San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-09-18
Hon. q. W. Jones Annousees himself
as q Candidate for 6ovsrnor.

Il AZ sho etlfao VI A'A""s
On the FIRST Tuesday in November
the people Of the United States vote
for president and vice-president and
the people OF Texas for state, district
and precinct officers.
Wisely and we'll our patriotic
fathers organized our polity into gen
eral and local correlations, commit
ting TO the national government inter
state and international affairs and to
states local affairs.
The pride and boast Of states
rights man are both lost in the par
tizan who surrenders state to national
politics. To illustrate: what have
national banks and tariff adjustments
10 do with our school and public land
systems' Any candid mind must
needs respond, nothing. And yet
while Texas will doubtless give Cleve-
land large majority for president,
il ia due to candor to affirm that not
one-ffth OF her voting population
supports the Herd Law policy or
the so-called Democratic party.
In their late convention at Houston
they declared for the Lease Law
bat against the "Herd Law the two
things being really one and the same
thing, inseparable in principle and
cohesive in sympathy. That the
Democratic party, 80 called, in Texas,
in 1878. alarmed by the Greenback
party, fastened to express in its plat
form adopted at Austin, ultra Green
back sentiments, but was careful to
nominate ultra national bank men,
who avowed they were not in favor
of national banks, but who from that
day to this have done all in their
power to subserve the interests OF
their national bank masters, affords
example of factions sincerity. 10
illustrate: The present governor OF
Texas, who was the Greenback candi-
date for Congress in 1878. against
Schleicher, is by acqulescence, if not
by positive declaration, champion OF
national banks; and so you have the
lesson by experience.
As to the confidence that may be
reposed in faction, in further illustra-
ton, the governor in his message to
the legislature at its extra session,
recommended the "Herd LAW in
the following words Ireccommend
law making it a high penal offense
for any one to drive their stock on
to any lands, private or public, for
the purpose of grazing, without ex.
press authority from the proper
source to do so, or to herd stock on
any public or private lands without
express authority from the proper
source to do so" 81 rec
ommend a law giving land owner
lien on stock that may trespass on
lands with the knowledge or consent
of the owner and against the will OF
the land owner, for all damages done
by said stock, and value of grass and
property destroyed by them" In
these two paragraphs of the govern.
or's message you have unequlvocal
opinion in favor of the "Herd Law,
and yet the Houston convention en-
dorses his administration, but seeks
to dodge, as in 1878, the real issue,
and it pertains to the election of 1884
to prove whather the masses are as
pullible now us then. Whoever votes
the so-called Democratic ticket votes
for "Herd Law" and just as surely
as that ticket triumphs in Texas, fol-
lows the consolidated power of land
owners us followed the triumph OF
national banks in the election of Rob-
erts over Hannah in 1878. The fool
that votes the Democratic ticket
under the pretense that the party
(faction) as such is opposed to the
''Herd Law" wins our pity if he does
not excite our contempt.
Our public lands were given away,
or ostensibly sold at fifty cents per
acre, now worth five dollars per acre.
Democracy means government by
the people and for the people. and
an infant in politics knows that owner
ship in land by the voter bottoms
Democratic government Yet in the
presence of a history so recent, not
to say monstrous, with characteristic
brass, faction asserts its devotion to
free government! 1t is for the peo-
pie in the election now approaching
to say whether the policy of class, to
mass lands in the hands of the few
shall be reversed or perpetuated in
Texas. Whoever votes the Democrat
ic ticket votes for landlord system
not less malevolent than that domin-
ant in Ireland. Whoever advocates
Lease Law" antagonizes the funda-
mental principles Of free institutions.
To sell or lease public lands, offends
the primal laws of nature and COM
mends itself alone to the fool whose
self-conceit assumes that he is better
than other men.
Believing that this great question lies
at the foundation of stable govern
ment and being in sentiment with the
masses of humanity, accept the
issue rendered by the Houston con-
vention and announce myself a can
didate for governor.
And though 1 do not regard State
and Federal politics in sympathy, l
have no concealments TO make. The
government should raise its revenue
by tariff so adjusted as to foster
and encourage American industries.
The credit Of the nation, instead Of
beinc farmed To class should be util-