Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-03

the best Of the ability with which God has

the best of the ability with which God has
invested me-
And now a word as to myself personally.
which, perhaps, may be out of place, but
the temtation TO say which cannot forego.
1t has been charged in certain of the public
prints that l was a political trickster. and
not worthy of public confidence There
has been no specifications added to the
charge so far as my observation extends,
and not one of my defamers has ever
HAD THE HARDIHoOD
to specify an instance in which I tricked
the public or any individual. IL l have
ever deceived any man or any body of men
in Texas am not now aware OF it. If l
| have ever attempted or succeeded in i'm
posing upon them by tricSery l cannot now
| recall 1t. My whole life, for more than
twenty-five years in your state, has been
open TO the public gaze l am so consti-
tuted that 1 am not able TO conceal my
opinions upon any subject. Indeed, never
saw dog fight that l did not take sides
with one OF the dogs. And tender to you
and the people of Texas this record of a
life among you for more than a quarter of
a century and ask my bittereSb foe. whoever
he may DE or wherever he is, to point out
one instance in chat life in which l ought to
be justly charged with trickery. I have
held public positions in your state and have
upon me with, at least, average honesty.
The last public act I ever performed was
in behalf of one of the great industries of
your state in 1887. Because of imperfect
laws and for bther reasons, with which you
are as familiar as I am, the cattlemen of
your borders have either been driven or
voluntarily walked into a state OF desper-
alton. Civil war was almost threatened
and the state was even making prepar-
alton
TO SEND ARMED MEN
among her citizens because Of supposed de-
tiance of law. In this contingency l was
called upon professionally 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 industry. 1 did not trick you
then.
Again in 1887 most aggravating issue
was forced upon us by the voice of the PEG
pie. 1t involved families and neighbOrhoods
and friends in serious quarrel and discus
sion; it embroiled the whole state IN fierce
and angry campaign, t1e bitterness of
which has perhaps not yet left US SO far as
some are concerned. In exercising my
right as citizen TO pass upon the grave
question Of a constitutional amendment,
found it necessary to differ in Judgment
with many of my fellOw-ciUiZens and friends
who before that time were dear TO me and
whom since / have not ceased to think well
of. I did not
CONCEAL MY SENTIMENTS
or opinions, but avowed them boldly before
all men and took my share, perhaps, l might
say with truth, very much more than my
share, of the odium attempted to be
cast upon those VINO were of my persuasion
and belief. No matter what view may be
entertained Of my conduct during that cam
and \ r1fa- 70
it, no one can say that l ever uttered
harsh word against my adversaries, or that
l ever deceived i man, woman or child IN
Texas. | did not trick you then. l have oc-
cuDied position upon your highest bench,
engaged for a brief time in the administra-
ton of your laws and passing, in coniunc-
ton with my brethren on the same bench,
upon thousands of cases involving the social
order and well-beine of the commonwealth,
and l nave never been charged with trick
cry while there. Indeed, ] felt 1t incum-
bent upon me, for the proper vindicatlon OF
the laws, to antagOniZe the entire public
sentiment of the state in the case of poor
creature whom 1 believed at the time to be
thoroughly guilty, and when
THE ISSUE WAS PRESENTED
to me whether this man, poor as ne was
and despised @ he was, was entitled to
fair trial under the constitution and laws OF
the state of Texas, did not hesitate to 50
ment was walking TO my Judicial execu-
ton. Certainly there was no trickery IN
this. l had the honor to occupy a position
as one of the commissioners 10 cod1fy your
laws under which you are now living, and
my brethren upon that commission who still
survive can speak, II they are so disposed,
as to the service rendered and the lnteg-
rity with which 1 discharged that high
function. L was your encouragement Tor
term during which the most important
! litigation in which the state was ever in
volved, came up for adjudication 1t fell
to my lot to stand between the people of
Texas and the exaction of
MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
wrongfully and fraudulently obtained from
a legislature which nomiDally represented
them, but which in fact did not; and l saved
the state the money. And 1t also fell to my
lot to stand and defend an attempt based
upon law to seize upon millions OF acres of
the public school lands OF the state OF Texas
under statute passed by the same leglsla-
ture; and that duty was discharged anu the
land saved. never made any BOAST Of these
efforts, even to my most intimate friends,
and l only cite them now TO demonstrate TO
you that in those emergencies did not
trick you. And so in 1874, when the people
of Texas by an overwhelming majority had
cast out the administration OF Edmond J.
Davis, which has gone down 70 history II
infamy. and the legislature had assembled
with view of beginning the discharge Of
their duties, and the distinguished gentle
man selected as her governor had come TO
the capitol to enter upon the administration
of his Office, they were confronted by an
armed band Of ianizaries swarmi1e N the
corridors OF your capital II became neces-
sary that demand should De made uDon
the usurper surrounded in his den by these
armed bands, and I, myself, had the honor
to bear TO him
THROUGH BAToNETs
q demand that he surrender his Office to
the man whom the people had selected TO
I'll t. There were many other patriotic
citizen % Texas there at the time, men
who l-aeS their rights. aad knowing. dared
maintain them, rGen who had come armed
with implements Of warfare 10 defend The
rights of the people OF Texas TO establish
aud maintain fheir.,lvzn s-1rernm which