Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-12-11
A SILLY STORY,
Tho Reported Movement TO secure Pay
ment Tor Texas Slaves.
Goy. Ireland Says II Is a Cranky Re.
puh%can Campaign Scheme.
And That 10 Lawyer Of Responsibility
WSMd Engage In IL.
The Attorney Gcncrai and Other Law
ycrs, Republicans aud Democrats.
Think the Same Way.
tsl. Louis Republican,

. Isl. Louis Republican,.
Austin, Tex, December THE tel
cgam from ST. Louis regarding the
reported .Schemc Ia demand of the Fed
eral gly%rnmcnt pay for Texas slaves
freddy the war caused considerable
comment here. While, of course, ex-
pressions vary and many different
theories are advanced, the burden of
the opinion seems to be that Il L. n 10.
litical maneuvre. when II became
understood that the first intimajion OF
the move originated In the Globe
Democrat the whole thing was al once
branded rs simply campaign docu-
ment. Your correspondent set 10 work
to lind out if anyone here Is cognixant
OF or Interested In the matter Nearly
every lawyer of any prominence what
ever was visited, but none appeared To
know anything about It,
GOV. IRELAND,
The Reporter called upon Governor
Ireland for an expression of opinion.
That gentleman said that he had read
the telegram from st, Louis aud look
I'D upon II IA piece OF unn,iultefated
foolishncss; thut Texas had no more
property rights than any other South,
ern state aud that he could not under
stand how any implied right under
the terms OF annexation could be
claimed more than was guaranteed 10y
the constitution. "From legal
point continued thogovernor, there
IN absolutely nothing In It, and the
statement that prominent Texas law
yers are engaged In II must be mis-
take. No attorney of any respectable
ity, | take II, would engage In such II
cranky scheme. Ia my opini N, thu
matter Ia gotten up 10y shrewd Rcpub'
licans for campaign purposes, as sup
Elemental Ia the cry already raised
about the election OF Southern
speaker.
the ATpoItNEN-oINEliAL.
Attorney-Gcneral Tcmpleton said he
had read the telegram called TO his nt-
tention 10y the reporter, and had re-
garded II as such nonsense that he had
dismissed Il without the least serious
reflection. considered ns u question
of law, y said Col. Frempleton, ~ do
not think the matter entitled to any
consideration, and ann lonth To believe
any lawyer ia Texas of any standing
IL engaged In Ap foolish a scheme.
From the standpoint Of u citizen and n
Southern man | would regard amy
such schemes ms foolish. The question
OF slavery was settled by ~"
Texas, IA well ~ other South 4.a,,s.
accepted the result In good mith, and
no friend of the South would engage
In any such scheme tn reopen qucs-
lions settled long ago, and through
which no good and a.grcat deal of
harm might be wrought. You can de-
pend on IT, - explained the colonel, Ms
the reporter glided through the door,
"lhat this II nothing more or less than
one of the obe,Democraps little
campaign schemes
ANOTHER LAWYERS VIEWS.
The reporter next sought Gen, y.
q. Shelby, n leading member of the
bar nj the capital. Gen Shelby isa
Democratic lawyer of high standing,
known all over Texas atu veteran of
two wars, and u man whose opinions
are entitled 10 the very highest re-
spect When asked about II, Glen.
Shelby said In his peculiar, lorclble
way that the telegram was 'buncomb
of the most bunconlb kind;p that he
could not see why Texas would have
any more property rights Than Louis
innn or any other state.
When asked II he thought any Texas
lawyers were engaged IN the scheme.
about that, but If there are.
they are cranks. "You KNOW said
he with smile, "thnt you can get
cranks 10 do almost anything, and IL
Is Just possible that some cranks have
been found 10 so Ia this ridiculous
scheme.n
The general expressed IL as his opln-
ion that political motives are at tho
bottom OF the whole thing.
A REPUBLICAN, VIEW.
The reporter, having enlisted Dem-
ocratic opinion, then interviewed
Judge John Is. Rector. generally con-
coded to bc the leading Republican at
the capital and universally esteemed
ms one of the finest lawyers IN Texar.
IN politics, Judge Rector, while finn
In his faith In bis party, Is emiDentIy
conservative, and has always disnp-
prnyed of the bloody-sbirt school OF
Republicanism. When questioned he
did not hesitate 10 express an opinion
that the scheme alluded ~ might he
regarded s6 siniply u piece Of political
lnnneuyring He was not prepared
10 say that no Texas lawyer OF resp, ct
ability WIS engaged IL IL, because law
yers sometimes engaR. in very foolish
things; but that there IL anything III
the proposition, legally speaking, he
did not hesitate IA give his opinion ~
the negative. The war settled the
question Of slavery, and lie thought
the people Of Texas In common with
the people Of all the other Southern
states had accepted the verdict OF that
war In perfect good faith.
The reporter talked with dozen
other gentlemen Of prominence OF
A.. A. al t.a ~ Ian A nh