The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-05-22

Issueless Campaigns.
We have had too much of personal
politics in this state. We have had
no elections upon living issues. We
have issues, great aid pressing ones,
but no leaders who are willing to
plant themselves upon them. A pop
ular leader comes to the front aud
his friends support or oppose him
purely upon the chances he may de-
yelop for winning the nomination.
In the Jug-handlc condition ofpolitics
in Texas all real political work, or
rather juggling, is done before con-
vention assemblies. Its nominees are
always elected. 1t is plain to be seen
where this policy will ultimately land
the state. A few years since the only
questions were how to induce imnii-
grafton and how to get rid of the
public domain. There was no chance
for much division under this state of
things. People came in because of
the vast agricultural advantages OF
a-o----,- .-..-a -.i--- i~..s--.-s.s- r..--ai..i
out TO railroad corporations in I'M
stiuted measure. The evils invited
by this short sighted policy have be-
come many and very pressing, and
out of them have grown a crop
of issues which are likely to
last us for centuries, If only
we may find men to quicken them and
force the voters of the state to consid-
err them when casting their ballots
The longer we ignore these issues
the oftener we go away from them
the more difficult becomes their ulti
mate satisfactory solution. II is lik,
trying cause while all the incidents
arc fresh IN the minds of living wit
nesses If we defer their solution, o.
the attempt to solve them until auoth
er generation steps upon the stage
our work will be done In the dark an,
will be of the character that we ma.
expect. 1t will solve nothing, an,
!. will remit to future courts and jurie
a crop obligation of which we viii
see the last, never.
Are our political expectants afrai,
of these issues9 Dare they not at
tempt one side or the other of sucl
: questions as the land question, public
8 expenditures, public improvements
u the penitentiary question, the judici
= airy, etc, ETC.? Ii they lack the nerve
be assured they are not the candi
dates the people should vote for.
% they have no convictions on thes,
q questions they are not fit to be in
% trusted with the care of tn,
% public business. Let us fgh
. for something. Let us eli
i deavor to force the solution o
these active and pressing questions il
: the only way that they can be solved
before the people and at the ballot
box. Let us nominate no man in tn
dark. Let us force every man VIII
lie expects public support to tell the pee
Is pie in adva nee what he proposes I
do, and what he intends to do fc
: the people, upon these live and pre-
sing g,casIres.
TAe interests of this state hay
grown to be SO vast, lands which
N few years since were worth only fifi
cents per acre are now worth seven
fifteen dollars per acre, and all oth'
I'd matters have increased in like propo
ton. Dare we longer go on placir
trusts as important as these in Il
10 hands of men without knowing VIII
they propose to do with them, mi
of who have no theories or views viii,
is may not be entirely changed in Il
". twinkling of an eye upon any Civ
line of policy, and the people nor q
est party has any sort of recourse up,
IN them in any way or for any purpoi
Inn not even for correction.
1t certainly does seem to us that
,. this matter the people of Texas a
he very remiss. Perhaps the leadil
NJ cause of this is the security all feel
the wonderful democratic MAORI
we enjoy here. But Il would be W,
he for us to remember that 1t is possib
ut for even democrats to do wrong, Al
he IL hurts no man and no interest for
i'm these things to be well understood b
fore making nomination.