The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1894-04-23


fell, and in short time thereafter
the massacre of Fannin's men oc.
CURED. 1t was enough to appall
the stoutest hearts and paralyze the
strongest arms, but with men de-
termined to be free these terrible
events we're only incentives to higher
deeds Of patriotism. The Declare
tion of the independence of Texas
was made in town called Washing
ton, and it requires but little faith
to believe that its guardian angel
was "ths Father of his Country"
Our Declaration of Independence
compares favorably with the inslru
ment written by the immortal
Jefferson, and its construction may
have been modelled after 1t. The
statement of their grievances il set
set forth in bold and vigorous
English. Let rue invite your atten.
ton to three causes of their COM
plant:
First-They complain because
they were denied the privilege of
worshiping the Almighty God in
accordance with the dictates of their
own consclences and were compelled
to support national religion.
Second-They complain because
they were not .eoared the right of
trial by jury, that palladium Of
civil liberty, sld the only safe guar
antee for the citizen.
hird-They complain because
the civil authority had been subor.
dlnated to military power.
Our revolutionary fathers fought
for the prit ciple that there should
be no taxation without representa-.
tiou, but the fathers of Texas not
only fought for this principle, but
for the best rights of man. With.
out enumerating others, the three
causes mentioned, or either of them,
was sufficient to justify an appeal to
arms. But there was another cause
Of complaint to which | call your
attention, and considering the time
it was made, | have always thought
it was remarkable. They complained
because the government of Mexico
had failed TO establish any public
system of education. AT that time
but few states in the Union had es-
tablished any system of public edu.
cation and in the Southern states
public free schools were almost un-
known. The fathers of Texas rec
ognized the fact that unless the
people are educated and enlightened
it is idle to expect continuance of
civil liberty or the capacity for self
government.
This truth is now universally rec
ognlzed in our own state, and trust
that 1T may become so thoroughly
implanted in the hearts of our peo.
pie that it will be impossible to de-
stroy our system of free public edu-
cation. Free public education is
the only safeguard we have against
whatever evils may possibly result
from the free ballot. Munifcentiy
did our fathers provide for free
schools, and also for the higher edu.
cation of our people, and for their
advanced thought and wisdom, thev
are entitled to the gratitude of this
and ali succeeding generations. TO
them we are indebted for our home.
stead provisions, which are some
times severely criticised by the cred
itor class, and 1t is not infrequently
asserted that our homestead laws
operate greatly to our detriment. II
do not believe it. On the contrary,
l think they have largely
contributed to our prosperity.
But for our homestead exemp.
tlons it is not improbable that our
mortgage indebtedness would be az
great as that of Kansas and other
states in the North and West. The
homestead privilege is sometimes
abused in the towns and cities, but
seldom does this happen in the
country; and there is no law, how
ever good, that is lot abused by the
vicious and those who designedly
perpetrate fraud. If it be true that
the home, the hearthstone, is the
nursery Of good citizens, let the
home be protected from the evils of
misfortune. Occasionally we hear
N, or re l. 4