The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-01-18
VOL. XII.
From Tuesdays Daily.l
THE SHIP OF STATE.


To-day the newly elected governor
is clothed with official power. To-day
an old administration is retired and a
new one takes its place. 1t is mo-
mentous change, one fraught with VI
tai questions affecting two millions OF
people, the inhabitants of an empire
great enough in space and in re-
sources to give place and sustenance
to all the people of the American
Union. John Ireland has had
his sweet and his bitter exper-
fence with the world, and now Gov.
Ireland becomes the inheritor OF a
place that must weigh down with
greater care brows already fur
rowed with lines indicating
rugged conflict with the world.
1t is leap from private to public lfe'
a plunge from placid home atmos-
pheres. from the blue arch of social
existence into the tossing waves OF a
political sea, where there are
eddies and terrific tides,
where the circling currents
often beguile untoward barks, even
the greatest ships, into a dizzying
whirl that leads to the unfathomed
depths of ocean. To-day the Ire
land launch is made; the timbers
have been selected with care
workmen with steady arms having
fashioned the rough material into
shape. They have performed the
work of moulding a governor, the
popular power driving the craft upon
the waters. Now it rests on the
quiet bay, but directly, with steam
and canvas, it will pass out
into disturbed waters, where conflict
ing powers, buffeting for mastery.
will test its timbers and its bolts, and
then at the end of two trying and
tedious years it will gallantly sail
into harbor, sound and solid
from stem to stern, or
wrecks scattered over ocean will
mark the triumph of the waves, or
perchance, the maelstrom's morbid
maw will hide the craft away in
friged seas. Gov. Ireland enters upon
public executive life at time
when he may have quiet sailing, to be
continued through his term; it may
be that all will move smoothly, that
there will be no rough sea, no danger
Gus passage of straits; and we hope
it may be so. A quiet administration
is Indicative of popular satisfaction,
and this is most to be desired. That
the governor may have the wisdom
and the moral power to enforce such
a result is to be earnestly hoped, and
to this end he will certainly have the
aid of all good people. Ability to dis
criminate between what is good and
that which is evil, to enforce
the one and to reject the
other, is the issue that must constant
ly present itself, and upon wise Sc
lection between the two depends the
success of his stewardship, his public
approval or rejection. We incline to
the opinion that all is not lovely
just ahead. The legislature, now in
session, is taking hold of several
questions that must call for mastery
behavior on the part of the governor,
some of these questions concerning
the vitality of more than one great
public interest, and personal and spec
ial interests may WELD ungovernable
power in their decision. The people
may be disappointed, and even deceived
as they have been in the past. Gov.
Ireland, as helmsman, will be looked
to to guide the ship of state Alright,
and if he fail to do so, no matter how
his arms be weakened, his shoulders
will have to bear the weight of
popular censure. The STATESMAN
is especially interested in
seeing that he successfully avoid
both Scylla and Charybdis. Believing
him the proper man for the place, it
was among those workers who bolted
and braced him for this cruise, upon
which he now enters. We expect to
give him aid in every good cause,
and we have no right
to presume, at this time, that he will
engage in any other. He will need
aid, and it is the STATEsMAN's pur-
pose to extend it when it consistently
can. to oppose only when it must con-
scientiously differ with the powers
that be.