The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-20
TREAcHERoUs MEMORY.

There is a class of democrats (?)
in Texas who have memories not the
most tenacious or exact, At the in
ception of every campaign these peo-
pie are to be instructed anew even in
the a, b, c,s of the party faith. This
is unpromising, and it entails a vast
deal of labor upon real democrats
which might be avoided were only the
accepted exemplsrs of democracy adj
vanced to leadership among them. 1t
is necessary at every state election to
bring out horse, foot and dragons to
defend the two-thirds rule. Why :?
Simply because the men who asasil
this, the Oldest and wholesomest party
guide and safeguard happen to be
henchmen for aspi-ents who cannot
hope to secure a two-thirds ma
GRITTY in any demo cratic convention
possible in the state. These political
wiseacres claim that a man who has a
simple majority nomination is stronger
than one who goes to the voting peo-
pie of the state backed by clear two
thirds. And this reasoning is but on
a par with all the others in use in such
junctures. It is hardly necessary to
make defense, and but for the fact
that their noise and clamors are likely
to mislead honest, but uniformed
men, we would attempt none. If a
general had won victory with a GER
tain arm, would he not be very ass
indeed were he to reject it in the next
battle and put the result to an unnec-
essary hazard, simply to oblige
some dreaming enthusiast of an
inventor. In the days when the
two-thirds rule was operative and in
full force, and when all matters of
party faith and observance were held
intact by both leaders and followers,
uninterrupted defeat did not follow
and dog our footsteps as it does now,
and as it will continue to do just as
long as our underlying principles are
thus made the toy and sport of no
vices in every campaign. The two
thirds rule insures united If not an
enthusiastic support for its nominee,
while bare majority candidate going
out of convention with all the pas
sions at white heat encounters in his
pathway man very nearly as strong
as he and fully as determined to beat
what he always terms the trickery
of a convention, with an appeal to the
people. But going thence with two
thirds vote against him, he accepts
defeat, and, in nine cases out of ten,
supports with vigor his successful
competitor. Here is justice, policy
and party usage on the one side; on
the other only the captfous opposition
of papers of doubtful party steadi-
ness. Which will the democracy of
Texas followp We know the Texan
democracy, and have little fear that it
will lay violent hands upon so vener-
able and so honorable rule of party
faith as this of the two-thlrds.
Again it often becomes necessary
to restate the party faith on the sub
ject of the tariff. There are good,
earnest, honest democrats who have
grown up since the war, who are ig-
norant of the fact that the doctrine of
tariff for revenue only is as distinct
lively rule of party faith, as a mans
nose is of his features. The old strug-
giles between whiggery and demo-
cracy were made on this line. The
war and the ephemeral necessities it
created for plethoric revenue indu-
ced even democrats to acquiesce in the
laying upon commerce Of the burden
which has swept our trade from the
ocean, and built up here in our midst
those colossal private fortunes threat
ening to the perpetuity of republican
forms. That necessity has passed
away. Our war debt is in process of
rapid liquidation and our treasury is
bursting with its excess of unem-
ployed revenue If ever there was a
time to restore the wonted simplicity
and fairness of policy under which
the nation rose to wealth and
and distinction, surely now is that
time. The people of the United
states, except few of the benefciaries
OF protection, are ripe tor the move.
Is it not then little singular that we
meet democrats here in Texas, even,
who swear by all the gods OF monopo-
ly that the policy shall not berestored:
That the democracy must go before
the country on the same line of policy
that the republicans have held for so
many years. This is Vandalism pure
and simple, and Randall has his fol-
lowers here.
If only the democrats would make
the same effort to hold the party to
democratic policy that they do to
play into the hands of quasi republi-
cans, the west and the south would
stand together next fall an invincible
and victorious force, restoring the old
time cleanliness and purity to the ma
tional government, and send the white
sails of our commerce to again
brighten the seas and oceans of even
remotest lands.