San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-09-25

TEXAS does not take kindly 10 the uaIh
lantern in politics, but 1t is not always
safe proceeding to show your hand to
the other fellow with cold deck up his
sleeves. The political clubs with closed
doors may be needed as an offset 10 the
crowd who organize in disorganiZatiOn,
and whose secret methods are so secret
rs 10 leave no trace of secrecy. The fell
lows who incubate in darkness and
cluck on the housetopS are more danger
ous than organized clubs with closed
doors.
TIE people OF Galveston are having
hard times of it with their coast storms
this year. The equnOxial storms have
been unusually severe all over Texas,
and the south coast has suffered very
great damage. Corpus Christi reports
a strong gale blowing at the rate OF 60
miles an hour, which drove the water
into the lower part of the town and
inundated it. Indianola was badly
washed and some of the streets were
three feet under water. Galveston had
only moderate gale, the wind reaching
a velocity of thirty-two miles an hour.
The lower streets were overlooked, as
much by rain as by back water, but no
special damage is reported. How far
these gulf towns will be able to hold
their own against encrOaching tides ia
a problem for the future. The answer
will depend entirely upon the direction
which the ever changing currents of the
gulf are taking. Ifthis direction is land
ward, and the sea is ever encroaching on
the land, it is only a question OF time
when the gulf coast towns that are built
practically upon the sea level will have
to be abandoned or surrounded with
massive sea walls; if the land Is emerg-
ing from the sea no such precautions
will be necessary, and each generation
will see these gulf cities more and more
secure in their tenure. The abandon
ment of the port of Galveston would be
Il calamity sOrely felt in all Texas. The
people of the state sincerely sympathiZe
with the gulf towns in their struggle
with the elements, which are by no
means as harmless IA Virgins predic-
ton
Tux mayor OF San Antonio has Issued
Il relief call to the citizens of this city,
in behalf of the settlers in Jones, Stone
wall, and Brown counties. The city
clerks Office is made headquarters for
donations, and it is sincerely to be hoped
that this appeal will not be allowed to
go by default. Our citizens owe it to
their own state pride and sense of hui
manity to see that honest. hard work
ing citizens are not left to suffer, or be
driven from the state o their adoption
in their hard-fought battle for bread
sympathy can always be found in the
dictionary; the results of sympathy
come out of peoples pockets. San An
tonic, called upon last, should not be
least in responding to this distress call.
TIE whole question of nominating
men TO public office is not a speculative,
but Il practical one. There are no
intricacies OF reasoning, no subtleties OF
speech required. The attempt to pitti-
fog is AS puerile rs it is futile. There
are two political parties. practically.
Voters belong to either one or the other.
Whether nominations are made by these
men in party organizations or on tside
of them, these nominations are made by
these men, these voters. TO say that
these men, these voters, will make bad
nominations acting in and as political
party convention, but will make good
nominations when acting outside of
such party nominations, is to say what
is simply absurd on the face of it. TO
say that there are not good men enough
in both parties to make good nOmina-
tions within the party, is to confess that
there are bad men enough in these par
ties to control their action. Ii this be true,
action of the two parties combined,
ne fully as these bad men separted
will control the separate party action.
Not only so. The men who revolt from
nominations by party action are the
men who aspire to make nominations
and accept nominations outside of party
action; that is, by men who seek TO re-
lease themselves from the obligations of
party principles and pledges, in order
that they may be absolved from all prin-
ciples, be bound by no pledges, and be
utterly irresponsible in the pursuit of Of
flee and its exercise. The man who says
party organization is a subordinate is
sue, tells half truth, which is more
hurtful than whole lie. The organiza-
ton is subordinate as an end;as means
Ii is para omit to all others. The end is
good government. The means, organiza-
ton TO that end. There is but ONE
means of organization, viz: AS A PARTY.
TO change the name changes the fact no
whit. 1t is still party organization, even
If it comes through the disorganization
Of the old parties to create the new. The
men who create that new party have re-
nounced the old parties in so doing, or
acts have no meaning.
THIS question Of protective tariff as
opposed TO tariff for revenue only, in
its last analysis, is merely the question