The Evening Light

Facts, Fancies and Gibberygosh.

Editor Evening Light:

I have within the past fortnight looked in upon the proceedings of three county caucuses; and in each instance discovered that the "Old Machine" was working as smoothly as of yore.

The caucus of to-day is but a stereotyped edition of those of the past--almost as much so in the personnel of the members as in the text of the proceedings. Each town (for the country has but little concern in the matter) has its fugelman, and its eight or ten professional delegates; these assemble, fix the shibboleth, and the slavish populace are forced into line--not once imagining that they are obeying the edicts of a tyrant more ruthless than the worst of the Caesars.

In one instance a young lawyer, apparently just out of his swaddling clothes, moved that the chairman appoint the delegates to the Galveston convention. What would old Tom Jefferson say to such pseudo democrats were he present in the flesh? True democracy has been well defined as the antithesis of "one man power;" but here we find the boasted democracy employing the practices found only in the despot's rule.

Another young member was the son of an old republican office-holder, and as he was about the most intelligent bourbon that I had ever encountered, I could but reflect that from his earliest childhood up to a very recent date he had drawn his sustenance from the "radical" crib. It is a very bad bird that befouls its own nest. A few of the old professionals about the coast bear a secret grudge against Ireland; but so apparent is the fact that he will receive the nomination that they choke down their rising choler, and while refusing to instruct for Ireland affect to welcome his advancement. This leaves them free to stab the sage of Seguin in the back at Galveston should opportunity offer, or to assist in swelling the vivas that hail his triumphs; or, in other words, they hunt with the hound and run with the hare. My vote will go to Ireland, not by reason of his nomination, but in spite of it, and such, I imagine, will be the case with a good many thinking men.

I am glad Colonel Newcomb has been made postmaster at San Antonio, for heretofore a letter literally had to run the gauntlet in passing that aggregation of official chaos. The management of the postoffice in the first city of the state should be sans reproche, as under the new regime it will be. If I was a citizen of the Alamo City, as I hope to be ere long, I would urge the claims of two of your worthy townsmen to political preferment--General Young for congress and Colonel W. L. Thompson for the state senate. Upson will be decapitated by the two-edged sword, "tariff for revenue only," unless the congressional district convention formulates a platform of principles in direct conflict with the state and national--a species of political harlotry by no means rare in the record of the bastard offspring of a noble mother. Such a conflict existed in 1876 between the national platform promulgated at St. Louis and that of the state. Under such circumstances democrats ought to be allowed the latitude allowed by the old showman: "You pays your money and you takes your choice." But such is not the case; they have but one candidate to choose from; and, as the Roman soldiers laid their oaths upon the golden eagle, so must the caucus democrat pronounce psalms to the dog-collar.

V. R.
Kemper City, Texas.