The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-07-10
The Revolt.

The revolt against the Ireland adj
is fast becoming wide /
pread and general The feeling only =
acks head, only lacks an earnest i
eader to swell very speedily into an '
force, force quite suf- t
icient to sweep the weak combina- {
ion from the face of the Texas politi-
,al situation, and with no undue
waste of time. No sooner was Mr.,
Ireland elected, certainly as soon as
he was inaugurated, the preparations
for securing the second
term. Few anxious moments were
spent in determining the policy by
which the administration was |
to be guided. All the en-
ergies of the governor and his |
chosen band of aides, claquers and
henchmen were directed to the con,
sideration of the ways and means by
which the end sought, could best.
most surely and most easily be Sc
cured. Cajolery and Establishment,
when practicable were freely used.
When the subject was intractable
dragoonery and bull-dozing. This was
novel sort of proceeding and it
"took" because of its very novelty,
and ere head could be made against it,
it well-nigh performed its mission in
assuring Ireland's denomination at
Houston, if that has not been done
already beyond the hope of disturb
ance. Men, however, are beginning
all over the state to ask
such questions as these:
Why should we re-nominate and re-
elect John Ireland? What and where
are his claims to this distinction? In
what is he theImost deserving Of all
the democrats of Texas? What vast
service has he rendered, either to the
party or the state? What has he
done as governor to win for him this
coveted prize? What does he promise
to do in the future? To one and all
of these interrogatories, a general
negative, emphasized by a staring,
wide-mouthed deficiency returns a
monotonous, dreary andi lugubrious,
nothing. Not one hope OF elevation
Not one good performed, mapped
out for the future or promised in any
way, can be pointed to as claim
Nay, not this alone, but his whole
Official career is crowded and damned
full of errors, and of the most glarine
and fragrant kind. Positive reasons
why he should not be re-nominate6
are crowded in all along the officia
record of the man and the governor
These things are producing theil
own legitimate fruits. 1t would be
strange, indeed, did they not. The
steady men of the masses; the plod
ding, honest democrats of the rank
and file are heartily tired of this husk
diet, upon which they have been fec
by the Ireland administration. Under
it they have seen their magnificent
cash balance dwindle dowr
to nothing. In its place they have
seen grow up startling and threat
ening deficiency, which promises al
immediate and very considerable adj
vance in the tax rate. They have
seen real values tumble from thu
lofty figure at which they stood in thu
good old alcalde days, when the land;
of Texas were eagerly sought on al
hands as an investment, to merely
nominal price, and without demand
at that. 1t would be unreasonable tt
suppose that the people can see al
this and understand it, and yet exhibi
no resentment-that they will go OF
voting with clock-like regularity TO
the man with such record as this
, thus kissing the rod which smlte
the prosperity and good name of tn
state. They who believe that the PEG
pie of Texas tamely submit to thes
things, know them not. But will
their known fealty to the party, it
men and its measures, they reluctant,
and slowly accept results such as
these, damaging alike to al
concerned. This is why tn,
present positive, self-asserting ant
overriding campaign has been so ap
parently successful, so far. 1t ha
taken the bulge and it has kept it sim.
ply because the proper man to person
ify and individualize the opposition
has not been found, or more properly
has not been announced. The wide
spread revolt against the Ireland re
gime, however, will produce its legiti
mate result, and the man, at tn,
proper time. All northwest Texa.
has rebelled. In many of the mos
populous of the middle tier. of countie:
the feeling that these things ought tc
be no longer, is spreading and gather.
ing force daily. This is evinced by
the slowing up OF the thick and thins
and the up-growth of a healthy an6
vigorous opposition.
| The recent position so vigorously
and so fearlessly taken by the Waco
Examiner, the accepted mouth piece
of large segment of the party, most
potent hitherto in all party councils
is significant of an organized and pow.
erful opposition from that quarter
The same is true of Navarro,
of Dallas. of Ellis, of Collin, of Gray
son and generally of Johnson, Hood,
Hill, Tarrant, Erath and many other
counties in that section. Let the
break once occur at Houston and not
all the cheek and impudence of the
governors faction can stay the tide
which will bear him to defeat. Just
now his strength is more apparent
than real, and hopes are entertained
that one of the most illustrious dem
ocrats in the state will answer back
to the masses and assent, and then in
deed will be goodbye John"-Ire-
land.