The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-09-08
CLARK'S CAMPAIGN FOR DElMOC-
RACY

AS nation we have been so long
under the domination of the Republic
can party with its ideas of personal
and centralized government that al
most unconsciously we have come to
think of those ideas as o matter of
course. 1t is true that every four
years the national Democratic party
puts forth its platform of principles and
there follows few months of attempt
ed education and of enticing back into
the good, old paths trod by the fathers.
But so many disappointments have
been the lot of the party, so long have
the Republican policies been in force,
tuat we have breathed them in as q
part of the very atmosphere, and
while enduring them we have been
driven into looking upon Democratic
principles as things so much to be de-
sired, but for us only dreams of hap
piness not to be realized. We have
grown so used to paternalism and
CONTEMPLATION at w WILL pti"U
even we Democrats away off here in
Texas have suffered ourselves to fall
into the same noxious regime. Who
would have dreamed score of years
ago that convention claiming to be
Democratic would ever in Texas put
forth such a platform as the Hogg
platform? What would have been the
result from 1876 to 1886 if such thing
had been attempted? And yet there
are those in Texas claiming to DO
simon-pure Democrats who so far
from being shocked at such a combi-
nation of platform planks, declare
they thoroughly agree with and in
dorse the Hogg platform. Citizens, is
it indeed not time that some one
sounds u note of warning? If we have
30 insensibly yet so surely drifted
away from ancient landmarks, great
indeed is the danger of shipwreck on
unknown and treacherous shores. The
thick fog of isms is all around us,
the man at the lookout cannot
see far ahead, our only hope is to
trust to the old Democratic compass
by which our fathers so successfully
steered the grand old ship of state.
In George Clark we have at the
helm man we can trust. He is using
that old compass and the chart he
reads is the one designed by Jefer-
son, the greatest Authority on the
Democratic high seas. Are we 80
much under the spell of the horrible
nightmare of the times that we cam
not be reused to sense of the danger
we are in? Are we 10 hytonized by
the baneful influence of one-man rule
that we cannot be made to realize
whittier we are inevitably going?
Must we be made to look with suspi
cion on all who would warn us of
danger and regard with trust only
those who are our most dangerous
enemies, because counseling us under
the garb of friendship? Is the
mask of the present never to be
torn off and the real face of
things exposed to the light of day
We do not believeit. The people can
not always be fooled. They may fol-
low the ignis factuus for while and
even into the paths of greatest danger,
but the search light of truth will
surely dispel the gloom, reveal the
peril and lead to safety. When such
words of true and noble warning as
George Clark this morning sends out
over the state are listened to, there
need be no fear that an aroused people |
will not respond, and in no uncertain
way. This magnificent speech goes
to the root OF the whole matter, it is
noble Democratic truth, and will bear
fruit of Democratic rejoicing.
OUR YEAR OF BRIGHT PROMISE.