The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-03-17
TURN TEXAS LOOSE.
JUDGE CLARK's GREAT SPEECH AT
FORT WORTH YESTERDAY.
Invincible Warwick Holds Up Some Grin
ming Skeletons and Afirms That If
He Is a Bad Man His Accusers
Are No Better.


to flights of eloquence surely Judge
Clark must have felt as though he
was indeed master of the situation
yesterday evening. GreenWall's
opera house was crowded with Demo-
Gratis who claim Fort Worth as their
home. Democrats from abroad were
there in crowds, while visiting states
men of more or less political promi-
nence. together with hundreds OF the
delegates to the cattlemen's conVen-
ton were on hand to tender q recep-
ton to the gentleman from Waco.
Among those who occupied seats upon
the stage were Mayor Peter Smith,
DR.. w. A. Adams, John w. Springer,
ex-member of the Illinois legislature,
now a resident of Dallas, Morgan
Jones, George Loving, Hon. w. b.
Crawford of Dallas, DR.. j. r. Briggs,
B. Z. Barry, o. P. Bowser, w. G..
Wooten, Newton B. Lassiter, Henry
Exall of Dallas, Otis Eaton Of Dallas,
while in the right hand stage box
were seated Gen. w. l.. Cabell, j..
Morgan Wells and Henry Tracy.
There was a fair representation of the
gentler sex, who were quite as enthu-
siastic as the sterner portion OF the
audience. When Judge Clark made
his appearance from the rear of the
stage he was instantly recognized and
received royal welcome. Advancing
to the front of the stage, he was intro
duced by Hon. Seth Stewart, and
when the storm of applause had sub
sided, began his address, of which the
following is a synopsis:
Fellow citizens: We are on the
Threshold of a great and important
political struggle and one which is
fraught with the greatest interest to
every person within the great COM
monwealth of Texas. The question
which pervades the mind of thinking
and observing citizens is whether our
state shall go forward in the race for
that prominence in the sisterhood OF
states to which she is so justly en-
titled, or retrogade, as her history for
the past few years has demonstrated.
The settlement Of the mOmentous
question is in the hands of the Dem
ocratic party. In peace, as in war,
there are always maneuvers FOL
prot lection, but when maneuVers
are too late, when cannons
are laundering and musketry is rat
Ting it is too late to swap POSITIONS
So | say to the enemy that their at
tempt TO foist the railway issue upon
the voters of the state at this time is
bold and barefaced fraud. The rea
live issue of the approaching struggle
is not the railroad commission, but
rather the acts of Governor Hogg as
public official.
Having paid this compliment tt
the governor, Judge Clark proceeded
to score the chief executive. He haC
been accused of having been recently
converted from his antagonism to
wards the state commission, but
stated that if the accusation
was true his conversion was
of recent date. Instances
of conversion were numerous IN sacreC
history, but even the suddeness witt
which Saul of Tarsus was stricken
dumb and blind, and thus brought tt
a sudden realization of the iniquitie'
of his past life, was slow proceeding
compared with James S. Hogg's
lightning change of opinion on thu
subject of railroad legislation. Hi
friends make bold to quote him as au
thority on this subject, and have thu
temerity to refer to the dis
tinguished gentleman as a friend o
the people in this direction. Judg'
Clark denied the statement and de
fled any man in the state to lay hi
finger on single act in the govern
or's career which would substantial
the claim. Great applause).
Before his elevation to his presen
exalted position he was recognized a
violent and outspoken opponent o
the commission, and when his friend
now charge me with a similar CONVEX
sion 1 have but to hold him up to
discriminating and thinking publi
as a shining example. Naughter).
Another convert of whom the publ
are hearing much is the distinguished
chairman of the railroad commission
| have watched his career for years
but he shifts his position so often tina
l despair of ever being able to keel
track of him. He was my preceptor
from him learned the doctrine tina
the people have no rights which thu
railroads were bound to respect
When the faith was confirmed within
me he left me again. daughter ant
applause) Judge Clark then reat
quite exhaustively from a speed
of Judge Reagan upon tn
interstate commerce law in whicl
he undertook to show that the senate
occupied the same position as did tn
governor upon this question and the,
were equally as servicable as tn
winds in their eagerness to get in o.
the ground floor. Reagan's forme
pronounced opposition to the railway
of Texas would be remembered, pei
haps, to his credit. yet the peopl
would recall his famous trips t
Mexico in company witch one of hi
wealthy railroad opponents, wher eh
Jared like prince, smoking c.
CARS no worse than three for
dollar, wearing purple and fine line
and hvbnobbing with the people, i
whose interests he shortly afterward
was enlisted, with even more than til
degree of interest when the peopl
were his friends. [Applause.] Hogg
| II