The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-08-21
A Brief Contrast.

estiDg interrogatory is upon every |
body's lips just now, and, it has refer
ence only to the nominee of the Hous-
ton convention. Who will he bef
Well to all human and outside appear
ing there is but one answer to the
question, and that is his excellent excel.
lency, John Ireland governor.of Texas,
and erstwhile, the sage of shady
Seguin. But "the best laid schemes of
mice and men gang aft aglee," and
in this case the deep laid schemes of
Mr.. Ireland and the ring behind him,
may slip up aud the hum
anly appearing "dead certainty" be
changed for a grand, grave doubt. or
a dead certainty" for some other
man. Take the confederate reunion
at Dallas for an example as to how
the men stand before the people. That
assembly was ostensibly a reunion of
the survivors, on Texas soil, of the
heroic bands who made the squelched
confederacy illustrious by their valor,
their endurance, their wonderful for
titude, and by their sublime devotion
to the cause; but really it was feeler
as to the personal popularity of the
several ostensible and real aspirants for
the governorship of Texas. Two grand
central figures stood out on the can
vass there. These were Governor
Ireland and Gen. L. S. Ross, of Waco
Both addressed the vast assemblage.
Ireland was received with the respect
able attention which is due only to
the governor. Nothing more and
nothing less was given him. There
were no signs of devotion to the man,
personally. His words awoke no
deep echo in the hearts of the hosts
assembled there. There were no
tears in the eyes of those who listen
ed. No memories of deeds of valOr;
no recollection of marches made
hardships endured or dangers braved,
Any war memory evoked by the
presence of the governor was
a memory of the bomb proof
position; the conscript service
public receivership or other place far
reno, ed from the path of the danger
Gus minnie or the deadly schrapnel.
But rather memories of the unmanly
wranglings of a conscript camp or g
per capita, distribution of rations to
the families of the men at the front.
This is poor showing in a land
where the memory of the devoted
legions who toiled for southern indie
pendence are kept green and water
ed always by the tears of the living
mourners of to-day. for the heroic
dead of twenty-five years since.
When Ross addressed the assem-
blage o. battle-scarred heroes, the
battle stained survivors, the
gray headed and bent forms OF
the once gallannt grey-coatet
legions which he so gallantly led il
victory and defeat, with whom hi
braved the Kissing shot and shrlekinG
shell, with whom he marched ant
starved, there was different scene
Men could no longer control theil
feelings and the natural man stoo(
out through his tears. The resound
ing cheers attested the deathless low
of the legions for the quiet, soft
voiced, blue-eyed gentleman VIII,
stood modestly before them, speakin,
IN emotion-charged words of the lon,
past days. Talking to then
of the changed conditions an,
of the new allegiance whic
( the arbitrament of the sword brough
to them, and the sacredness of tn,
new obligations it imposes. Her
was the hero of war, the towering
patriot of peace. Ali it is ever thus
the brave foe is always the tru
friend when the sword is laid by
Could contrast be stronger? Wa
ever two more widely dissimilar mel
confronted on any field before
Never, neverl And the contrast hold
good after leaving the subject of war
after entering the domain of peace
The one is trucking trickster il
politics, the other self-containeC
silent, unselfsh statesman loOsinI
sight of himself and only preferrin.
the cause of the people. The othe
thinking and caring only for himself
his own advancement and giving tn.
people and the state never thought
The one all unselfishly devoted t.
others, the other selfshly, devoted
only to himself.
| With these two men standing on
before any convention of the peopl
of Texas, there could be but one re
suit. You might make up the con
ventfon of ex-federal rather than ex
confederate soldiers, and the result
would be the same. Uninterfer
ed with by the ring, lef
alone to their own soldierly
instincts and the survivors of the war
on either side of it,-would nominal,
Ross over Ireland without a doub
and without moments hesitation
Does any one doubt it for a moment
Then why is it that Ireland has thu
inside track? What legerdemain ha
been used? What has glamoured thu
people? Cannot democratic conven
ton for once break away from tn,
power Of the ring and give US for thi.
once, just this once representative
man for leader? If this is done we
can promise the ticket hundred
thousand majority. If it is not, the
actual result will be doubtful, and but
a meagre majority, if any will bt
polled.
The Republican Attitude.