Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-02-29
Hon Dave tulberson.

lSDISNepOft cINnuhIp,l
Mr., Culberaon IL n man of brains,
and would he safe political leader as
long az the current OF public sentiment
runs smooth and tranquil and in the
direction that he is travelling, but lac
can't be relied on To control il when
the current gets beyond IFS proper
bounds, and starts of In the wrong d.
rection, Mr.. Culberson seems to lack
the proper amount of sttfening in bis
spinal column, and the chief executive
of Texas needs To be u very strong man
"a man of nerve, Of mfleXibility, of
purpose and determination. That Mr.,
Culberson Is not such man Is evident
by his vacillating course on the tariff,
and his vote, against his convictions,
in the speaker-hip contest, and his
tiniidity about expressing his views on
public questions. Mr.. Culb-rsOn is u
good man, an honest man and an able
man, but he will not do for governor.
-tiaIveston Print.
We were surprised to find the
above copied in the Houston
Post, a professed Democratic
paper, and without line of
comment. If we are not mistaken,
the Print is anything but Democratic
and It's criticisms must be received
with many grains of allowance. They
are certainly not entitled to proini-
hence in Democratic journal.
Those who speak Of Hon. ID. B. Cul-
berson as wanting in decision of char
acter and deficient in moral courage,
either do not know the man or grossly
misrepresent him. If there are any
qualities for which he Is especially
conspicuous, they are those which
the Galveston Print asserts he does
not possess. We could adduce
many notable Instances in proof of
this in his private lie, and in his
career as lawyer, and while he was u
member of the Texas legislature but
the most remarkable exhibition OF his
self-abnegation aud courage were dis
played in Jefferson in 1869, during the
days of reconstruction, when AN armed
soldiery occupied the place. and con-
verted II virtually into military en-
canpment. The civil officers were re-
moved and their places filled by men,
from the district Judge down, who
were subordinate 10 the military
authority. Over sixty citizens Were
arrested without warrants and denied
the writ of habeas corpus,
were confined for months in
a stockade. Murderers We're turned
loose on society, and one OF them, a
noIed criminal, made Il special de-
tective. A military commission, com.
posed of army officers, uDacquainted
with even the forms OF law, for six
months sat, day after day, in judg-
ment upon the lives and liberties OF
their fellow.citizens. Expressions OF
opinion were rare. men talked usually
in "bated whispers Inc spinal
columns" Of men were weak. AS u
editor OF IL daily paper
it was oGr duty to breast a portion of
that storm at jefferson, and II gives US
pleasure TO bear testimony to the calm,
courage, and unseinsh de-
votiun of this Texas congressman
who, through all this protracled con
flict stood by his friends and defended
them "without money or price," and
not only them, but the principles OF CON
stltu ional freedom RI has been often,
,.- d lawyer. in positions Of danger, but
if he ever hesitated or faltered. we
would like to know when or where?
1.-The has ever, since he has been in
congress, exhibited any undue reti-
cense or weakness, we would Ike to
know when it was? 1t is unjust and
untrue TO say that Culberson has ex'
hibiied vacillating course on the
tariff. II he voted according TO the
wishes of his constituents for speaker,
he did right. 1t was their vote, not
his. and he had the nnanliness to say
so. He had faith in the Integrity, and
of Samuel J. Randall. be-
cause his honesty had been put to
the severest test. When, during the
unhappy days of reconstruction, the
force bin and other atrocious measures
were proposed i'm congress- TO still fur.
ther hnmiIiate Texas aud Louisiana
Randall stood firm, and for weary
hours, night and day, when worn out
with fatigue, remained in his seat, ex-
every parliamentary expsai
-It to defeat them Scheming politl-
clans may forget, but the country will
never cease to remember these acts Of
heroic courage.