The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-04-17
Democratic Needs.

1t is a common saying that the rank
and file of the national democracy is
all right, but that it needs leadership.
Not that it has no able men. 1t has
these, any given number of them, but
it has the fewest number of them I'M
selfish. There are but few democrats
who are working and wearing their
lives out in devotion to the great prin-
ciples of human liberty, which con-
tribute the groundwork and founda'
ton of the democratic party. What
is true of the national party is true.
alas, of the democracy of Texas. We
have many able and brilliant men. We
have men in Texas who would adorn
any earthly senate, or any earthly po-
sition whatever, but, unfortunately,
in the scramble for recognition, self
ish, disregardful ambition has strobe
on over all else, and the faint of this
selfishness neutraliZes a usefulness
possible, but which will never be at
talned. This scrambling murders all
the nobler feelings and sentiments of
our party life. No one democrat
III Texas, with the sole exception
of SulI Ross, has ever willingly
and gracefully stepped aside that an
other might mount in his place.
ALI sorts of disgraceful stratagems
and subterfuges are habitually
resorted to in order to win sue
cess. Men holding the very proudest
places have won them by tactics
which would put New York ward
caucus to the very blush. These
things are notorious. The Texan
democracy needs now a few elevated
pure and able men to unselfishly
teach the fundamental underlying
principles of pure democracy as they
exist, and were given to us by the
fathers of the party and not as men
see them darkly through the glass of
their own selfish purposes and ambi-
tons. Texas needs most of all some
preachers of the pure democratic gos-
pei who wo rk without hope or expec-
tation of other reward than the con-
ciousness Of duties perfor med and
well performed. matter how pure
the doctrines taught may be if the
reward is disproportioned or is put
too prominently for ward as the
inspiring first-cause, the effect is
measurably lost.
The apostles established the pure
gospel both by teaching and by sacri-
flee. When it was necessary to teach
they taught, when it was necessary to
die they went to death without muir
muir. This is the way to establish
great principles as it is to weed out
great errors. If our political teachers
are content to be slaughtered for
principle it may be established. If
they only teach great truths that they
may go to congress or be governors
or hold other official fat places
they ought not to be aston
ished if the young converts
claim the same reward for the mere
act of voting, for adopting for pay,
the gospel which is taught for pay
only. We neeI little uuselfish lead
ership. Leadership upon principle,
not that for gain only. There has
been growing up here in Texas for
many years very loose ideas OF party
faith and obligation. Our democracy
is becoming too much the democracy
of our congressman our governor or
our senators, and there is far too little
of either Jackson or Jefferson in it.
1t is the personal creed of the man
at the surface-of the teacher who
teaches for pay. The pay, the honor
and perquisites of official position. 1t
is spurious distorted and warped
party faith when it comes from such
source, 1t becomes the interest of
one democrat to abrogate an old time
honored and sound rule. 1t is the
purpose of selfish paper of doubtful
party devotion to have this done. AT
once the partisans of either or both
all claiming democracy loudly-raise
the cry and the din of the false doc
trines fill the ears of the people. If
noise, sound and fury could deceive they
would deceive even the elect. While
this unholy warfare against sound
democratic principles is going on there
are men holding the very highest
positions at the beheSt of the democ-
racy, who are dumb and voiceless be-
fore the attempt to perpetrate the out
rage. They refuse even to risk the
condemnation of the rabble in de-
Tense of principle they know to be
right, absolute, to which they proba-
bly, owe thier all in political way.
This is not the stuff out of which
the early marty'Tfss-6eff he CHURCH were
constructed, else had they been like
the modern political teachers, there
would have been no church to day.
Now if we did less ciphering for
selfish purposeaes, and more honest,
hard work for principle, these assaults
upon the two'thirds rule and the good
old democratic doctrines of free trade
and civil ser vice reform, would not be
50 often attempted, and they would
not be so hurtful when made. False
doctrines, schisms and democratic IN
belief would not be so potent in the
party councils and so destructive to
its harmony and working force. Let
us see just little glimmering of I'M
selfish devotion to principle among
aspirants and then we will show you
how soon all these unseemly clamors
against the two-thirds rule will cease
altog g ther, and how grandly our ma
jority will soar up again toward the
old figure.
The Campaign.
The national campalgn will he q