Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 17, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 6, 1898 Page: 2 of 16
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THE SOUTHERN MERCURY.
October 6, 1898.
right at the start. Why don't you
bring out or support Populist or inde-
pendent candidates for the Legisla-
ture?
"Under Bayers' new system of taxa-
tion as set out in his Tyler speech, of
which you should have a copy, if you
start a factory you will pay tax on the
factory and then on the stock ind
bonds of the factory, so It will be tax-
ing the same thing three times. This
la not equal and uniform taxation', or
good business or good Democracy. It
is taxing the borse and also the picture
of :fce l.or&e.
"The cheapest detective system and
the best detective system the people
coul<t liavc would be a libel law that
would lei a newspaper suffer if it lied,
but would pay a reasonable attorneys'
fee ior it in a suit against it for libel,
if it proved charges of malfeasance,
or misfeasance in public officials. An
independent people and a fearless
press go a long ways towards preserv-
ing good government.
"Will Mr. Bayers say that he is in
favor of a libel that will give tho
newspapers of Texas a chance to tell
the truth on a public official? Readers
of newspapers have a right to know
what public servants are doing and
how they are doing it. With private
citizens they have no concern. It is
with their hired men. Eastern papers
are making a National issue of that
$lu,100 haul. It was such a wee bit of
a raid on the United States treasury
that Texas should be excused on its
size.
For carrying on economical, honest
government. In a mercantile partner-
ship. whtn you catch the big partners
eating u pall the profits, or running
the business in the ground, you dis-
solve it. When the big ostrich is in
danger, it hides its head,. when the
Democratic ring of Texas gets in dan-
ger, it gets a new head and ties the
feet of the new bird and gives the
same old fellows the leading strings.
If you don't believe it, look at the cam-
paign committee. If you don't believe
it, read Bayers' endorsement of the
Austin doings. Any man can examine
for himself the fresh coon tracks. Why
should any business man, unless he
has a political contract, support the
Texas Democracy? Don't they squan-
der your occupation taxes on political
favorites, who render no service? Are
you not under a solemn obligation to
see the school fund properly admin-
istered, or do you repudiate this ob-
ligation? Is it not your business to
study this question of .high freight
rates and a boycott of ships from your
coast and a practical remedy for it?
Do you believe In Mr. Sayers' proposi-
tion to loan the school fund to other
States, and thus contract the circulat-
ing edium In Texas? Dou you know
that when it is all in, the permanent
school fund will amount to one hun-
dred millions? Do you know that the
sovereign States Mr. Sayers wants to
loan it to, can't be made to pay it
back? Do you know that his plan
would contract more than free silver
would expand the currency
in Texas? You say you
leave that to the politicians. Some of
them never run a 100-acre farm, a pea-
nut stand, or shipped a carload of
freight, or swapped horses three times
In their lives. You are shirking.
"I am not as much stuck on being
your servant at Austin, as I am on
seeing you get rid of your bosses. Did
you read Col. Stephen Darden's letter?
He was a Democrat of the old school.
Your governor replied to him in a
hurry. If the Lord is a Bryan Demo-
crat, as claimed by Sayers in his fam-
ous Tyler speech, then the Lord have
mercy on the soul of our great gover-
nor, O. M. Roberts, for he died out of
the faith! For forty years he served
the people well, and died poor, for he
held up neither corporations nor the
school fund. In his last days, he
wrote me a letter saying I was right
in my mudsiller letters, and some of
the little country editors abused that
grand old man, and yet with him dead,
I would rather have his approbation
than that of many living men. We will
get back to honest, economical govern-
ment in Texas and stay there, or our
children or grandchildren will wish
to God they had never been born in
the flesh. Mine can stand it if yours
can. Your candidate for governor even
refuses to say if he will veto that fee
of $10,100. Why? These leaders
count on such a large majority in
Texas that they do not consider it nec-
essary to do any more than cuss Pop-
ulists in an off year, and Republicans
in a presidential year and to see that
the county officers grease the machine.
Chilton, the only Texas man, whom
Sayers mentioned the famous $10,100
to, says that Kearby, Evan Jones and
every man who has gone up against
the machine has retired with rheuma-
tism. This was said to make you
shake in your boots, to strengthen
your political cowardice and keep you
in subjection. I am not hungry for, or
boot-licking you for your votes, but do
something to serve notice that you are
not foot balls for purse-proud, reckless
politicians. Elect an opposition Legis-
lature, if you have out no candidate,
you can put one out by October 10, and
elect him. You can do quick and ef-
fective work. If the opposition element
In Texas will get together by October
10th, fifty thousand collar Democrats
will secretly vote the ticket to rebuke
the strange things being done in the
name of Dmocracy. Exhibit your pow-
er and see your so-called servants
shake in their boots instead of making
you shake. Contact with dynamite af-
ter one explosion, makes a powerful
careful man. Why don't the mer-
chants, the farmers, the doctors and
the mechanics take more interest in
issues and government details and less
in party, and help administer the great
trust confided to them? Why don't you
raise up an army of corn-bread and
bacon speakers who will divide time
only with corn-bread and bacon speak-
ers on the opposite side? The great
speakers, Patrick Henry and Demos-
thenes, talked to forest trees and
tombstones until they got the hang of
it. I would about as soon talk to an
audience of tombstones as to a peo-
ple who are afraid to talk or vote as
they think. You can shorten the
weight of your groceries or the meas-
ure of your cloth and then not make
money as fast as too high freights or
political extravagance will take it out
The administration of public affairs
needs your attention worse than I need
your votes. The business men and far-
mers can take up this fight and make
it or let It alone. It is no more my
fight than yours. You can see your
neighbors; I can't."
About That Hogg Tee,
Ex-State Comptroller Stephen H.
Darden, writes the following letter to
the Dallas News, giving a complete
history of that $101,113.27 claim
against the Federal government. A
perusal of the letter and the subjoined
statement of Gov. Culberson of Sept.
26, proves even to superficial and un-
thinking minds that the collection of
the claim and the $10,100 fee to Hogg
was a job, concocted by Culberson
Sayers and Hogg to put $10,100 of un-
earned money into the pocket of the
great Tyler joss. And every unbiased
man in Texas, knows in his heart the
conditions stipulated by the parties to
the contract, and must feel the weight
of shame that the State labors under
due to the recreancy and dishonesty
of her high officials. "Public office is
a public trust." In Texas it is treated
by her officials as a private snap.
Though small the amount involved,
compared to similar raids on the pub-
lic funds, this contract, morally
speaking, is the crowning infamy of
the Tyler gang. Sayers in Washing-
ton told the Republican chairman of
the committee on claims that it was
an uncontested balance in favor of
Texas. It now develops that it was a
contested balance, and on the word
of both Governor Culberson and Comp-
troller Darden, the amount was $56,-
000, instead of $101,000. Mr. Darden
says the contract must be a joke. On
the contrary, the people have made it
a very live issue; and Culberson, Say-
ers and Hogg were not joking when
they made the contract. There was
$10,100 for one of them; a governor-
ship for another; and a six-years sen-
atorship for the third party to the
contract. Crane could not have been
nominated with the combination that
was made against him, and Jester and
Wynne were never seriously in the
race. All the power that money could
bring to bear, flanked by the most
shameful bribery of voters, was
brought to bear in Mr. Sayers' cause;
and he stands to-day, the candidate
of money, of rich syndicates seeking
special favors at the hands of the State
and National governments, of unholy
political combinations, of wholesale
bribery of the voters, for the highest
position in the gift of the people of
Texas—chief magistrate of one of the
greatest States in the American Union.
The following is Mr. Darden's history
of the claim and "the joke" practiced
on the plain, honest people of Texas:
Wharton, Tex., Sept. 24.—I notice
that the payment into the State treas-
ury by Governor Culberson of $101,-
113.27 has elicited considerable corres-
pondence and comment, and, much as
has been said<and written, there are
facts in connection with the history of
that fund which have not been
brought to light. At this I am some-
what'surprised, as it is a matter that
has been prominently before the pub-
lic at different times for the last twen-
ty-eight years.
For a more perfect understanding
of the subject let us look back and note
the public debt of the Republic of
Texas, which was computed at face
value something over $10,000,000. Tex-
as when she declared her independence
and organized a provisional govern-
ment was without a dollar, without an
army or navy, without munitions or
supplies of any kind, and but for the
timely assistance of earnest and sin-
Faith jnHooiTs1
The Croat Cures by Hood's Stria*
parilla Are Indeed Marvelous.
"My husband suffered with stomach
trouble so bad at times he could not work.
He has taken Hood's Sarsaparilla and it is
helping him wonderfully. He also had a
scrofulous humor but Hood's Sarsaparilla
cured this and he has had no trouble
with it since. My little boy, too, has been
taking Hood's Sarsaparilla and it has
given him a good appetite. We have great
faith in Hood's Sarsaparilla." MBS. J. H.
Edwards, 60 Edinburg St., Rochester,
New York. Be sure to get Hood's because
Uam#I'a Sarsa-
nooa s paruia
Is the best — in fact the One True Blood Purifier.
Sold by all druggists. 91; six for $5.
HnnH'c Dille are tbe best after-dinner
IlOOCl S fills piiis. aid digestion, w
cere friends her struggle for indepen-
dence would certainly have been
doubtful. Notwithstanding the most
rigid economy was observed in the ad-
ministration of the government in all
its departments, civil and military, but
little, if any, progress was made in li-
quidating the public debt during her
existence as a Republic.
When Texas became one of the
States of the United States her finan-
cial condition was but little improved
until the Federal government agreed
to pay her $10,000,000 for the territory
of New Mexico, $5,000,000 of which
was to be retained by the government
to be applied to the payment of the
public debt of the Republic. With the
scaling to which the debt was to be
subjected the creditors generally were
not satisfied and more especially dis-
satisfied were those who held claims
for which the customs house revenues
had been pledged, and they determined
to hold, if possible, the United States
responsible for their payment.
The United States thus became in-
terested in the adjustment and pay-
ment of the public debt of the Republic
and submitted a proposition to Texas
to pay $2,750,000 indemnity, principal-
ly for expenditures for the protection
of her frontier since the admission into
the Union. This proposition, although
regarded as liberal, was upon condi-
tion that the money should remain
with the Federal government and with
the $5,000,000 first alluded to be applied
to the payment of the public debt; a
balance was not contemplated.
This proposition was discussed be-
fore the people of the State in 1855 in
the canvass for election of members
to the Legislature. A bill was intro-
duced in the Sixth Legislature, 1855-
56, known as the public debt bill, by
the provisions of. which the above al-
luded to proposition was accepted.
Upon the -passage of the bill the Leg-
islature was very nearly equally divid-
ed, the Senate voting in favor by a
majority of one. I was a member of
the House, favored the bill and voted
for it. It was the construction gen-
erally placed upon it that neither the
Federal government nor the State of
Texas could ever be entitled to any
part of the fund thus set apart to the
creditors of the Republic of Texas.
Payments were promptly made from
the sum thus set apart until all of the
accredited claims presented were paid,
when it developed that there was a
balance, and then the question was,
what of the balance? What disposition
should be made of It? Although nel-
p
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Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 17, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 6, 1898, newspaper, October 6, 1898; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth185773/m1/2/?rotate=180: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .