The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-03-22
Major Martin. of Texas.

AHos III SilllC vi Tx lt[l 10 WV. \
fun has been made of him than of any
other man IN Congress, he is a sincere.
singie-minded man. and one who
has never failed in any undertaking.
His career has been Achilles like in
ITS success from the time he left farm
and undertook to clear his county Of
desPeradoes. That was at the close
of the war, when vagahoEds and cut
Threats focked To Texas.
Ii was quite joke in that day TO
shoot an officer Of the law when he
came to serve an indictment, and of
the score Of dap'er young Eastern
chaps who had been elected to the
Office, ten had hecn shot and ten had
l.een given twelve hours notice.
Affairs were booming at Il lively rate
and the respectable neighb0rS were
about to move out when some one
suggested that they elect man who
Knew less about the law and more
about firearms TO serve warrants.
Major Martin WAS the IMAM. He
was respectable farmer, but he had
studied law short time and was
eligible to the place. BE accepted
the honor the franchise of his people
put up0u him.. bought horse pisOl
and with writ in one hand AMI Il
revolver in the other, in less than
two months brought down the aver.
age Of killings from half dozen a
day to as many a week. Some of his
Gexas friends tell the he rode all over
the country SternIy offering deSl'era-
does the choice Of paper or cold lead.
and before he resigned the office his
county was as clean of crime as
New England village. That little act
Of bills" made him popular and he
soon dropped his farIn and took to
the practice of law. One of the ceIe
brated cases in which he acted as
cOunseLhung uUOn a seemingly incOn-
trovei tible point.
One good citizen had attacked
another aud had in turn been shot by
number two. The defence put it that
their client was lefenceie-s. harm
less Texan geiag about his affairs
when he was felouou5ly assaulted bv
another gentle Texan, who was not
attending tn his affairs. The quihble
was that the assauIter attacked a man
whom he had every reason to consid-
er unarmed.
1t looked as though Major Martin
was to lose the case for the sentiment
tai Texan who. without arms. had
killed his assaulter. The little court
house was packed as the lawyer for
the defence rose to make his plea,an
al! craned their necks to see sight
unknown III Palestine Is, for the first
time in his life, Major Martin appear
ed in store clothes. He Was buttOned
to the throat in a suit of black broad
cloth, which showed not q wrinkle,
but made him look like an unaeviat
ing daruing needle. He spoke slow
ly, impressively, recapitulated all the
arguments amt finally said:
"Waal. gentlemen, we will now
take up the Argument of the prose.
cutting counsel that his client Was to
all appearances unarme&. He said.
among other things, that a mau en-.
not carry weapons without showing
them. He can't. can't he 2"
AS he spoke Major Martin opened
his coat and showed belt stuck full
of bowie knives. He then turned
slowly round gently raising his coat
tails. aud exposing II S NTH and
Wessen in either hip pocket. rolled
up his trousers AMI drew out two
Spanish dirks AMI then anil the
cheers of hi1 au lienre. drew riff.
barrel from the region of his spinal
column. He won the case. And this
feat made Major "Bill" the most
popular man In lower TeXsa and he
at once ran for Congress. One of his
fist speeches was II marvel or logic
and Was almost sylIogi-tic in It's eDn-
rlu5inn. A few phrases are still pre-
served in his district.
Although Palestine is the county
seal. Major Martin lives in Athens.
Much smaller town than Palestine.
Now Athens is not far from historic
village by the sea, called Sabine Pass
There was a movement on foot to
connect the two by railroad, and thus
open the Gulf trade to the aspiring
Athens. The Congressional candi.
date was greatly Interested in the
enterprise. and as u per0ratiOn of the
eloquent SPEECH urging the move
n,ent. the Major said. ia his drawl-
ing voice:
"Pales. tine has railroads. Palps-
tine is great city. Ii Athens had a
railroad to Sauine Pass, il would I've
as great u city as Pdles.tine-and we
could all 90 down to Sabine Pass and
Ash all day"
By painting this seductive pictare
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