The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-04-30

Lamar and moved him to support the
celebrated electoral commission, which
lost our prcsident-elect, but saved the
country from bloody war and the de-
struction of our constitution, and with
drew from the oppressed southland the
Federal military, with Sheridan mt the
head of H."
| state the foregoing facts because |
feel that they are due to myself, and be-
cause they serve to show that while |
have been in favor of obtaining for the
sound money wing of our party, with
which | am thoroughly identified, and
all that could be gotten for them in the
party. have not been in favor Of going
out Of the party, under the existing emer-
gcncies, in the effort to accomplish that
result. | know il is claimed on princi-
pie that the issue is too great for any pa
triotic Democrat to subordinate it to the
welfare Of any mere party. to which sug-
gestiOn ! would cheerfully bow and ac-
ccpt, if the condition of the political ele-
ments in Texas and the south were in
any sense like those which exist in New
York and other of the northern states.
There, in many respects, it does not
make any very great difference in the
administration of local affairs, whether
the Republican or Democratic party is
in power. They have no threat, or pros
pect of defeat, and in favor of the state
owning all railroads and telegraph lines,
and being generally converted into Il
great business under which every citi-
zen is guaranteed the largest libcr CON
sistent with the welfare of all the peo-
pie. Such, however, is not the situation
in Texas, and | would regard the success
of that party as an irrcpressible blight on
the prospects and prosperity OF the peo-
pie of Texas, from which they could not
recover in a generation. 1t may be that
the ordeal of misrule and misconstruction
under the heel of which ! learned my
first lesson in Democracy, have made
me too great stickler for the autonomy
of my party and local state government.
But whether that be true or not, | can
not persuade my judgment that the pres
cnt emergency is sufficient to justify me
in following so many of my dearest
Democratic friends out of the regular
organization to which we are indebted
for the peace and local clf-goyernment
under which we now live.
E l. of course, find no words in my mouth
to condemn them simply because they
feel more keenly the wrongs done the
party by the executive committee than
| do. They are patriotic and conscien-
tious Democrats. and. in my judgment,
are honestly anu
to serve the best interests of the party
in the manner which seems to them best.
| differ with them only as to the meth
DDS by which this service should be rem
dcrcd.
| have nothing more to say. | have
been less inclined to say anything than
| have ever been on any former occa-
sion of my life, and this must be apparent
to all thinking men who will give three
minutes thought to the superbly unfor-
tunatc position in which | am placed. !
could say less without being subjected
to the charge of fence-rding. and the
want of political manhood. Whatever
may be the adverse criticisms upon me,
and whatever effect it may have upon
my political life in the future, | could
not afford to occupy any doubtful atti-
tude in crisis like this, nor breathe the
air of II freeman without saying tins
much. Respectfully submitted to the
of Texas,
ANDREW ]. BAKER.