Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-06-24
RANK AND FILE. !
Vagarles Of Dlmiuutlve Cyclone ne
Political Atmosphere Full OF
Electricity.
The Issues not Sufficiently Defined
Good Time 10 start 0ut with En-
tirely New Platforms.
The Democratic Opposition Strong hnouSh
60 Make a Respectable ttght-Hhe
Contnst Bound 10 Come.

tive cyclone struck Cleburne yesterday
Timbers ahrleked, houses rocked, tall
trees swayed, and cracked like a snip IN
mid-ocesn. Two currents met each other
IN the clouds and bstted for supremacy.
Three ninute- after the contest had been
settled the echo Of pin would have
sounded almost through all the precincts
of the town 1t was NATURES illustration
of the kinship between agitation and
apatby, Just now this section, like the
balance of the state, is experiencing an
extraordinary manifestation OF the first.
Thefooliticai atmosphere Is heavily sur;
charged with electricity ana lightning
PLAYS havoc IN every nook and corner. IL
is hard on the nerves Of the candidates,
but candidate without strong nerves Is
unAtted TO receive the votes Of the sui
fragans.
Snrewd observers say that this gale can
not pass off without leaving some scars
behind. 1t doesn't require any great
amount of political sagaclty TO predict
that those scars VIII
DIsFIGURE THAT HUGE DEMOCRATIC
MAJORITY.
Two years ago wrote in THE GAZETTE
that disorganization had commenced In.
side the patty ranks. Then II took the
shape of protest against the tyranny Of
the machine; another campaign year finds
the cloud, then no larger than mans
hand, threatening tempest. Two years
hence Democracy will have fierce
contest on its hands III this state. Never
more will o governor of Texas ride into
power on u majority of 100000
Issues are not well de1nei Men cam
not always Iell you why they are dlssatis
fed but they feel that there are wrongs
somewhere, and 1ercely, blindly, they
have set out TO remedy them. The aver
age American is one-idead. The Texan
is bothering his head at present with poll
tcs and the result is that he has worked
himself into state OF wondrous fury
All the evils to which flesh is heir, the
misfortunes and the sorrows which cfme
upon the world through the first trans
erosion, are charged in single entry to
legislation. The poor man discovers that
his poverty is the outcome of baneful leg
islation, the well,todo citizen is con
WINGED that he might luXuriate in the stlu-
ence of his weather. neighoor, but Tor
some discriminating influence in law,
which has palsied his arm, and made
stronger the strength Of that neighbOr.
The borrower believes that but for the
legislation Of the country he would
lender be, the bankrupt announces legls-
lation SIS the origin OF all his misfortunes.
To hear the plants that are now yelling
up against the law-Rakiug bodies Of this
land, tempts one TO ask, do the people
really want
MORE pATERNALIsM IN GOVERNMENT?
There is no use binding ones eyes to
tb.. far t kat ~, An oil A.
agitation teaches is less sci reliance on
the part of the people, more reliance
by them on the state,--a condition out OF
which springs Capitalization Of power as
naturally as thai grass grows or water
runs.
The most pertinent aud the most inter-
esting question just now is, what is TO be
the outcome OF this state OF affairs for the
present campaign One fact had Just as
well be admitted, the opposition 10 the
Democratic party in Texas is now strong
enough to make respectable fight, If ii
chooses to do so. The dissatisfied ele-
ment cares nothing for any party and will
90 against the dominant party as the
author of the evils which it perceives 10
legislation. That element is too large to
be ignored There is no basis on which
to estimate its strength, but the fact that
everywhere IL embraces Democrats who
have been voting a straight ticket
from maturity Is enough to excite alarm
The truth is that Texas is full of
THE SPIRIT or MUGwUMPRY.
Men are willing to a. andon old land
marks just to show that they do not wear
a collar. The predominant feeling Is that
II Is time to reorganize politics on new
basis, aud to start out with new platforms
on new issues. The movement is re-
buke to wah-h0ss politics, and | here vel
ture the p ediction that not one man who
goes before the people this year, asking
for an office because Of his wal record
viii get slice of the loaves and fishes,
The popular verdict Is that the sert,-
mental politician must go, and he is going.
He has already stayed long enough to
drive big lot Of voters out OF the Demo-
cratic party, and two or three years more
of his rule would lmperil the hold of the
party on the state. Those who are too
deal to hear the whisperings Of fate will
listen to the sound Of a trumpet one Of
these days. Its thunder tones will pro-
claim "peace TO the ashes OF the Wah-
boss" The greatest difficulty in the way
OF the opposition is
TO FIND A LEADER
who viii crystallze the elements antag-
onlstic TO Democracy. Leadership, that
Is what II has not; that Is what II needs
Judgo Binkley might have made brill
liant race because of the respect which
his candidacy would have inspired every
where, but death saved him the terrible
annoyance OF political canvass. 1t was
| generally understood at the Fort Worth
convention two years ago that he would be
put forward to lead the Republican party
out of the wilderness this fall. Tracy OF
Houston is a strong man and popular
with all who know him without regard TO
party, yet he is looked upon as
ono OF the Republican bosses ia
times whose very memory has
become odioGs, aud he could therefore
command nothing but the party vote.
De Gress Is the shrewdest manager OF The
Republican party In Texas, man OF great
magnetism, and with personal character
that is unimpeachable, yet his connection
with the Davis administration makes him
an impossbility as a gubernatorial candl,
date. The only man among the Republi.
can leaders who would stand a ghost OF q
chance with the dlscordaut elements is
CART. OF. LYONS or SHERMAN.