The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-04-26
and az we believe, for the best inter
est If the state and country.
,rnaF REAGAN's POLITICAL
SUREWDNESS.

There are numerous newspapers III
the state which have declared thaI
Tudoe Reagan has dug his own polItl-
cal grave and driven the last nall III
his nolitical coffin 10 his recent poIlti-
cal nronupciamento While we 90
not agree with Judge Reagan and
while we have condemned him for his
attempt to inject into a stale call'
paign foreign issues and reopen the
ani,nosities between the wings OF the
Democratic party in Texas, we be-
Iieve il is best to estimate properly the
mower and force of every opponent
and we must honestly declare that we
think Judge Reagan IS the very
shrewdest politician in this state anu
more TO be dreaded by the Democrat
party of Texas than any polltlcal con-,
hination of men in it. He exhibited
sagacity and talent of the highest or
der in framing his peculiar policies
We first believed when we read Judge
Reagan's letter that his object was to
elect such a legislature as would oe
favorable to him as United States sem
ator but upon more mature reflection
we have been convinced that the GU
hernatorial bee is LuzZing in his bon
net.
Judge Reagan has given just enough
and 10 more to dissatisfied Democrats
to fix their attention on him as lead
err and lust enough to the ideas OF the
Populists to make that party regard
him as suitable candidate in an
emergency. That is to say, If the
peace measures between the Democrats
of the state work smoothly and sue
cessfully and the party holds an har>
monious convention it would be fool.
ish for the Populists to nominate
Judge Nugent, for he would be bea-
ten. In the event of such hap-
penings what would be more polite
and what would offer more favorable
chances for success than for Judge
Reagan to run as an Independent can
didate for governor, against the regu'
lar Lominee of the Democratic
combination? The wisest policy OF an
aspirant for political, honors is first to
concentrate the fire of all the batteries
of his opponents upon him and his
position. 1t gives him wide-sp spread
notoriety and makes him the most dis
tjnguished mark of competition. 10
day Judge Reagan's name is men
toned by the press of the state and by
men in political discussions, ten times
where the name of Judge Nugent or
any other aspirant for governor on
any side is mentioned once. Judge
Reagan has shrewdly formed COM
mon basis for cooperation between
free silver Democrats and the Popu-
lists and has endorsed enough of the
latter's ideas to call their attention to
him II there is no chance for them
to make a strictly party nomination
by reason Of the reconciliation of the
Democratic party of the state, and to
induce them to rally at his bugle call
as an independent candidate for gov
ernor. Judge Reagan may not
want Office. He may be acting
purely on conviction and on
patriotic motives, but he is
professional politician and it would be
too much for him to ask of us not to
believe his ultimate object is political
honors of some kind. 1t may be that
he contemplated both things to form
a legislature favorable to him for the
United States senate, and if that did
not seem to give promise to pan out
well, then to be upon such platform
and so conspicuous, made so 10y all the
artillery of the regular Democracy of
the state playing upon him and his
position, that he could with about
even chances of success become an in-
dependent candidate for governor and
combine upon him the vote of the dis
satisfied silver Democrats and the Pop
ulists. 1t may be that Judge Reagan
is not playing his political game either
upon purely patriotic motives or Just
for fun. He means something by it,
and that something means Judge
Reagan's success in one way or an
other, either as the United States
senator or as governor of the state of
Texas.