The Reformer (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 5, Ed. 1, Saturday, July 15, 1871 Page: 1 of 4
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VOL. 1.
AUSTIN TEXAS JULY 15 1871.
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Tlic Political Situation "y Senator
Morgan 0. Hamilton
REPUBLICANS OF TjSXlS :
Lot us pause in our
headlong
ctmrso and nscur.tain it )OssibIu
whither w uro 1 lifting. Wo are
yot in the first half of the four years
term for which the Chief Magistrate
was chosen under the rov Constitu-
tion of the State ;and find ourselveR
confronted on all sides by the evi-
denui'H of tninniahagement (rf public
alfuirs and general discontent How
is this ? tye took charge of the
government .iintler uery .iavoralile
circumstances haying a large ma-
jority iq both houses of the Legisla-
ture with . scarce! any debt and
nearly half u million of dollars in
the Treasnry.
This. is not the place to consider
fully the causes or the means of
aveiting the perils which menace up.
Some of the causes lie so openly
up'tn the mufactt that the blind may
eel them" while others need only be
' named to comm-iud the assent ot all
who are capable of tracing effects to
causes. It is obv.io.us to all that the
.lamentable condition of public af-
fairs is largely duo to the series of
measures inaugurated by the chief
.magistrate on his induction into
- otHoe and which constitute what.
. has been characterized as the "(?rov-
.ernor's policy." I allude to the pro
jection of the f.aiitier fiy 'Stite
' 'troops and at State exp use.. The
oryunizaUun ot a permanent S'tate
military cstub Uhment consisting t.f
''titute (sttard Btserve IXUitia and
Police force;" (he act dutkriziny
itlie Executive to fill ojficzs by ap-
pointment which' are elective under
.the Constitution known as ' thr
EuahUnji Act;" the Printing BilL
jhe -iteyistrction Act arid' tip ally
t'ie scheme of proltmyinj the term of
i!ie present Lu'fislatiire to three years
whi'ii ei'e ted fur only twj years
Wider the (Juutititution.
Tliebo measures seem to have beon
considered necessary to the perpelu-
ntiou of the liepu lieun parly in
power but they have well nigh
.eviwhed the I fe lie of it. Tln-y
w r i iu no sense demanded by thv
exigencies of the public service on
tue contrary have been positively
.inirichievous. besides being exceed-
singly expensive. Some of them
.wore carried through the Legislature
.under the pressure of Executive
patronage anil the appliances of the
.'caucus and par:.y lash and others by
still more questionable methods.
Many other schemes involving
large exp?nditms as -veil as partial
legilatiop grew up incidentally or!
;by desigu under tiie Hystem ot com-
peusation and adjustment which wus
t mud necessary iCto sarry out the
' geue.ral fWitureHof'tiPpolicy marked
'out by th6 administration ; and the
.whole has cuhumated in the com-
.pleto; exhaustiou of the Treasury
itlie prostration of the public .credit
utid the most trightfwljload of ;tax-
tion.
For this state of things the ..rank
nd file" of the party a e only . to
blame if at all for not having re-
buked such measures in their incepi
tion for they have never been cotf-
.'oulted oa any question tfaits both
of the public and of party organi-
sation and management 'Have been
conducted by the officers chosen re-
spectively in the beginning on their
owu motion and for their own ad-
vancement until the safely of the
plirty is imperiled. The authorities
begiu to realise the discontent grow-
ing up iu tliu public mind as -well in
as gut of the party ranks. Already
tho pressiu'o ot public opinion or .the
fear of Copgressi'onal '.interposition
has caused' tno repe 1: of so much of
the election' law of A.ugjist 1870 as
iuhibits the election of .members of
the 42d Congress' prior o November
1872 und would probably cause the
repeal of the remainder of the stat-
utes if the Legislature should bo
convened in extra' session by the
Executive ; for tle election of- the5
I th Legislature is now d.emandtd
ju tones that ought to bo respected.
It is quite immaterial .however
whether (the act referred to bo re-
pealed or not. It is and was from
is inception nun and voiu. it is oi
1 a ni li a
that character of legislation too
w.uicn. does not require tno courts to
pronounce upon its validity. Now
no oho questions that it is proper for
tho Governor to conform to and ob-
serve the rules prescribed for his
action by the Legislature when en-
acted in. good faith uudex the Con-
stitution but when attempts are
made on tho part of bho Legislature
by non-action or by .reyolutionary
acts to defeat or annul any ono of ho
fundamental provisions of tho (Con-
stitution in .respect to elections it
tnen becomes the duty ot the .chief
magistrate flo interpose for the pre-
atTv.ation of tho government other-
wise it might be.dissolved. It is
already d sorganized or will 'be after
NuvdmbiT next if the act of Au-
gust 1870 be respected as .law for
there will then be no legislative de
partment. And if it be' competent
to dispense by act of the Legislature
with a co-ordinato branch of the
government fur .one year why not for
nvo or .ten years-r-noy indefinitely ?
Tno constitutional requirement for
.the election of a'Leiriskture everv
two years is-so clear as to leave no
doubt of the duty of the Executive
in tne absence ottlv of legislative
provision still nioflo imperative does
it become in the .faqe of legislative
iisurparion. "
To tin; end let Republican meet-
ings be held in every cqimty n the
Stato demanding
tfii-Bt Ketreiichmomt in the 'pub-
lic expenditures anil (cform in the
administration of tho government.
Second A general election the
coining Fall as well for members of
the Legislature and all other pfficeis
elective uudt;r;the Const.itutipn.asfor
members of Congress ; aud
T.uird The expression of i firm
but respectful dissent from thos-
who insist upon making tho endorse-
ment of the administration .instead
oi iue iNrttionai platform the test of
Kepublieauism.
Tue general election should' be
ordered by the Executive to be hold-
en at the same time of the Congres-
sional election. Our candidates need
't.ho strength which it would giye
them. Tney will have no very easy
task to achieve a triumph uti tq'r the
(nust favorable) conditions." It is
down-right suicide to put them in
the field with the suspicion resting
upon the public mind that the usur
pations iu the admiuistratio.n are to
be .continued hi defiance of .public
opinion for the nexteiKhteen months
. The enforcement of the obnoxious tractory or recusant pap sucker was
dtatutes named with a continuance to nilve "is head off m the twinkling
of the .present onerous burden of of an eye. All party machinery W..B
taxes made necessary to support in- to bo used to estabiish this powerful
siiiu$ious in partj and employees organization and no effoi t .however
not only useless butoS'ensive to the disreimtable would hi sj tared to
people will leave us witk such a re- accomplish the end. This ring was
cord tht we can never again go be- evidently concocted at Clark's rcsi-
tore" the ..country with any hope of deuce..- ' '
success and shall certainly not de-1 On the arrival of tho two g6ntle-
aerve it if the attempt be made. It men Messrs. Newcomb and .Clark
is not pojsiolein the nature of things sit New Orleans thVy visited the
to carry on thftgovernment upon the oco of the New Orleans llepubli-
scale of .expenditures adopted by the can aud iu conveisation vith ono of
administration. The present rate its editors nominated e'ach other
of taxation will speedily reduce the for Congress. On arrival at Austin
vplue1 oi all unproductive property the promincn.fc members 'of the party
to nothing. If it is the policy of the in and about the Legislature were
adtninistratioa to compel property consulted and sought to be enlisted
owners to disgorgp.as alleged it will into the suheme without with rare
hive tha. ellect surely bur. who will exceptions letting them into the
take jiud carry the property ? secrets thereof. Immediately on ar-
Ydta fev ni'iisy demng'ogues nro rival in Austin (in April) the Grand
using the party hwh J'reely to mako President wrotd a' largonumber of
the measures qfjtho .adinjnistration letters over his"4 official signature as
the platform of the party. It works Grand Preside'nt to prominent color-'
vtU for them probably put it is to ed men in the 3rd district in which
be hoped that Go v.. .'Davis will have he' assailed in the bitterest manner
the good s.cpse to leave tho party Major L. W. Stevenson the efficient
no trammeled by .the weight of his chief of the Fredtfman'si Bureau in
policy. If his administration has Texas for some lime who; had been
been witfe and tho measures' which it compelled to resicn' therefrom be
seems still the'jJuVpose to enforce
are a und' and judicious hecanafford
to wait for tho popular' verdict. If
not it would bo unwise1 to hazzard
the Buoeess of our Candida t-es for.tlo
more gratification ot His Excellency.
If our fVietyjR can cttrry the Statu in
the ijexl election on . 'tho Nivtioniil
phitform we ought to .ho Kutisfied.
j To load it down with IoohI measures
f
oi uouuttui constiiutiouautj; op ro
J priety would finish the dttiilruutiqi
tion
of the pirtv in the State .a'lreadv
so wel.l-advaiiced.
Lettln'.iauthorities be.broi).'ht fiiee
to laco with their constituents once
more. Upon the latter now 'devolves
the salvation of the ltopu.bl.icau party"
ot rexa They should' act witli
yigor and' at once.- ? ' S'
Very respectfully.. ..-
M. C HamiiJW.. -AustinGth
July 1871 y
Report of Committee- Anr!n:cd by
Urand Council U. L. cl A. May
18th 871 to investigate charged
Against'Grand President Jas. P.
Ncwoombo
The President (t' thei&raud Coun-
cil of tfe State of TextuT Jas. P.
jNewcomb has debased tlie'authorit.y
of his liigh nositiou iithi 'made use
of its power to crush oue class of
Itepublicans and build up another:
In orde.r to accomplish his ambitious
ends he tiaff been guilty of unUcrnp'i-
lqus acts aud usurpations whieh. have
.resulted .in destroying to a. great de
cree the efficiency ot this useful
omer and in alienating tue sympa-
thies and .confidence of the inass.oi
its members.
I tie Urand Uotincu was orgnnized
under the now ftitnal on tho xCtli of
May 1870 by choosing a full 'com-'
..t.. . ..X ..Uf .! I. ?
jiumviiii yi oiucoiB ami auuionznig
tho (irand President to appmit an
Executive Committee. During the
lieriod fnira May TGili l80 to Mavj
IGlh 181 'notlimg v;H!ittue tout'tf
upk interest in the League and ex
cept occasional applications from
abroad nothing relatlug to the
(iriand Co.mcil was ever .brought to
the attention of its officers.
In February 1871 :the. Grand
President went to Washington and
while there was the giu-st of W.' T.
Clark member of Congress from the
3rd Texas District and on his return
to Texas the suid Congressman
accompanied the Grand President
and soon altera increment deyelupet
.that proved to be a grand rim; com
bination to control Federal patronaye
in J-l-A.ia uuUbJBUlJg ui upwiirus u
six hundred nlHee-hoidorfy including
Postmasiers and the heads of it
were to consist ot four Congressmen
Clark from the 3rd Newcomb from
the 4th Morrison from tilts 1st and
Malloy from the 2d. The six hun
dred offices- were to bo filled bv
positive aggressive meu and any re-
cause Gen. Clarif threatened to act
with the Democracy in' Oongret.3
against Geu. Howard' in' their porse-'
cutionsTof 'tht officer unless Shv-
eusoa was qiisti.. TV. tho. .honor .f
Gem HoWaro ho it said he would
uot be ijttlViettCed by -such base
threats. But tho Oircumstance.s com-
im to Mr. Steyo.nson's knowieilgo he
.honorably ijrithdrew v.uitutarily.
lriJUt'selott'r8 tho Grand 'pk'si
'dent aitaeke.il Major Stevenson and
urged the ejepdoii of:Giin. Clan;
Numbers of tliese letters Were Bent
to Mr. Steyens.in that he might 'stop
tho action of ijie Grand President
before ho i ad bi-.qk.cn up tho Lcuguo;
which lni would certainly. do should
ho ' persist; aB Gen. Clark" 'was ex-
troiuely unpopular and. positively
distasteful to the masses of the
League A
Major Stevenson visited tha Grand
.President with these papers and
after repeated interviews the. Grantf
President agreed to write Jo' all
partiesto wiiom he ha'd sent these
papers and recall everything stated
Within a week after these promises.
the Grand President urged a colored j
member of t.lm Stain P.Aunnlu
Uui'on League . to cauvass certain
counties of the 3rd district againsY
Major Stevenson and fonMri Clark
win-imy urn mice iiuiiureu.uouars in
advance and authorizing him to draw
tor more money it lie needed' it.
About tl.is tiie Mr. H. C. Hunt
eameto Austiu .from Tyler with a
petition from thirty pcrsous asking
for a charter to organist a League in
'Smith county lion. McD. Lorance
and. Hon. (j-eo. H. Slaughter of the
Stilte Letyislnlnre (t(U lnthr biimr
'' ir' r. .V n . 0
si-pmr v ice i-resiueup ot .the -orrand
Council) and both citizen of.rmith
county called upon the' Grand
President and ihfirmorl .. thai
Oouncll.of over'.fivo.'l undred mom
hers existed. in Smith ;.rv. iuhI
that Mr. Hunt's- -nr'Vetaanfr was" n
factiorwil one and w.ootd to fd to
uisorgaiuxe me party. iNotwitli-
standing tho protest of these legisla-
tors ot the Governor the .Atiorne
Gjneral ami of all the olh"cM of
the Grand Council then in Austin
some fi;ve Mr. Newcomb vith n
stroke of his pen wiped out the
Council in existence so far as he
could do so and chartered the fac-
tional element. A petition was then
circulated calling on the Grand
President to call a meeting of 'the
Grind Council which petition was
'i-ijrned by a quorum of the officers
and twenty-nine others. TIub peti-
tion the Giand President refused to
look at but when tho medting as-
sembled' had his rebel clerks posted
on the steps of the State House ad-
vising all coiners not to at' end -tin
meeting as it"' was -against Mr. New-
comb. .At.that meeting a resolution' was
passed to hold a. Convention the 1st
Mouday in July to re-organize tin
Grand Council in time to be effective
iu the coming campaign next Octo-
ber .for ;-he election of OonuriMsmen
litis meeting war j)r'nili'd.over by
the senior Grand Vice President
and opened with prayer by the
Chaplain. The Corresponding and
Recording Secretaries and Treasurer
were .participants making five pres-
ent outjof eight 'fficers.
Brothers arose 'in every part of the
houo c uftplaining of tho decay ot
the League in thr respective "sec-
tions until this Congressional excite-
ment arose when sim litr usurpations
to the Smith countv affair were on
acted among them. On the.se re-
presontations'.a motion to susjiond
the Grand President and apjibint.H1
committee of investigation. was car-'
ried almost unanimously. This
meeting took place in the dnate
Chamber May ISth. '
Immediately after his suspension
ho proceeded jtp 'appoint ah Execu-
tive Committed had' that committee
meet in hiaprivato' oific6 on t.hb'23'rd
of May ami; there proc'oodfcd to sua-
jiehd iho officers who had acted' with
tho' meeting of tbti Grand' Council
and1 called upon these officers to
StUtc on the 25th of May to. answer
uicuu in uiu vuuiuiriutu room ui me
c
I)
ureelltl
Senator Gainea'r.o theichair :.' Wherfi.
j .upon the KUNpewled Griirid President
nf a .rio.tous nmnnerjbacktl. by i.
J." Fountain: ..llnvm. 'nf -frnVi'ralna
chu.rg"s. At the houinajped thero."
1)01112 about 125 persons tireBunt.'the'L
g yas orirunizedrjy . ctiiifiisr
llarn-jnd'fouV-o.fiye -otlieffiiVipro- '"'-r " ' v i i
ceeded to bx(UtptlA meeting -by J$V ' '". ' ; ' V.
viplcnca. The1 ox-reBidonU struck.. '. 5 't ? - --i '
the Gra'ud Ti-easurer Mi .. the t face
fUHjitulted Serhitcn; Hull With aword ' '
bayonet and drove manVotit of tho
.HaU by the violeucp oftiiself and. t
CoinpaniquH lr. Fouutaii. drew id '; '
pistol 'and stated that they ".cariw'v . ..- -there
determmei to shoot i"iny ohe:- ''1
who attempted to? j.nterjfejre- witKf
their control of the iue'etinor: rpKJ
brotliera pfesehVBelbg jJeSpealilyln-
dined of course jet th&.aljr'ora in
this disgraceful movemetitlufi'o.lrBlr
way. This action was brought) about
by the suspended Grand. President
in order to' replace himself. . . '.
Since the above Clio; jnost high
handed acta of Murpatijbn lia've been-' '
perpetrated by this sUspetide'iKofficeiv
and' Ji'ia allies: iroinir eoratarv of
t3tat his position .affords him. many
l;ttr" .t.yi"ea. .to .m.wieau .epuitlt- .
caW. Vlle.lias td'tallyMlild to k'eep''1
hiswoi;d' tp Mr. Blev'Cnson and'i e Ja'll'
uisutijust lettert jjuis.tiystemati-
caTly pre!ened ifieiribe'rs of the '" '.
Union League" nitJlibr;pgislatUroJ -
from meetui'! by-.clb8i32theiiowri-
doora iipou themv after ;th'e. rooms ..
were opeped by' authority of" the : '
presiding officers of the Legislat.urV
tic has closed the doors ptf cyery .
public 0building in. Austin against-
jtavl&'ubuly ;orgapi2l'd Council' 6'f '
thePKion League ofV'Trairis countv
and has ftflughU to orgahizd a Coun- .
Ml auidiigh uotbiiouscolorcd llemo-'
.nitic tools ;andJ(elia3ioatedW tSi tlft U
ailfgctionw-uoliiceisotPtthV U'tnoa:'4 $&&Si
League by giving them tho' sigiih ' $JP
and password without their having
been iiiiti.ited or obligated. This'
.vaa done in the Geological room on
L'uesday night Juue Gth or there-
iboitts he hav.ng given these bigns
grips and passwords to Jacob Ramey.
Wm. Uisher and otiiers not mem-
bera of any CUhcii of the Union"
League. "
These are only itl'cid'e.irfs 6f many
deeds' of this unscriipulous dema-
goguer Odd unlesd; ' tHe National'
Jiatid Council takes it in hand the.
tiarty will' be totally disorganized in
he ;State for Without the Union'
Lnime there can be no efficient
party. .
me policy of Mr. Newcomb as a .
State officer has been to put rebels
in official position upon the theory
that Re ublicans are Republicans in
spite of themselves arid' if vo build
ip our enemies tiny top will be
nth us and all ( will follow these
ilficials in their foolish usurpaYions.
lis Chief Clerk" n an avowed rebel
vh nerved through tne war in the '
ebel army amljiis plhor employees
are unknown' in the party' while
some of them arc not' citizens of the V
United States!
Yonr otnm'itteo would therefore .
ecommend tlia't the (?rand re&i-"
lent J itmes P. Nt-wcoiub bo1 per-" -manently
s'uspendedir . . lV.
s D. W.. RuniiEy
P. W. Hall
W. B. Moore;
Committeo of luvestigatiun.
When General Howard was on;
he'C'ongYea'ibn'al rack .Gem. Clark'
jaiil'o to the rescue of his old com-
i fade in ariilsj with' an energy and'
earnestness that should endear him
to his fronds of right and' justice .-r
IVasfdnytofi Ntw Era.
The above' is a" falsehood in t6xt:'
add.spirit. Gen! Clark tll'reateried''
r work' in' Congress" against GeriefaV
tloward uhlbtb" that' pfflVor would
lisuiiss Mvijbr L' W. .BWitofionWum
nis jios'ltion'in Teias iu? age'rit of the'
L"re'edtu(.'ii's Uhre'au:' Major' Bldvent"
rton resignOd upoii receiving pioof di
this infamous prop'oBition;
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Moore, William B. & Cassidy, James B. The Reformer (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 5, Ed. 1, Saturday, July 15, 1871, newspaper, July 15, 1871; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth78475/m1/1/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.