The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-01-17


him 10 address the association. The
motion was carried, and Messrs. W.
{. Lewis, J. B. Rector and E. Il. Lane
were appointed as the committee.
Upon motion of Mr.. Grain the aSSO-
citation adjourned until 3 y. lii.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The association met pursuant to ad-
journnent, President Sayers in the
chair.
Secretary Lambert was excused on
account Of official duties in the legis-
lature.
Mr.. Grain offered the following res
Olution, which was referred to the
committee of fifteen:
Resolved. That the Live Stock association of
Texas heartily endorse and approve the efforts
made by our senators and representatives in
Congress 10 obtain the right OF way across the
liIdlan Territory for the Texas, Oklahoma &
Kansas railroad company and the Gulf, Cole
RADIO X Santa Fc railroad company.
Governor ireland was then intro
duced to the association and delivered
the following address:
GOV. IRELAND'S SPEECH.
Mr.. President and gentlemen of the conyen-
ton:
did not expect to appear before YOU, nor
WAS il my intention to be present ut any Of
your meetings, because. in the first place, my
duties have almost cOnstantlyrequired me else
where, ard. secondly, they have of late been
so OncrOliS and pressing, that L confess / am
considerably worn down and exhausted. Fa-
tlgued and tired as really feel, and filled with
the responsibilities which present circunI-
stances impose upon me, | assure You L am
here to-day greatly against my wishes, and
would gladly ask TO be excused did not the oc-
caSiOn, and the manner l.. which you have i'm
proved it. almost demanh my presence. APP
plauSe.l No, gentlemen; when requested to az
pear before so large, so respectable, and SO in
telligent Il body of my fellOw-citiZenS as l now
see before me. 1 could not shrink from the
duty even if | would. Therefore it is that
I am here; and if there is anything
that makes he regret meeting with you, it is
the peculiar circumstances winch bring us to-
gcther | know less about StOck-raiSing than
nine-tenthS OF you, perhaps, though in my
earl er life was somewhat familiar with that
pursuit. never had cattle on the raI.ges or
on the prarieS, nor do l claim to have practical
knowledge of StOck-raSing as it is understood
in Texas to day; but [ take it that you are
here for 4 higher and u nO0ler purpose than d
mere personal interest III stock-raiSng. take
it for granted that ! see before me a body of
representative men actuated by grander mo-
tiyeS-nen who are alive to the eNigencleS OF
the occasion, and whose wisdom, public virtue
and patriotism constitutes them bulwarll 81
society and Il safeguard in the community.
believe have the honor of being Il member of
your organization myself, ami | am proud to
have my name upon the roll OF a Socle y COM
posed of such men as | now see before me.
Applause. | am proud to he associated with
you, and whether il be as member of your
order or IS Il citizen, or i'll whatever other
capacity L may be placed, rest assured
! shall always gladly cooperate with
you in all your praisewOrthy und rtallingS IoE'
the prosperity of the people and the promotion
of the material interests OF Onr imperial state
[ Loud applause. ] know not What you have
done thus far i'll this convention, or of the sub
iectS that have been introduced for discussion
mere; and probably it is well that tins should
be so, because it enables me the more free'y to
speak the views feel without being charged
with trimming or flirting with one Faction Or
another in this convention or outside of it. 1t
l knew of amy subject that you desired me, TO
spec ally speak upon. | would be pleased to
cOninc myself TO that topic; but / take Tor
granted that You wish to hear from me some
thing tUOut the laws of your state. the mannec
OF their eXecu ion, and the reason why they are
Rot executed in many instances; and, therefore,
VIII invite your attention, so far as am able,
~. 80, 80 ! things rs we find them at
~. ..-t IApplause.I One of the
great questions hich to-day engage Your at
tentiOn, and til attention of the whole
p ople of Texas, is. why are the
and property rot enforced? Most of those
whose property has lately been destroyed look
to the legislature for relief, and, in a measure,
it IS right and proper they should do So. ON
the executive, and seem to think | ought to be
able to crush out tile laWleSsness that has pre-
vailed. In fact there is sort OF feeling IN the
minds of large portion of our people that
governor OF a state II 'lnnlpotent, and that re
can turn the tide OF public opinion at pleasure,
enact laws to suit every emergency, and exc
cute them whether he has the aid of his fellow
citizens OFnOt. IL tighter. In places other
than this have Stated, and here repeat the
same thing To yOu now. that no Republicans
laws based upon tie form of government we
live under, can ever be thoroughly enforced or
respected save by the aid OF moral SuaSl"n and
public opinion When these forces are applied
and fail, there is little left except the sword,
You may enact laws us you please for tie
suppression Of crime but il they are not
backed up by the strong Will and the moral
support of the people, they will fall before tile
march of the llWleSS (applauSe). All of yOu
pay taxes, and no mc9nsideritble amount
either i'll this state, and there Is no interest In
Texas in which. you are not concerned as wen wen
as in StOck-raiSing. Consequently, you and all
other good citizens are ANXIOUS to see proper
ty protected. rights respected and the laws en-
forced APPLAUSE; ne Sihop6eeper, C on Gne
the doctor, the merchant. all are Interested
alike in the suppression OF laWleSSneSS, ana the
Governments such rs ours there are no classes
and no dividing lines. What is your interests
is mine, anL what are theirs are ours. What
aiie cts one port on of the community neceS-
sariIy affects all. You cannot entirely seDar-
ate one business interest from the rest without
impairing or miuring all; and know that al
though you are here to-day, gentlemen, in the
capacity of stOckmen you have too much pride
and honor and Justice in you to lOOS sight OF
interests OF those rules who do not belong to
your body; and trust i'll God and in your IN
dividual and collective patriotism, that in your
laudable efforts to promote your own welfare
you Will have the manhood and wisdom 10 take
care, also, of the interests OF this great, pros
porous and glorious commonwealth. Loud APP
plaIlsel While you are here to advance your
own material property, L know you are not I'm,
mindful Of the Weil-beng OF the state; and
while we all work to further our own interests
in Il legitimate manner: We should not forget
the children we sec around us, the pOSterity
that is to come after us, or the future that is
s,NF.,r
defend and protect your own rights, see to it
that you do not trample OF the rights OF 9TH
erS or that you do not unjustly lift one class
of people UP at the expense of another. This
| know you will do; and when you have got
through With the business which has brought
you together you can look back on me
work YOU have done, and find conSoia-
ii in the knowledge that, while advancing
your own interests, you oppressed no one, and
gave no man or pa ty reason TO complain OF
Your action (Applause0 once Knew an ga
man in my part OF the cOuntry--l refer to Mr
Eston-whO was friend of my friend, Judge
Rector, andEOBe day he happened to come along
where n party Of men were about TO impose
condign punishment on some individual whom
they accused OF stealing COW. lie SAID TO
them, by way of remembrance, My men, L
have been here long time; am an old cltl-
zen of Texas. and if any of you have never
taken and appropriated a yearllng that did not
belong To you, you are at liberty To tie the rope
around that mans neck and do with him as
you please Uaughter) Now. if you can say,
in the action you take here touching the law
IeSsneSS in this state, that you, yourselves,
have never WrOnged these men whose interests
seem TO conflict with your own, then l say that
you come before til public with clean hands,
and have right to call for and demand that
protection which, as good citizens, you are en-
titled to-. know am now address ng BODY
of men Wto have the intelligence to see and
feel the weight Of the responsibility whlcl
rests upon them. know that speak to men
who, while they may invoke the aid OF the law
in their behalf, are too sensible and too Just to
ask for anything except What IS right. Nay
more 1 will go even farther than this, and say
that l am satisfied that in your generosity an!
a perfect right to lay claim to
say this because one of our daily news
papers has asserted that you have assembled
! TO bulldOze the legislature; but, in contradic
ton of this assertion, for o e believe you are
not here for any such unworthy purpose.
| DENY that YOU came here to brOW-beat and die
tate to our lawmakers. TCheers.l You have
| trusted them in the past, but should they nov
| or hereafter prove recreant 10 tnaT trust yot
| have your remedy.you can allow tnem rellail
| at home next election time, ana send men il
| their stead who will not be afraid to do then
| duty. But it is not right to PREJUDICE them
and it is not right for any newspaper or indl
Vidual 10 charge such a representative anC
honorable body as see before M
with the motive referred to. ] know
| you do not come here to dictate TO any one
and l hold it is not dictatitn, in such a crlsi'
as we now find ourselves, to plainly tell Tho
| legislature the grievances under which yoI
may labor, or point out to them what you can
didly think you are entl,l TO. lApplause.
| Notwithstanding all that has been done i'll th'
| Wav of lawleSSneSS, recently, your tax roll
show that within the past TWELVE months tn
state has increased H9 sec cool ve NOR
patriotism, and wise government we hope mex
year it will show Il .stll larger increase, ant
that by working in harmony with each othe
we shall see Texas continue to prosper, ant
grow and become more powerful rs one q
the great states. [Applause.1 This system