The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-06-20

del of our republic, enemies that can com
mand the influence of press and rostrum
possessing resources beyond measure
! with leaders skilled in seizing every want
age ground and in appealing to every in
terest for succor and support The mrs
of these is an old one; one that looked
down into the cradle of our republic at Its
birth and sought to throttle the lisping in
FAINT there; one that has ridden upon the
whirlwind of battle and established by
the sword one of its tenets; one that now
with an insatiate hunger seeks to chain
our republic and feed upon its vitals. lis
the tendency to Capitalization of which
| speak. You say that am but threshing
over old straw. That you have heard this
until your ears are weary. But even YET
you have not heard it enough. A monarch
of old required his attendants to remind
him daily of his hatred of Carthage to
keep alive his determination to destroy
it. SO we need to be daily reminded OF
the insidous encroachments of this enc.
my to the republic. Slowly but surely
this influence is asserting itself. At this
point the right of the citizen is encroach-
ed upon; at that one the privilege of a
sovereign State is usurped; each of no
great moment in itself, but each mighty
in its power of deadening resentment and
overcoming resistance. There was time
when this spirit of centralizing aggression
met with sturdy opposition among South
ern people almost without exception; when
the bugleblast of danger brought every
patriot of the South to his feet, but now
each infringement of the liberty of the
citizen or the right of the State meets
with only negative resistance and in
many instances with positive favor. The
usurpation of authority by those in pow
er, the fascinating glamor of strong gov
eminent, the promotion of the interests of
greed that are more fostered there than
under a government such as ours was de-
signed to be. and the restless protest of
many against existing ills that they can
not trace to their proper source are some
of the causes contributing to this result.
But whatever the cause, the result is the
same, and today in Texas We find multi
piled thousands ready to tear from the cit
izen his birthright of independence, to
rend from the State its mantle of sover-
eighty and to lodge them all in the gov
eminent at Washington. The merchant.
the lawyer. the doctor, the mechanic and
the farmer are too much beginning in
Texas to look to the general government
and say to it. give us this day our daily
bread" Towards it they kneel, and sa-
lutte it with Eastern devotion, and rise
with the manacles closer riveted upon
their limbs. The true unit of this gov
eminent the real integer of society-the
individual, created in the image of his
Maker, is being lost and his identity lost
n that of the gOvernment-the handi-
work of man. This spirit must be
net and combatted. The citizen
must be exalted. the State must be main
aimed. The lesson must be learned anew
hat this government is not found in yon-
Ter towering pile of granite nor in the
marble Railways of Washington: that its
'eal greatness does not exist there. al
.hough governors and legislatures. presi-
Tents and congresses strut about the one
IT the other. invested with a brief author
~; that its greatest treasures are not
ound heaped in their vaults. but looking
beyond all these visible manifestations of
government, forgetting all these as the
of the freely is forgotten
lnder theglare of the sun, behold him who
loes hold the treasures of government.
Who does constitute its greatness, who is
he government itself-the educated, en-
lghtened citizen. See him as he stands
oday with his humble rooftree above him
md his loved ones about him: see the
marks of culture and refinement about
lis home: the piano in the corner, the we'll
He'd bookcase, the table heaped with the |
'est current literature: behold him as he |
azes forth at his broad acres. the legacy |
wrought out for himself by the magic of |
abOr; see in those strong arms his sturdy |
Glance; in that broad breast his country's
HELD in the hour of danger; mark in the |
lean of his eye contentment and cour-
ge; see him as he proudly approaches the
allot box and casts in his ballot-the pa
riots thunderbOlt: see him as he stands |
nth unfettered strength as he is-an I'M
rowned king. an unbOught sovereign,
n unconquerable free man-and you be-
old the highest product of q century of
berty. But let this crusade of centrali-
alton succeed and then view the change.
ee him stripped of his independence; hear
is piteous impOrtunings for help notice
is distrust of his government; cOntem-
late his scowl when she needs his aid:
ae him walk between rows of bayonets
18th dOwncast head and shame-abashed
to drop with listless hands
lie ballot that will aid in making his
egradation deeper and his humiliation
ore keen-and you see in this man a
climate product of such government
) many would have. Oh, young men of
eXas, you that have been nurtured at the
east of this mother, your State and coun-
Y calls upon you tonight and asks you if
~ would have her page blurred or
light? Would you have liberty survive
perish? Would you have human free
I'M live or die, and gathering up your
lswer in one voice say: "Oh, my coun.
Y, liberty shall live, freedom shall sur {
We, our history's page shall be tinted
th the splendor of the MONDAY e
But what of the other danger; and l
n refer to but briefly. Unlike the other, :
is the product of a single generation; {
is the price we have paid for steam '
ID electricity, and the other wonderful |
Movements of the age. 1t is plutocracy =
the .encroachments of consolidated capi- :
|, the handmaiden of Capitalization. =,
he one creates necessity for the other: :
ey walk hand in hand With no hatred !
wealth or the wealthy save as they :
reaten our common country and would :
b US of our birthright | call upon Won
night to take sides in this conflict that !
inevitable in this land. The colossal i
rtunes that have been built up during |
e past quarter of century are enough
startle the world into an awakened /
nse of existing conditions. Were Dives I
ON the earth today he could prove an
bi to the charge of being rich: could
'oesus revisit this earth he would dis q
yer himself shOrn of his laurels. Men !,
10 We're few years ago poor are today !
re 10 buy a sovereign State of this Il
non. You say that they were indus, o
ous-men of equal industry are plodding L
'ng IN poverty; you say they were Geo T
m.ical-men of equal economy are still c
Their millstones of want. Neither by in b
Stry nor by economy alone, have these i
tunes been piled up. They are the pro- b
cts OF an unnatural and uniust condition "