in an
honest cause, who acknowledged
you a foe worthy of his steel and
treated you as such, and who,
although defeated by you in that
contest, never, since parting with
you from the field, spoke in other
words of you than in respect and
esteem.
Teras SittiRgs please copy.
N. B.-Comal is supporting Ire
land for governor and instructed its
delegates to support him "first and
last"
ONE OF ScHLEICHER's CoUNTRYMEN
wise words OF a Southern senator.
j. r. Randall, in one of his latest
letters from Washington to the Au-