Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-04-11
DIoGENES FROM HIS TUB.
Wash. Jones Breaks Silence 10 So""o
n Blast OF Woe.
Free Grass Must Goa Di,isionoi 'h
State Demanded.
~ Can Beat Ir,land"-One Lesson NO
Enough Instruction.
soec,ol Correspondence OF the Gazette.

Enough Instruction
special Correspondence OF the Gazette
Bastrop, April lO.--All great men
are fostered in humble SURROUNDINGS
| Rnsirop isa little hamlet oil some Two
Thousand souls, on the banks OF the
clenr and crooked Colorado. Veneer
allie In age, dating It's settlement back
TO the earliest days Of the republic, 1t
IL alike antique IN appearance Inc
exact antique OF the typical western
town, IL Is as violet planted IN the
center of bed Of mOrning-glories,
humblc and nnpretendiug in appear
ance and yet not without some solid
virtues OF its own. Chief among these
| IL a host of good honest people, noted
for their old-fashioned hospitality aud,
ifuntouched with the spirit Of modern
enterprise, perhaps equally unmarked
with its concurrent vices. Bred
among these influences and fostered in
the sentiment Of a toiling, honest yeo-
many, the "tireat COmmoner," ~ lie
has been known,
WASH" JONES
developed those principles OF selt-re-
lianceand sturdy Independence which
have been distinguishing aud note
worthy trait In bis po'
| litical career. Here a GAZETTE com
missioner found him, haply ut
breathing moment in his immense
law practice. AT such times lac min
giles freely with the people, and IL is
remarkable whata hold be seems to
have upon their affections. Appa-
rently lie knows them all by given
name, and to them he Is not Hon"
| q. w. Jones. Colonel Jones, or even
plain Mr.. Jones, but "Wash.h Every
citizen, ploughman, stockmnn, OF
what else that comes into town has Ia
take Wash" 10y the hand, tell
him about the old woman, the
children, crops, marriages and
other matters of neighborhood gossip,
and get his advice upon all subjects
concerning which he is in doubt 1t
Is II great and just tribute to the man
In fact, no higher could be- paid-to
say that he is thoroughly entrenched
III the affection of his home people,
without regard to party or degree, The
uncrowned sovereign of ut least this
little realm. Physically, Col Jones Is
Interesting only in comparison with
other men Of equal reputation He
IL of stalwart proportions, ful-
~ six feet high, large-framed
but not ileshy, and of somewhat sloop'
ing attitude. He has IL long and rath-
er thin face adorned with massive
forehead eyes ola blush caste me.
dium size aud unmistakable keenness,
u nose well.pruportioned 10 his face
with the tip end slightly protruding
over the nostrils and u sharp chin
covered with stubby, gray whiskefs;
otherwise cleanly shaven. In dress hG
abiures NIL freaks of fashion and wears
tue garh of the average farmer, even
iudulging in such simple eXcesses IL
red socks and mammoth red ban.
danna tied loosely around tna neck
The stranger would take him every
time for u stalwart filler of the soil
, such IL Wash. Jones, the lead
er Of the independents OF Texas
Upon the political topics of the day
olonel Jones conversed quite freely
expressing his opinions without reser
I walton and in u manner quite refresh
ing rs compared with those cautious
statesmen, who are afraid to call thei
souls their own. The discussion frs
drifled into questions az partisauship
q This thing they call Democracy /
Texas" said he, sis caricaturt
y Democracy means something; 1t mean
:, IA government for the people, but her
g 1t Is n satire on the word. When
\. was u boy they believed in WIZARD
Al, and wenches; that by covenantir
with the devil people received peculi,
u powers from him, an
a. in return pawned hi
~ their souls. Now, when ma
. gues into politics, he covenants wi
. the demon of party that he will Ina,
~ no more honesty, and of such are
IL leaders,
H. what do you think of the prese
4, administration
W. "God Almighty never made Jol
he Ireland for statesman. He IL IN.
he of good intentions, but poor judgme,
or and think has Numbered badly in |
~ policy.n
y" WAS he In any way responsible 1
nc fence cutting Pr
lid Yes. If he had acted with Il
id. same promptitude as in the Ga,
-. matter, IL might have been easily u
''e down at the outset. But the adjutal
yes general went up TO Brentwood "A
nd other places and treated with I
rt fence-cutters. indicating in his har,
t.
!" against monopolies, until the peoI
ng went wild, and got beyond control.
it'll the governor had sent the military d
Ia Instead OF King, the thing would hu
been stopped al once. John HAncc
'"- told the truth about thai, II he did
'la- tel wards--as usual--back out of 1t.
AM What was the cause OF fence-c
ting?n
-, 1T was one of the phases of vice
~ conraged 10y partisansnip and con
no. quent ineiliciency IN the admiulst
les ton OF the government. Roberts III
da. policy had good deal to do with II,
"po you think II Is cured ?p
"" "Nes; but should IL ever break
lee again there is very simple rene,
was which | thought ought to hare b,
mi. applied before Assess the oama
49, apaihst The county. appoint jury
'ss view TO- lininte them, and 1t VIM 81
sla- beslup opular 10 cut fences that
ort- viii be sorlh mans neck TO do
die. DO Jon believe that grass shoull
Wv free ~
'ive "Yes, unless 1t is protected Is
lie fenre.n
vet us the herd-law question desti
,ate 10 cut much ola figure in politics
'h\ 1T is not. II Is, however, poss
DustY,hat IL may he sprung upon is In
mis- iutufe. There Is one thing about
Gya a herd law would double the valu,
N railroad lands, and therefore
ac' railroad iuiluence win cont
King to ngilate 1t. Nobody else wants
AZ | The land owner 1onit u,n,,i . /,