The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-01-28
THE MILLS THAT GRIND OUT
NEWS.


II would be- difficult to find mt any STATE
capital. and even the national capltai III
Washington, n more widc-awakc' eh'r-
getic and prophetic set of newspaper 'or'
rcspondents than those who honor Aus
fin with their political prognoSticatiohS'
IL the present does not furnish suihcieh'
political excitement 10 keep the pubhc III
tcrest screwed mp to the highest tension
these gentlemen have the genius Oh cons
struction. and, however dead may be- the
calm ON the political sea, they have the
magical powers 20 stir the waters into II
tempest. If the present is too barren 10
produce n ripple on the waves, with
prophetic ken they launch into the aim
future and paint II picture that makes
the blood curdlc in the veins Of an every
day, easy-gong politician.
The legislature was about to assemble
in a dead calm but this did not suit these
news. making pencil pushers, and IN the
absence of any political excitement that
in usual to new members of II dclibcra-
tive body, they found ready made, upon
their arrival at the capital, dark plots
and midnight schemes III winch the new
members were made to play the role OF
jealousy towards the old members, and
the waters were so stirred up by the live
ly fancy of these gentlemen of the press,
but for the gentle hand and soothing
voice Of the only aspirant for the speak
ership, quicting in its caresScs, the new
members would have found themselves
boiling over with wrath kept warm for
them by the representatives. Of the daily
press Of the state, and to this good day,
il the new members had not been calm
I'D by the voice of trained politicians,
they would have believed that rs limbs
they had been led to the slaughter by the
old members, when, perhaps, every one of
them had been entirely free from apprc-
hension of unfair treatment by the old
members, and some Of them even yet.
fclicitate themselves that while the con
spiracy did exist the conspirators, tax
ing measure of the ,mpressiycncss
of the pew members, faltcrcd and
backed on. at the last moment,
leaving the uneXccutcd plot as the only
memory Of conspiracy that the old
members were bent upon accomplishing,
according 10 the sensation created on
that subject,
Again, the hotel Hobbies present the
spectacle of scething mass of politi
clans secretly laying plans to control the
next canvass, wherein stalwart politi-
elan and Il modest banker are made to
play the most important roles in the DO.
litical drama Of the future. These two
gentlemen happen To b.. neighbors, and.
unfortunately, they halted in hotel lob
by long enough 10 discuss the probability
of the cold snap lasting long enough TO
kill couple OF pigs that each of them
have been feeding for their special de.
location. but Il kccn-eycd newspaper cor
respondent caught sight of them and inn
mediatcly they are arraycd before the
public rs midnight conSpirators discuss
ing the relative good that would result TO
each OF them in the event Il certain man
should be the standard bearer of the
democracy in the campaign two years
hence. Verify, verify. IL "Mahomct does
not come TO the moutain the mountain
will go 10 Mahomet;" verify, if there is
nothing TO write about, the genius of the
Austin scribe will supply the deficiency
from an imagination rs prolific rs mos
quitces in the summer solsticc. 1t is a
poor newspaper man that can't make
news il he can't find news ready-madc.
and what is the difference, after all. the
public are interested, and before they
find out that they have been interested in
the baseleSs fragment of cultivated inn
aginntiou some genuine news pops up
that keeps the interest of the reader on
the "qui viye."