The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-04-03
Self Nominations.

tions prevailing here in Texas which
is productive of many complications
and much and varied mischief. A
democrat, perhaps, of ordinary cast,
limited ability and less experience,
makes hit-it may be in convention,
on the stump OF elsewhere. He is at
once written up" and enters the
lists of the army of expectants, al
ways crowding to the conventions for
recognition. After awhile the expec-
fancy stage passes away, and he steps
up to where those stand who demand
at the hands of the party the bread
and butter they refuse to work for
in any other honest or legitimate way,
Thus commences the troubulous stage,
both for the subject and the party,
and intense purgatory for his person
al and political friends. Following
this comes the geographical stage.
Mind you, all this talk and buster has
its effect locally, and the noisy expec-
tant is soon referred to generally when
men say that southeast Texas or
southwest Texas should shave some
thing" How many instances can
every attentive observer of events re-
call in Texas where the processes we
have named have worked out just
such results as these, and the below
ing, loud mouthed self-nominated man
becomes governor, speaker or, what is
worse, gets upon the bench of our dis
trict or supreme courts. 1t is the old
principle which is formulated in the
terse phrase "the continued dropping
wears the rock" So it does, and it so
wears the patience of convention
and the people generally that, like the
girl who married the man to be rid of
his opportunities, he is given a place
in the public service to the plain haz-
ard of every interest of the state. Un-
til democratic conventions learn to
disregard this species of self-nomina-
ton we will continually have at the
front race of inferior men, undressed,
uncouth and inexperienced public
servants whose best efforts to serve
amount only to failure. Really meri-
torious and capable men are rarely
self-a sorting, Modest merit re-
fuses enter the lists heralded only
by it own trumpets, and consequently
is ever at disadvantage in the pres
ence of empty self-pushing medioc-
rity.
When man of this sort once sets
out, there is no being quit of him. His
grasp is that of iron. Instead of atten-
ding TO his business, or rather to the
business of the public, his only and
sole effort is directed to the effort to
retain his place. He no sooner takes
his seat than he commence
the work of fertilization and that
absorbs all of his attention and energy.
By what sycophancy may he conciI-
late this man, or that influence? By
what adroit selection of assistance
may he fetch north Texas or south
Texas under his banners for the next
race. He is a free grass man to-day,
and tomorrow he is hurting official
javelins at the fence enters. He
strokes the grangers lovingly with one
hand, and with the other chucks a
ravishly low minimum to the stock
men. OF course all this weak policy
bears fruit in some kind Of disorder, or
in a vast weakening of public admin
istration, so that if one obeys the
laws at all it is from mere force of
habit alone, and not from any expec-
tation that they will be earnestly,
impartially or justly administered in
any case. But for the long prevalence
of this sort of policy Texas would
never have heard of fence cutting,
and the state would have been ahead
many millions instead of having lost
them by reason of the vast shrinkage
in values consequent upon its preva-
lence. Next to the sin of a vicious
and dishonest policy comes weakness
and indecision in the public
administration. Pettiness and spite
are also characteristics of weak
ness and littleness. This weak
ness always forgets that consid-
erations for the public service should
rank personal considerations, and that
the personal spites or completeness
should how before il.
A loud self-nomination bespeaks
the presence OF just such idiosyncra-
cies as those we have been CROPPING
above, and it should be rejected in ev-
cry instance. The plain old theory
that the office should seek the man
ought to be re-adopted. 1t is only
another of those old fogyisms
which the News and other papers of
of that ilk affect to despise so
genuinely. The public service of
the state of Texas demands first-class
ability in the men who direct it, and
the system of self-nomination so long
in vogue here is squarely against her
chances of procuring that sort Of
help. 1t ought to be abolished, and
wevery much mistake the tone and
temper of the people if they have not
arrived at the determination to force
the change upon the next state con-
vention. The Houston convention
will be fatal to the self-nominated
patriots, and it will give the people a
little chance to put 10 a voice, as to
the popular choice.
Criminal Law.