The Dallas Daily Herald

PERSONAL

The Reporter Boldly Speaks.

Denounces the Action of the So-Called Democratic Convention—The True Inwardness of the Thing Is Brought to Light.

The resolution of the convention Saturday reflecting on the veracity of the Reporter is probably something never before heard of. A number of men claiming to represent the Democracy of the county, a party which promises equal rights to all men and which purports to be a party of the people, pledged to protect all men in their rights, in a speech these men censuring and villifying a man or journal because of difference of opinion on a question of policy unworthy only of one of the arbitrary tyrannical governments of the old world.

No one can regret more than the Reporter that this thing has become personal. But we feel that we have been imposed upon and slandered simply because our views do not suit a few men whose pecuniary and selfish interests would be promoted thereby. We came here for a permanent home and we shall remain here so long as it is a free country and truth and justice are at least respected.

We have certain rights and privileges, and by the aid of our own manhood we will maintain our independence or be crushed in the effort.

Who are these fifteen or twenty men who presume to impeach the veracity of the Reporter? First and most conspicuous, are two or three jack-leg lawyers who seem to think it smart statesmanship to abuse their friends and men directly interested about some particular interest—one-idea'd men—and manipulate a primary meeting or convention in the furtherance of their own selfish pecuniary or political ends.

They attack the Reporter because we boldly exposed their unfair work which they expected to ask favor. Our report was correct and impartial; it was the truth which hurt. Then there were the free-grass cattlemen who are interested in keeping the school lands for their exclusive range without a consideration; they, of course, are opposed to the Reporter, and it is very natural that they should desire to impeach this paper among the people of the State where it circulates. Next are the four gamblers and saloon men, who are opposed to the Reporter on general principles; we have always had an abhorrence for the business and presume the dislike is mutual: the Reporter is one paper which will continue to prosper without their patronage; we don't want it have refused it.

Then, there is the loud-mouthed pettifogger, whose good will was lost when this paper refused to aid his little water-forks scheme. Next, there is a sprinkle of Republicanism and Greenbackism, out of place in a Democratic convention; but they of course helped give tone and strength to the feeling against the Reporter for the criticism of the farcical precinct meeting. The Chairman is a good, jolly sort of a fellow, a dry goods clerk who has been in Abilene not long enough to be entitled to a vote. There were several others who were probably not in full sympathy with the predominant spirit. This is the element which captured the primary, and with a majority in the county convention has presumed to reflect on this paper. In response to the expression, the Reporter has this to say:

If this dominant majority had all been fair and honorable men they would not have so outrageously conducted the primary as to merit the just condemnation of the Reporter and all good citizens, including some of the honest men of their own faction.

If they had been fair and just men they would not seek to shield behind the cloak of County Democracy the chief of their number 'K. K. Legett' who is too cowardly to express to us plainly what he has had the convention to intimate by resolution.

Upon the whole, where these men are known, we are satisfied to leave the question with the people; but to the people of the adjoining counties and through the State where their resolution goes as from the Taylor County Democratic convention, we wish to say plainly, that coming from the men who made up the controlling element in that organization, and under the circumstances which prompted the outburst the Reporter would much prefer the condemnation to their praise.

With this we decline to again refer to this matter in print.

Abilene Reporter.