San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-24
SATURDAY, MARCH, "a, 1888.
GOV. ROSS ON WHARTON.

The democratic press of this state in
their denunciations Of the LIGHT. anent
the Whsrton.outrage, find themselves in
q box. The LIGHT has charged, and the
charge has not been refuted, that the
inhuman firing OF that negro cabin and
the shooting down Of seven innocent,
law abiding citizens In cold blood, had
not been denounced by the democratic
press Of this state. The hue and cry
was taken up against the LIGHT that it
was stirring up race prejudices. and the
LIGHT was charged with slsndering and
hbelling the people Of Texas by insinua-
ting that the life of q colored man was
not as sacred in Texas as ia the life OF
white man.
Now comes Governor Ross into court
and testifies. AS chic ( executive of this
state. upon the representations OF the
district judge and the district attorney
OF the county, Governor Ross sent q
body OF rangers TO preserve the peace
during the session Of court held in con-
sequence Of that wholesale negro muir
der at Spanish Camp. Fifty promi nent
citizens of Wharton county Immediately
wrote to the governor protesting against
the presence Of the rangers, and de-
handing their removal. On the Goth in-
slant the governor replied to that de-
msnd in a vigorous letter, portions of
which the LIGHT now brings into the
court Of public opinion to prove its po-
sition by good democratic authority.
The governor says:
To G. c. Duncan and others, Wharton,
Texas:
have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your protest against the
presence OF rangers in your county. and
In reply beg to say that 1 am unable to
appreciate the force of your objections.
They were sent into your county in re-
spouse to an appes! of the district judge
and district attorney, who were doubt
less fully apprised OF the exigency de-
handing their services in aid Otlocal civil
authorities. AT any rate the first in
vocation which l took upon nv lips
when assuming the functions Of the ex-
eoutive Office was to maintain the con-
stitution and 1t enjoins on me to see that
the laws are faithfully executed, and the
state denies protection to citizens as
efectually by not executing ,as by not
making laws. Its expensive machinery
becomes q mookery when no security ia
furnished, when laws are made only to
be trampled on, when crime stalks
abroad unchallenged and unchecked,
when the home is no longer a protec-
ton, but its saDotity is violated with
IMMUNITY by ruffisns firing house at
midnight and shooting the unarmed in
mates; and when you protest against
the Irritating presence of half
dozen rangers sent to your community
with the best motives in compliance
with the official demands of local off,
GERS, charged with the execution OF the
laws and with instructions to act STRICT
~ In subOrdination to the civil authori-
ties In helping to detect, arrest and
bring to oOndign punishment these
bloody criminals, surely you can not
mean what your language clearly
implies, when, as an appeal for
some mitigating judgment, you make
the comforting suggestions that "this sid
will die out" You mean to say that you
prefer to leave the solution OF these
troubles to che soothing influence of
time, and trust to the potent charms Of