San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-06-04
vanishing Greatness y


Fort Worth Daily Mail, Demo
craft prints a thoughtful editorial
from which the following extracts
are taken:
att is certainly true that the
sentimental opposition to Republi-
canism in this part of Texas is
rapidly disappearing, and men are
locating themselves politically as
their views on important questions
affecting the business interests of
the country suggest. Men have
quit or are preparing to quit vot-
ing as they shot during the civil
war, and even hundreds of
battle-scarred Confederate vet
Grams, who for twenty
five years have lbeen voting the
Democratic ticket for no other rea-
son than that the Southern Con-
deracy after the war joined al
most in body the Democratic
party, are talking in manner to
indicate that they will throw sem
timent to the winds and align
themselves with that party which
best suits them in a business way.
1t is we'll known fact that not
only in Texas but all over the
South men have voted the Demo-
cratic ticket who believed in a high
protective tariff. They were Sam
Randall Democrats, who staid in
the party, not because they were
welded to it's principles, but be-
cause they didn't like the other
fellows, though they might have
advocated measures that accord
ed with their ideas. Republicanism
in the north has been in the same
shape, so far as the sentimental
feature is concerned; and even yet
some people there are voting
against the "d--n reb els" just as
some people south are voting
against the "d--n Yankee
This, however, on both sides
of the line is rapidly disap-
pearing, and as a new generation
that knows nothing of the
war from personal experience is
taking possession of the ballot
boxes there will be material politi-
cal changes all over the country.
Another thing that is stimulat-
ing the growth Of Republicanism
in new ground is the action of our
own party. 1t has long been
charged that the Democratic party
is prolific of promises and barren
of fulfillment; reforms have been
promised that have never been
carried out; and even now with all
branches of the government in our
possession our Congress has not
been able, through internal dissen-
sions, to enact that law (tarifO on
which we went to the people in
1892, and on which we won the vic
tory. Our speakers all over the
land talked tariff reform from the
stump and promised tariff reform
when party victory was won, but,
though that was nearly two years
ago, the country is still grooming
under much-complained-of Repub-
lican laws. This has disguised
thousands, and it is causing bold
ness on the part of the Republicans
all over the South, who have taken
fresh courage and are enrolling
themselves under the old banner,
openly and above board; and men
today freely proclaim their dissat-
isfaction with our party who for
years have voted with us. How far
this will extend depends only on
what our party in the future shall
do; but the fire has been started
and the march of the flames
can already be seen. Inroads
have been made on our strength
and will continue to be made un-
less our leaders inspire the rank
and file will a new batch Of conf
dence in the ability of the Demo-
cratic party to get together and
legislate in accordance with the
promises made in our platform in
stead of wasting the money Of the
people by non-action, and continu-
ing the feeling of unrest that has
had such depressing effect on
the business OF the entire coun-
try"
Almost Fatal Mistake.