Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-12-21

such questions; and not because TWEEN
" years ago they "came out Of the wah
without cent? We all did that,
and some Of US haven't got any more
now, but we are not all begging votes
on that account.
The South Is full Of men, now
in their prime, who were too young to
be soldiers even in the day when dire
need forced the Confederacy to con-
tume The "seed corn" OF It's manhood J
young men who are competent and
honest men who would have made
as gallant soldiers as any who served
the Lost Cause and it is unjust to
them that their az pirations and Oft
times superior qualifications ARE passed
by because some man who was SOL
der opposes them. We are Democrats
to-day and live in the present our du.
ties and our aims and our aspirations
belong to the present and to the fu-
ture; this Is 1854, and there are as good
and true Southern men-as good, as
capable,as honest Southern Democrats,
who never struggled and robbed South
ern bee-gums aud hen.roosts, las those
whose main plea and claim TO office Is
what they said they did twenty years
ago.
THE GAZETTE honors the true Con-
federate soldier. For four years IL
marched to the tune Of Dixie, and
cannot hear the strains Of the old
battle-song to-day without feeling the
blood run faster in every vein. 1t
can never forget that grand feeling Of
close brotherhood formed in danger,
blood aud defeat and to treasure
which Il considers an honor to human
nature; and when THE GAZETTE for
gets that feeling it will be when life
Is ended But we are heartily sick of
the Confederate dodge In those who
seek cillce with that as a prime claim
as well as Of the man who can
give no better reason for the
Democratic faith that is in him than
that "he had his Democracy shot into
him" That ISN'T the Democracy we
all profess to-day, nor ia it the kind OF
Democracy to whose triumph under
Grover Cleveland we all contributed
and THE GAZETTE looks to this tri.
umph OF the national Democracy for q
! liberation of Southern men from the
thralldom Of this plea; and men who
are Democrats from principle will ask
candidates. Are you capable? Are
you honest ?n aud not, twas your
Democracy shot into you2n Southern
Democrats constitute the majority
of their party in the nation, and they
have a duty to perform which should
not be hampered by a sentiment tina
is promotive of demagogery, fraud ant
incompetency In ofliee.
Ex-Confederates who aspire TO N,
Office are sick Of it. The great South
ern leaders to-day were not promoted
because they had been soldiers, but be
cause the abilities that enabled then
to achieve "Coufederaten honor
pushed them to the front in the worl
of peace and of Democracy. The tim
, has come for Il new declaration Of indC
I, pcndence, of those wounds tina
break out afresh ON the ev
OF nominating conventions an
that poverty-stricken claim of servic
: during the war TO office now. Let n
man be barred because he was so
9 dler, but let him demonstrate othC
: claims than that he was soldiC
y twenty years ago before investing hit
with duties and trusts for which Ii
x may be totally disqualified, Con
= petent In all other respects, the mel
!, ton, then, OF his services in the pal
u would be pardonable, aud, If sun
u cienuy brilliant to have been know
II of all men, would be legitimate, an
g should appeal to the sentiment whiC
u cannot die in the hearts of those wi
+ marched, suffered, fought aud lost 3
- gether. But 1t is good time, in tht
~ year OF Democratic jubilee, to 8
ne down on the soldier dodge of dem
ar goguee, ignoramuses and frauds.