San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-05-02
A MARKED CHANGE.

cant as it Is marked. 1t is now a week,
and more, since that convention met,
and the opprobrious epithets which
have become the stock In trade of demo-
cratic journalists are not yet forthcom-
ing. Nothing has been said OF it as
"nigger conventions" it has not been
alluded to as a "mob OF miscegenation-
ists;" it has not been written down as a
"howling bedlam OF negrophobists;'
nor, have the pet terms Of "carpet-bag-
gers" "mudsils," "bloody shirters,"
been applied by any of the opposition
journals of the state. While the repub-
lican party congratulates itself and the
state that a more respectable and sensi-
BILE era has dawned upon the democracy
of the state, it by no means follows that
any greater comfy Of feeling, or amity
OF relation exists today than formerly
between the opposition parties. 1t
merely proves that the democracy of
Texas is being permeated with that
leaven of tolerance which it was one
of the main ministries of the late war to
bring in. 1t proves that there is
growing recognition on the part of the
south of that spirit of free speech which
the south so bitterly sntagonized in pro
slavery times. 1t proves that the new
south is beginning to accept the
doctrine that even republicans have
rights which democrats in southern
states are bound to respect. 1t proves
that democracy when intelllgently ap-
prehensive of true republicanism, learns
at least to respect 1t.
There are two prominent causes for
this improved order of things. Two
dominant facts which have conspired
to bring about this new condition.
These are, the prohibition canvass CT
last year, and the tariff controversy of
this year. In the bitter and protracted
controversy over prohibition, which
terminated with the submitting of the
constitutional amendment TO the people
of this state on last August, republican
and democratic orators and politicians
and writer's and Journalists were found
fighting the battles Of their respective
columns side by side. The dividing
lines were no longer democracy and re-
publicanism, but prohibition and anti
prohibition. The democrat came then,
for the first time in the history Of this
state, to stand on the same platform
with his republican neighbor and trust
to his arm and heart, his voice and his
ballot, to win the victory for which he
was 30 eagerly contending. Out of
that controversy and fight the de-
mocracy Of Texas emerged with
the conviction that had the re-
publican guns been trained upon the
anti-prohibition posts and war, as q
party, been declared in favor Of prohi-
bition that the democracy would have
lost Texas. Convinced OF this tn. y
could not but respect and secret y
admire the devotion to principle which
led so many thousands Of the republican
party to make con mon cause with tie
democracy for the overthrow Of pro-
scriptive, prohibitory legislation. That
respect has worked a change in the
average democrat, and its effect is ap-
parent in the changed tone of the Texas
democracy in speaking Of the late re-
publican convention.
Not only so. The tariff complications
Of this year have fearfully demoralized
the democracy of the south. There are
Thousands of democrats in Texas who
will not follow Cleveland into the free
trade camp. Not that they love de-
mocracy less, or republicanism more,
but because republicanism in this in
stance represents their cherished in
dustries, and they love these above all
else. 1t is not in the nature Of things that
the democrat, who is going to vote the
republican congressional ticket, will
rail out against the republican party IS
party of disreputables. The uncer-
tainty of the fall campaign has sobered
the Texas democrats and made him
realize that it is not wisdom to befoul a
party with which he may. In self de-
Tense, be compelled TO make his political
bed in the near future.
The ability, conservatism, state
pride, fair-mindedness, intelligence and
genuine manhood Of the republican con-
VentiOn was acknowledged on all sides.
Texas is opening her arms wider and
wider every year to the incoming of