The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-09-11
Coke's strength.

Coke's honest strength with the
masses Of Texan voters is simply enor-
nous. No man since Houston's day
has ever enjoyed such absolute power |
over the voters ofthis great state and
even the hero of San Jacint0, grand,
historical and heroic as he was, had y |
party against him, which Coke has
moi. His last election to the senate by
n full legislature, without even dis
senting voice, ia n new experience in
American politics, and it indicates The
solid, massive and powerful influence
of the man. IL will be profitable to
stop and inquire how this vast influ-
ence was won. At the close of the
period of Acknowledgement, Coke led
the ex-franchised to most glorious
victory. This victory was won over
the power and prestige of both the
state and national administrations,
when men hardly knew whether they
would be beheaded or not for voting
against the creatures of reconstruc
ton. After he had prevailed at the
ballot-box, n formidable conspiracy
was formed, to wrest from him and
the people, the hard earned fruits OF
victory. They gathered at the state
capital the negroes, the state militia
and police and presented frm front
to scare away the majority of the peo-
pie. With man of less nerve or
nerve OF less finess of texture, they
would have prevailed, But not so
with the stalwart Coke. His decla-
ration on that occasion will
never be forgotten by
Texans as long as the state lives.
II was Jacksonian in the very rugged
ness Of its massive completeness. "The
people have elected me fairly and by
The Eternal | will be inaugurated de-
spite their power. This declaration
aud the earnestness of the prepsra-
ton to carry it out operated to over
awe the radicals and Coke's first adj
ministration commenced. Order
came promptly from chaos. The
bleeding wounds on the body poll
tic were speedily healed, aud then
commenced that era of peace, quiet
and prosperity, which in eleven years
has lifted Texas from tenth-rate
state to the fifth in the family. To
Richard Coke more than any one
single man is this happy advance to
be ascribed. We might probably fol-
low him through his official career
and note the rounded consistency of
his course. But that is needless.
In the party his counscls have been
wise, conservative, but as steady as
the needle to the pole, to the deep un-
DERIVING faith of true democracy.
The "isms" have never caught him.
His great mind, judicial alike in its
reach and grasp as in its utter and en-
aBled hin 70 %ihno% the true grain
from the chat, while other great men
were beating about in doubt and
darkness, or laboring to get up the
requisite amount of nerve to enable
them TO grapple with IL against what
seemed to be the aggregate of public
sentiment in the state. This Texas OF
ours is the field for these brave, brainy,
nervy men. Our people do not
take kindly to the time servers, the
mere lip men. They want, will have,
and only love the frank manly mem
who stand upon the right, let come
what will. They who suppose that
Coke lost strength in the recent
holly contested prohibition engage
ment here, are of wrong 1t, aud the
result have strengthened the senator
in thousand ways. His course was
the capstone of career grand hey ond
compare, and because of the rounded
and finished character OF the man, il
would be well for the people to gath
er up his words and treasure them for
future emergencies of this kind. The
iight he made VIII last while human
rights remain the care of the state.
while fanaticism and wrong headed
ness gather the rabble and hurl them
as did Pope Urban against the distant
Saracen, in vain, costly and useless
struggle for the possession of the holy
sepulcher. We will take this battle
OF Coke's and put it alongside of any
similar effort ever made in the United
States. Strong? Yes, indeed, he is
strong and made infinitely stronger, If
possible, by his late gallant defense OF
the personal liberties of the citizen.
Coke is still In the prime of wonder
fully vigorous manhood, aud he will
live TO serve an adiniring and loving
constituency long after his detractors
are dead. both physically and politi-
cally.
Ross strength strong as II was nj |