The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-15
THE CAUSES OF THE INCREASE OF
CRIME IN TEXAS.

I mon in the state to rise in their sovereign
majesty and provide some means to
remedy this condition Of affairs Is
obvious. A disposition on the part OF
the best men Of the state to permit pro-
fessionaI political FOUNDERS to take con
trol of the primaries and county conven'
tions and TO send professional Office hold
crs and their satellites to the state con
ycntions is the cause of this increase in
crime 1t gives immunity TO II class OF
lawlcss people who are important to
political aspirants that encourages law
less acts and increases annually the
number Of murders in the state
Until the political machinery of the
dominent party in the state is wrested
from such men, crime will go on increas-
ing until the whole country stands ap,
paIpd at its onOlmity Not only is Texas
credit and Texas financial integrity to be
sustained in all the money centcrs of this
and foreign countries, but if we expect
outside capital and immigration to aid Ill
the development of the vast resources OF
this state, life and limb and security tn
property must be assured
The Statesman has been criticised Tor
pub!isliing the increased number OF muir
dcrs in the state. The Statesman does 1t
70 arouse the honest and peaceful cltl-
IONS Of the state TO the Importance OF
awakening from their lethargy and indlf-
ference and boldly taking hold OF ine
machinery Of the dominant party OF the
state and forcing such legislation as VIII
he A terror TO eyil-doers. AS long as the
dominant party of any state Is permit
ted to be used by politicians for their sole
ACKNOWLEDGMENT there will he large
class of Iawlcss men receiving in some
way immunity from the execution OF the
laws-crimes will be winked at, ana
criminals escape punishment. The demo-
cratic party of this state is the only party
to which the peaceful and law-abldlng
citizens Of the state can look Tor pro-
lection to life, limb and property, and
the pursuit of happiness and unfortu-
natcly the democratic party Of the state
has come to be regarded more as the
private property of Il cabal Of politicians
or a mutual admiration and common
aid society to that class-than party
devoted solely to the interests and up
building Of the state. There have been
thus far in this month nineteen murders
rrnortod in The Statesman alone. This is
an extraordinarily increased list of crime
that well appeal the good citizens OF the
state, and there must be something rot
ten in Denmark" when such things
can be.
1t is time that the democratic party
Vt this state. if necessary, lay aside, put
in allowance, as it were, all national affairs
and the best men of the party take mold
of its political machinery and manage 1t
50 as 10 grind out crime in such enormlty
in this state. 1t is folly to conceal these
rocts ConccalmCnt would be to en-
courage the increase of crime, and if the
democratic party is responsible for TINS
condition of affairs, it is time 1t should
devote all its power to its remedy. There
are sins of omission as well as OF com
mission There is no doubt that the mass
of the democracy in the state is com
posed largely of the best men in it, and
the fault lies in the Indifference of these
good men to party management. They
have been avcrsc to taking active control
of the party machinery from the first
step in the primaries up to the delegates
to the state convention, and therefore pro
fcssional politicians have used the worst
clements in the party to control convel-
tons We see democratic conventions
adopting platforms to which the party
seems perfectly Indifferent. The whole
object and aim seems to be to keep a
certain class of politicians in office or
promote them according to all the strict
rules of army promotions. The demo
cratic party has got to bc the stepping
stone to office simply-that and nothing
more, and has failed to respond to its
high duty of preserving order and peace
in the commonwealth. There is but one
way to remedy the evil and stamp out
the awless class in Texas, and that is by
the protection of the demo-
cratic party from the criminal classes by |
using the party as a means to the end of
good government, and not as a means TO
the end of Il certain set of men holding |
office. ~...