The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-23
PRESCRIPTION FOR OPINIONS
SAKE.

Every TWO years inc people u lllS
country are afflicted with a mild case
of insanity on state politics. Every four
years the case becomes more virulent on
national politics, but recently an econom-
ic question that ought to appeal more
TO the business interest and business
sense of the country than to partisanship
has knocked the bottom out of politics
and is playing a single act drama upon
the political stage that has wrought men
of all parties up to a more virulcnt in
sanity than has ever been witnessed eX-
cept twice before in the history of this
country. One was the Know-Nothing
craze that resulted in good many bro
ken heads and the other was Il sectional
craze that resulted in one of the blood
lest and hard fought wars of modern
times.
The present craze is more dangerous
to the country than either of the others.
1t is more virulent than the Know Moth
ing craze. The war was sectional and
If this craze grows in intensity as it has
been growing, we may have inter-ncigh-
borhood war, brother against brother,
father against son and son against
father. In the Civil war both non
combatants were protected by the lines
OF each army, but if this money matter
is not settled in November peacefully,
opponents may meet face to face, toe to
toe, in single handed strife.
in this country. Patriots and philan-
thropists will unite TO ward off this fer
rible conflict. Let it be battle of ar
gumcnt, Il battle of ballots and not Il
campaign of denunciation and angry
words and sentences. We expect to
point with the best of our ability, but
we will avoid bitter words. If man
votes for Populist or declares his in
tention TO vote for Il Popuilst we will
call him a Populist but if his merits
otherwise become a matter of public dis
cussion we can do him justice without
prejudice. We do not intend to counsel
prescribing any man or letting his par
tisanship for or against silver influence
his business or social relations. To en-
courage such prescription for opinions
sake is un-American and un-Democratic
and the cultivation of such spirit low
ers men in every way, even in their self
esteem. No man can be n good citizen
and prOscriptivc ut the same time. We
dislike to lose business friend on that
account, for it shows the man is pro-
scriptive and he lowers himself in his
own opinion as well as ours. We pub
lish newspaper containing the daily
transactions of the world. Our columns
for advertising purposes, with the cXccp-
ton of the editorial columns, which con-
tain our opinions. A man who would
prescribe n paper for opinions sake is
of the same material as the inventors
of tools of torture in the days of the
inquisition. No good citizen will pro-
scribe another for opinions sake. None
but n bigot who is ntolerant of every
opinion but his own would prescribe Il
newspaper that has been and is an ad-
of influence. 1t will not be prescribed
for its opinions, for those who would
do it are few, compared to those who
regard the equities and whose intclli-
gence is no,in onfncd to one side of
question. Mah who entertain opinions
themselves and are independent of gen
eral dictation would dcspise man
who would prescribe another because he
differs with him in opinion.
Opinion, free, intelligent and ndcpcnd-
ent opinion, can never be silcnccd or
stamped out by prescription. proscrip-
ton is two-edgcd sword that wounds
the hand that stabs with it, or it is a
boomerang that comes back with double
the force to Stay the thrower 1t is
weapon never used but by bigot, man
filled with jealousy and all uncharita-
beness. A bigot is unable to under
stand or answer an argument and in his
jealousy of superior intelligence he re-
sorts to brute force to silence his advcr-
Sary. ....
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