The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-07-31
The Second lrerm.

Dt culiar duty, or for his supposed
policy in some extraordinary emerg-
eDcy threatened. Judged on any one
Of these points separately, or on them
III as a whole, and the present incum-
bent in the office of governor would
Ut yer get the place again. But in the J
light OF this blind unreaSoning GUS !
tom, he stands very good chance
to be re-nominated, or rather no one
else has the ghost of a chance. Now
this very fact ought to establish
the worthlessness of the rule. Ireland
is not statesman, a vile, watchful
careful, far-seeing statesman. On the
we have in a series of truth
full, carefully prepared articles stretch
ing over two or three months, shown
up some only of the faults he has COM
mitted, some of the reasons why he
should not be reelected. We are as
founded at the mass Of facts which
unit him for the place-the number
and force OF the reasons why he should
not be governor again. The fight has
been honestly made, and only because
we are firmly of the opinion that he is
perhaps of all the men in the demo
cratic party, or at least who are promi-
nent IN its councils, the most unfit
for for governor.
We have shown that he is narrow
in his views, that he lacks firmness
end decision of character, that he is
full of bitter prejudices, that he is
reckless, that he is lacking in that
GOODNESS of judgment and readiness
and clearneSs of perception which
should characterize a man holding
such position; that he is in the
hands Of those he esteems his friends,
and they only are his friends who ale
his partizans, and he is governor for
them, not for Texas; that he is I'M
sound on finance. being more green
hacker than democrat, in fact and in
short, that upon none of the counts
which usually operate to fix the
party's choice, is he the man. But
the only reason urged for his re-elec-
zion, the sole reason indeed, is the rule
we speak of, one of those unwritten
but imperious DEGREES before which the
party bows down abjectly and which
are sometimes, as in this instance, very
mischievous in their effects. Is this
right? Is it sound policy? Is il
treating thegreat state of Texas, with
all of its multifarious interests, right
Is it fair and honest to the state? 1:
it not rather furnishing the foes o.
democracy with an excellant weapon
with which to fight us in the future
The two-terms rule will, aftel
awhile, become as odious as the thirG
term has ii there is no more distinction
than this made between ability and
incapacity. The incapacity of this
man for discharging the functions OF
governor, aceptably and for the in
terest of Texas is wonderful. 1t is as
founding. His policy has been that Of
a boy, mere tyro. There is nothing
strong, manly or vigorous, exhibited
anywhere in his whole official career
When the fence-cutters were nightly
destroying values to the extent Of
hundreds of thousand dollars the gov
ernor of broad Texas had no more tt
say, no more to do in the presence Of
the evil than had the most insigniti
cant man in the state. The woodeI
Indian of the tobacconist's would have
been equally as efficient as heif seated
in the chair of state. The evil finally
wore itself out, but it was only wheI
there were no more fence!
to cut. The improved condition
was due in no sense to thu
governor or his measures. 1t is true
he proposed to extend the protection
of the state to those who who tool
the trouble to shoot the fence cutters
But none were so killed, and the
worth of the governors remedy and
his immunity both remain INFESTED tC
this day. Considering the good name
of the state alone, we are of the
opinion that this is good thing. The
use of such a remedy would have
been nearly as fatal as though every
foot of fence wire in Texas had been
cut. No stranger would have come
here with money to invest
when he was told that the chief
executive officer, instead of relying
upon the law, recommended and sanct-
Toned murder, not only that, but
that he engaged to give absolution in
advance of the commission of the
crime.
When gathered together and group
ed in this way, these traits of the gov
ernor's seem very terrible. Indeed it
is dreadful. The passions of the hour
aroused by this wonderful exhibition
of causeless and useless lawlessness,
have cooled down. They have passed
away, and we can see both the hid
eousness of the crime itself, and the
cruel, heartless remedy proposed by
his excellency, the governor of broad
Texas. Should the second term
rule operate in his case =?
Has he earned, in this way,
the distinction of a reelection?
There are few bold enough to claim
that he has. Then, in heavens name
why should he have it2 There is but
one affirmative answer to this question,
and that is, the rule prescrioes it. The
rule; the rule; is it not criminally
weak, and by complying with it, by
giving the govern ca taer term the
people will be sanctioning and endors-
ng the mischievious rule and the
most faulty administration of the
governor, and with the application of
like fair test, this the peo-
pie of Texas, would not do. We are
convinced of it.