The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-10-22
TWO TEXAS GOVERNORS.

The following is what the Louisville
(Ky.) Courier-Journal has to say of two
Texas governors and anent Governor
Culberson's charge against Gen. Buck
ner:
Texas is state magnificent in its re-
sources, but unfortunate in is selec-
ton of governors for the past few years.
During his incumbency of the chief
magistracy Governor Hogg made himself
notorious by his denunciation of rail
roads. As soon as his term expired he
fastened to New York and did his best
to get capitalists to build new lines and
put Texas more thoroughly under the
domination of the corporations he
had previously fought He explained
his conduct by saying that he had been
retained by his fellow citizers to do this
work, but it was in strange taste for
such a great patriot to aid even Will
ing people to fasten yoke upon their
necks. The rascally capitalists of Wall
street, it seems, could not distinguish
between Governor Hogg, the tribune of
the people, and Lawyer Hogg, who, in
his professional capacity, approached
them in the attitude of PooBah, seeking
at their hands the brides which should
eventually stihe the free spirit of
Texas. So distrustful were they that
they refused to lay network of steel
rails over the staked plains, and Citi-
zen Hogg returned to the bosom of his
state an ayowed populist once more.
Governor Culberson has not served so
long as Hogg, but he has already ac-
uuired nearly as much notOriety. 1t was
he who hit upon the happy idea of writ
ing to that accomplished financer and
friend of America, Prince Bismarck, So
Letting his advice as to the president
the American people should elect. The
prince, almost the last of whose official
acts was to stop the importations of our
meat products into Germany on the
false claim that American hogs were
infected with trichinosis, made a
diplomatic response, which Governor
Culberson, either Intentionally or ig-
norantly, garbled and gave to the world.
The imam of blood and IRON must have
felt trihe awkward at being paraded
as the friend of the American republic
but the humiliation and bad taste III
yolved in seeking advice from the great
est of modern champions of monarchy
and the bitterest commercial enemy that
America has had in Europe seems never
to have occurred to Mr.. Culberson.
But the present Texas governor was
not content with making himself as ri
diculous as his predecessor. He has now
signalized himself by denouncing the
vice presidential candidate of the ma
tional democracy for the military act
which earned him promotion. Simon
Bolivar Buckner was made major gen
eral for his conduct at Fort Donelson,
while Gems. Floyd and Pillow, who in
gloriously deserted their men, were de-
prived of their commands, in addition to
which Floyd received severe censure
from the president of the confederacy.
There are some defeats which are more
glorious than victory, and the surrender
at Fort Donelson has ever since been
regarded not only as wise and neces,
sary military act, but one. which earned
Gen. Buckner the admiration of his enc
mics and the lasting affection OF south
ern soldiers. The mountebank who at
tacks n military record such as tins de-
serves the contempt he is now receiving
from his fellow citizens.
Texas is too great and too enterprlslng
state to permit itself to be classed with
Kansas, solely because it had and has
a governor who laboriously writes him
self down in the catalogues with Fen
Il L.. al