Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-26
RuTABACA JOHNSON.
Frank 0ploious OF Mon aud Mea, nrcs
In Vigorous Yerna1 niar.
No Mincing Of Matters by the sturdy
Old Granger OF Collin.

pcrVus uuu wealthy III tHe uecp, uu-
fathomsble, swarthy soil which Is
equally prolific Of cuss-words and cot
ton. The horny-aanded laborcrs, who
dot the rolling prairies adjacent by the
thousands, are the backbone OF the
place, and 1t IL, Of course, intensely
agricultural In every thought, word
and action. Here the granger Is In
his glory, and here ilourishes. buds
aud blossoms perennially that political
daisy hest known TO political science
by the appellation OF
RuTABAuA JOHNSON.
But one Other man IN Texas IL better
known than Rutabagn, and he IL the
Old Alcalde. The picturesque names
gave out after them and the rest of the
world had to toddle along on its mcr-
its. Hut Rutabaga Is not only pic
turesque In name-that would be the
vilcst OF ISLANDERS, and do gross inius-
tice TO his appearance, his conversa-
ton, and In fact everything about
which hang threateninply over
his eyes, short, stubby
beard, and general iierceness of ex.
preston, he looks like grizzly bear
who had been run through a thresh-
Ing machine, and had slightly de-
mollshed the machine. RNtabaga X
something of an uddity In thcpolitical
menagerie; there IL at least but one of
the species, and the prospects for its
perpetuation are not good. There Is
one excellent phase about the old
man, he IL not afraid In the slightest TO
express hls opinions on all subjects, and
he also has habit of using
on such occasions the most
vigorous vernaculai handy. When
approached by The GAZETTE repre-
sentative, he just planted himself
back In chair and handed us the
key To his heart, IA II were, In which
were stored some nice little tid.bits OF
political information, which the 4 email
Rutabaga never suffered 10 see light
before.
senator how do you stand on the
herd law ~
Opposed to It, sir, not bitterly no.
however, but Mt the present time ! am,
because ] do not think tho people Of
our country are ready for II yet, but II
IL bound 10 come in u few years.
"What do you think of the free-grass
question ?"
VDHOrtb, niDst blttttll OIltNtu W
IL these English lords and rich North.
ern capitalists should be made to pay
y fef grass. They buy large herds uf
cattle and place them on the ground OF
the orphan and grow rich, never pay
ing the orphan n dollar for their grass.
IL IL an outrage, sir, which the coun-
try has stood only too long"
ut Is said, senator, that you are In
favor OF driving n wedge into the state
and quartering IL. IL 1t trne that II
man can be n patriot and advocate
state dylsion?"
AYES, sir; am strongly In favor OF
the division of this state. | should
like TO have been present when Sena-
tor Maxey made his great speech Ia
which he said, Let our grand old
state stand as our forefathers
wished IL, us they shaped IT,
In those very words he advocated the
division of the state. Why, sir, our
forefnthers refused 10 become one Of
the states unless congress would allow
them or their successors In power TO
divide the state, and even went further;
they said into four states. The state
Is beyond the control Of our authorl-
ties, Our legislature has not the con-
troll IL should have, unless we divide
the state. There Is troubleahend sure,
for one school teacher cannot control
and instruct hundreds OF scholars,
neither can one executive control this
state.D
"Senator, II Is understood that
Betsy and / are out 10 far US your
self and the administration are con-
cerped. VIII you inform waiting
world the cause OF this little uDplea.-
antness?p
II am not friendly with the adm inis-
tration for many good reasons. ht
first had great confidence In Gov. Ire
land, and stuck TO him on the peni-
Tertiary question, because he told me
the state could not run the peniteDtia-
ry without running In debt million
dollars u year. But the governor acted
wrong there. Why, even while the
lower house was taking vote on the
question, he sends message asking
for an appropriation Of quarter Of a
million To run II. / claim that was
done to influence the vote. Now,
after we were defeated i said 10 Gov.
Ireland TO let the legislature appoint
the officers 10 superlntepd
the penitentiary, no that
should they fall short and run the
state in debt, they would be responsible
to their constituents. No, sir, he
would not listen TO such u thing, but
he turns around aud puts men over
the penltentlary who had been urging
their friends to lease II, saying that IL
was impossible for the state to run II.
Nov, II were general In the army
and wanted 10 take certain point,
and had two generals under me, one
who was confident he could not do the
work and the other OF the opposite
mind, would choose the one who had
said lie could not do IL? Certainly
would not. Then why did Ireland dc
so? Because he was compelled "a
do so, us those very men
put him where he il, and
he looks TO them 10 keep him there.
This got from headquarters. ! OPP.
pose the administration because IL has
TOO many dark roads which cannot
understand, and II has failed ~ give
me light when asked for IL. Here Ii
where dropped Ireland when
found he was using me and my vote In
the senate 70 rob the senate and the
orphan.
appoint Mr.. Kendall, tho gentleman
who Introduced the resolution calling
for committee 10 investigate the land
frauds, upon the ctmniIttet'
II Is universal custom
10 appoint the originator
Of matters OF that kind chairman q
the committee, hecauss be II tuprDset
10 know al about The subject matter