Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-02-05
DRIFTING DEMOCRACY.
Lack oil Leadership and Unity in tbe
Party in Texas.
Tile Opposition Silently and Secretly
Pcrfecting Its Plans.
Key Notes Of the Next Campaign-Lcg.
islative Follies.

Key Notes OF the Next Campaign-Iec.
islative Follies.
Special 10 the Gazette.
Austin, February 4.-"Democracv
iiau better commence trimming her
SAILS for storm" was the remark of an
Intelligent conservative member of
the legislature. and a Democrat firm
IN the faith. If there lie any virtue i'm
straws of gossip, he did not misinter-
pref the political outlook. Fence-cut-
ting and ience-cutting legislation will
afford prolif ic sources ofattack and eve
~ crevice in the Democratic wall will
be made the target for an avalanche of
pomb-shells. Spirrs, wary and untiring
are there even now voting every vote.
every moment, every bill, every eau
Gus and with all the Ingenuity of
political cunning and are preparing to
distort each into an action most afro
cious. And yet Notwithstanding the
times. call for peculiar caution and es-
pecial care, both on behalf of the PEG.
pie and the party, the Legislature is
Willing away its time in languid chat
tcring, floating far away from the safe
ty moorings and pla ying directly into
the hands of the enemies of the Demo-
cratic party. The trouble seems to be
1NExPERlENCE AT THE OARS.
There are no leaders in either house.
In the senate the man who of all others
Isl capacitated to occupy such n
position is antagonized by the
larger element of his colleagues.
In the lower house there are a
number Of aspirants to leadership, but
either from lack of the neces sary
requisites, or n failure to recognize
them on the part of the house, no one
is accorded this post of honor. Thus
the legislature presents a medley of
discordant notes, every man blowing
his own bugle to his own peculiar
liking, without any care for melody
Legislators are not exempt from the
common vanities of human nature,
and ii Is but natural under such cir
| cumstances that each should desire to
voice his sentiments on every
question without regard TO the
multiplicity of their repetition. In
fact, there is an in ordinate and wide
spread desire
TO MAKE a RECORD
and get ones name in print. The
members seem to fear that If they do
not figure conspicuously on the journ-
ais, they will lose the respect of their
constituency, who may think they are
doing but little. AS matter of fact,
the most influential members of the
legislature rarely speak upon the floor,
but confine their work TO the commit
tee rooms and private confabs. They
make hay while the others are giving
oratOrical exhibitions; the country may
not appreciate them, but Heaven is
just.
Not only is there lack of leader
ship, but there seems to be want of
appreciation of the magnitude of the
questions with which they are at pres
ent graphing. In the face of great
it would seem that the legislature
measures which all conceded 10 be
necessary, and then devoted the rem
nant of their days to such additional
prudential. The setting of every sun
records the progress of communism
and crime, and on this one point AT
least, there should have been no quib-
bling. Time was too valuable for talk;
action alone could fill the measure OF
necessity. Thus capital is being accu-
mulated for
AN INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT
which will have far greater foundation
than coon story and an ineXpe-
rienced organ. Rostrums will resound
with exaggerated tales Of Democratic
laundering. The party will be held
responsible alike for the sins of the cor
morant and the commune, and the
long train of evils which aillict our
state. Over the mountains and prai-
ries will be echoed the denunciation of
member on the floor of the house,
fines for the rich and stripes for tie
poor,n while capital will be appealed
to for assistance to usurp
the party whose remedies would not
cure its calamities. These, multiplied
thousand-fold, are.the charges upon
which the Democratic party will be
arraigned in the next campaign.
Alone they might be combatted and
easily overcome, but when Is added
party divisions and interior strife, the
situation becomes extremely perilous.
So estrayed and embittered is one fac
ton toward the predominant wing that
all the influences which control poll
tics will be invoked to cripple its power
and defeat its designs. Already the In
stipators of this idea are
on the alert, and are silently and Sc
cretly perfecting their plans. In leg
islation their touch is visible to the
acute eye in cunning device and
shrewdly executed ooUps d'etat, and
their operations are not limited to this
alone. In arguments that give evil
dence of master politicians they have
talked at the people while talking to
the legislature. But the people will
hear them again. They will not close
their efforts until Inundated by dire
defeat or crowned with victory.
These are the obstacles to Demo
cratic navigation which the political
tide is drifting in. They are not the
creations of a visionary mind, but
dangers which are noted by conserva.
tive and thinking people. They can
best be averted by awakening to their
importance, and making such prepare.
tions as the occasion demands. Who
hugs the vain delusion that any party
is infallible and impregnable,. must
awake at last TO bewail his confidence
and bemoan his fate.
Child Hanged.