Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-02-29
HE soIEMyLY swBARs TO UP
HOLD THE LAWS OF
THE STATE.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
UNDER THE LAW HAVE HIM AS
CHIrF OFFICER.
what Flag Has the Mayor Hoisted
over His sbip-Quotations
From Our Laws.

Mayor b. B. Paddock has committed n
very foolish as well as a very danger
Gus thing. Foolish in the sense that to
my mind only the supremacy cgotIsti-
that he did under the surround
ing circumstance dangerous be-
ctuse with AIS standing and position
MS citizen In the community in
which he lives, coupled with his otl-
cial standing MS tine highest officer In
the gItt ut tHe community, ne breaks It's
laws, confesses his guilt and continues
to solicit the public favor. When he
COME ssed on THAI memorable occasion
that he has committed, FOR the oath
at poker was IT the desire to be known
as candid man that Inspired such Il
confession? Did he reason that by be-
ing bold and honest to the community
from which he was soliciting the high-
est Office in It's gift that he would
captiVate the moral sense OF that COM
munity. ravlsh IL with his Aristodean
utterance, and that the community
would respond at the ballot box, and
vote not against him for the wrongs
that he has committed, for the oath
that he has violated. but in his favor
for making the bold declaration that
he was poker player But was he can
did from patriotic standpoint or did
he have to be- Did the threat of an
affidavit compel him to be candid. and
the astute mayor, actor at times that
he Is, reason that a theatrical dis
play of himself In the role of can
did man" would anticipate his enemies,
and that the slogan Of his friends
would be, Vote FOR a candid man.?
The writer knows nothing OF his
poker playing tactics hut evidently
he ~ bluffer of no mean ability, and
! say that the sensational confession
OF Mayor Buckley Il. Paddock IL moth
ing more, pure and simple, than a great
big blur. and 1 can prove Ii. Nothing
more than the dramatic utterance of a
most skillful politician who, to coun-
teract the effect Of a charge of a vio-
lntor Of the law made the audnclous
play that he did, and that | can demon
strate 1t. For if II Is not a blur II 1t is
confession that comes from his heart
and not from his throat, why did he
mention that he had been threatened
with an nfiidnylt2 And wasn't It the
affidavit that forced the confession? If
there had been no threat made, would
he have jumped upon the rostrum and
said: Before announcing myself a cam
dldate for the high office of mayor,
desire to saw. fellow-cltiZcus. thai an,
a poker player?" All sensible men
know that he would not have done SO.
If that he true the mayor must have
reasoned: 81 win anticipate these fell
lows and confess II, and bold declar-
alton of wrong doing uttered I'm n
bold and Cleveland-like manner NAV
catch me votes" Again II Is not a blur
and he Is really sincere IN HIS com
iession, AS mayor OF this city and chair
man OF the school board. would he NOT
have gone one step farther In his sin
ccrity and have said: "Fellow- citl2ens.
law Is the creation Of government for
the good OF society; az n private citizen
II ! had violated your laws the Influenza
Of the net might not he so great, but
ms mayor OF your city and chairman
OF your school board I have not only
violated your laws but have further
violated my oath; and an act Of this
Kind " hurtful to society In proportion
as II Is influential and the boys and
young men OF your city cannot profit
by my example"
Hence, II the mayor Is really sincere
IN having us TO believe thai II vna
cnndor and honesty that Insured bIs
confession. why not carry his sincerity
ana honesty one step farther; why not
nc truly sincere and candid man fo,
,nc good or the community and NOT
ne an actor al the husiness2 | consider
u an insult 10 this community nor that
ne confessed but that he confessed no
hrNlng that the community would an
hlaud his simulated rough and ready
ture OF our own children: that wo
would adopt him as our STANDARD or
morality and advertise to the yorl1
mat we elect to high office n man who
instead OF enforcing the laws. hnb.
ituhliy violates them; who instead of
Keeping MS oath. cpnfcsseS that hn
mas BROKEN It. When / say law hrcal,ar
mcoh poker player man who
sets The example TO the community Of
enjoying the pleasure" of ohtaininr
from MS fellow-man something FOR
nothing. Mayor Paddock nas ,.c,,,
bitter against a certain clinue vbo,S,,
ne claims Is opposing him I ask ,ba
question which has worse effes, nm
on this community: the nnliftoni
methods Of the gang" he crlticiscs ar
tle concessions Of poker player who
" a candidate for it's highest ooicn9 +
submit that the nrofoundost rNi,oeo.
pher IN otNlcs might have to snllt hairs
nelWHen tweedl"dum and tweedIedea
" no Is sincere ana honest wron he
crlucises the methods OF the ''rine" no
menace to this community and ms a
crime AGAINST tho suffrage. then Is,'t
II equally as FOOD logic that n nol,nr
plRNing candidnte for the hIpb n,Heo
OF mayor should be defeated? If ,ba
methods OF the former have n ton-
uency 10 dehauch tho suffrage docs
.,u ,ne act or the mayor with lie fenr-
tul influence have n tendency 10 a.
nauch the yonth2 | have no douht n.
20 the sincerity OF one utterance that
when Mayor Paddock looked over tha
audience Tint confronted him he
Wlsneh MS boy at home, n there Is
rltls IN this city whose members
deserve the appellntion Of "pnilticoi
pirates who are sailing the poll,ica,
sea under tho black fng-whnt nae
does our doughty mayor RIM up 10 ths
r,nst head Of hls own shipP III Mavor
fhuaoek vs. half as smart rs he clnime
20 be then his shrewdncss has rons
mo woetul state or "innoc,nus
ccsnstnde.p Bringing tho Rock leland
70 Fort Worth and being under tbe
s,raln pf other great events have uroh-
der plea In confession and avoid
tnce could rot save Kentucky con-
gresham md II ought NOT 10 swatch
from political defeat Fort Worth
mn,vr. When ! make the charge OF
violating his oath It se~-s a. me ,hat
9" 'ollowinR onntafic ). -. ~