The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1892-02-27

ElIONluA our DGODlts oO lai as l. ulll
concerned, fellow citizens, my life Is
more than half spent. Indeed have
already turned the summit, and may
say that | am on the down grade But
SO long as live and possess my facul-
ties unimpaired shall resist with all
my mightthis alarming and destruct-
i've tendency. Come as it may, dis
gulsed as il too often is, l trust shall
always be permitted by kind Provi-
dence so long as | cum Der the ground,
to be able to detect with proper &C
cumen the insidious evils which lie
hidden under speCious mask, and
wherever and whenever and under
whatever circumstances | may detect
these evils | shall fight them with
the best of the ability with which
God has invested me-
And now word as to myself perso-
nally, which, pei haps, may be out of
place, bat the temptation to say
which | cannot forego. 1t has been
charged in certain of the pu bic prints
thai | was trickster. There have
been no specifications added to the
charge so far as my observation ex-
tends, and not one ofmy defamers has
ever had the hardihood to specify an
LdIlC6 Ill W hlCu L bIlCht'l VIC lluU-
lie or any individual, If L have ever
deceived any man or body of men in
Texas / am not now aware of it. If l
have ever attempted or succeeded in
imposing upon them by trickery, |
cannot now recall it. My whole life,
for more than twenty-five years in
your state has been open to the pub
lie gaze. / am so constituted that l
h Ia
upon any subject. Indeed, | never
saw dog fight that | did not take
sides " it'll one of the dogs. And /
tender to you and the people of Texas
this record of q life among you for
more than quarter of century,
and ask my bitterest foe, whoever he
may be, or whoever ne is, to point
out one instance in that life in which
| ought to be justly charged with
trickery. L have held public posi-
tons in your state and have discharg-
ed the duties of Office devolved upon
me with, at least, average honesty.
The last public act ever performed
was in behalf of one of the great in
duRtries of your state in 1887. Be-
cause of imperfect laws and for other
reasons with which you are as famil-
lar as L am, the cattle men upon your
borders lad either been driven, or
voluntarily walked into state of
desperation. Civil war was almost
threatened and the state was even
making preparation to send armed
men among her citizens because of
supposed defiance of law. In this
contingency was called upon pro-
fessionally, to come and make peace
between the state and some of her
people, and the result of my efforts
was your present land law which has
poured millions into your Golfers for
the benefit of your children, and
vouchsafed peace to an anxious in
dustry. L did not trick you then.
Again in 1887 most aggravatiug
issue was forced upon us by the voice
of the people. 1t involved # miles
and neighborhoods and friends in
serious quarrel and discussion; iU en-
brolled the whole state in fierce
and angry campaign, the bitterness
of which has perhaps not yet left us
so far as some are concerned. In
exercising my right as a citizen to
pass upon the grave question of a
constitutional amendment, [ found it
necessary to diffe in judgment with
many of my fellow citizens and
friends who before that time were
dear to me and whom since I have
not ceased to think well of. did not
conceal my sentiments or opinions,
but avowed them boldly before all
men and took my share; perhaps,
might say with truth, very much
more than my share of the odium
attempted to be cast upon those who
were Of my pursuasion and belief.
No mattor what view may be enter
tanned of my conduct during that
campaign, and | have no apologies to
make for it, no one can say that |
ever uttered harsh word against
my adversaries or that l ever de-
ceived man, woman or child In
Texas. did not trick you then. Il
have occupied a position upon your
highest bench, engaged for a brief
time in the administration of your
laws and passing in conjunction with
my brethren on the same bench upon
thousands of cases involving the |
social order and wellbeing of the |
and | have never
been charged with trickery while
there. Indeed | felt it incumbent |
upon me for the proper vindication of
the laws, TO antagonize the entire |
public sentiment of the state in the
case of poor creature whom / be-
lieved at the time to be thoroughly /
guilty and when the issue was pres
ented to me whether this man, poor
as he was and despised as he was,
was entitled TO fair trial under the |
and laws of the stat of !
Texas, | did not hesitate to so an
nounce, knowing that with the an
nouncement 1 was walking to my