ustxtxb_obs_1980_11_14_50_00024-00000_000.pdf

Postmaster: If undeliverable, send Form 3579 to The Texas Observer, 600 W. 7th, Austin, Texas 78701 the legendary RAW DEAL Steaks, Chops, Chicken open lunch and evenings 605 Sabine, Austin No Reservations Reconsidering, Awed If you think enough of D. J. Reavis to allow him to be a contributing editor, I will have to reconsider his value. The reason I will have to reconsider \(and not, as an initial knee jerk, cancel my subvance column, “If Six Were Nine” [Obs.. Sept. 19]. Hopefully, the piece is as prophetic as it was brilliant. I was awed. Joe K. Crews Dallas Texas Revised Robert Stagner’s article on the Texas Sesquicentennial Commission [Obs., Oct. 3] hit a number of nails squarely on the head. Anyone who has ever visited the Alamo can plainly see that myth looms far larger than fact in the minds of the managers of Texas history. There, Davy Crockett as Hollywood’s John Wayne looms infinitely larger than tawdry fact about fugitives from justice, annexationist fifth columnists, and the like. Sasquatch will, if dominated by the current keepers of the Texas myth, amplify the mystification that diverts us from the problems at hand and their origins. Not all history of Texas currently being written lends itself to this sort of distortion, however. Several social scientists here in San Antonio are digging through the historical record and’finding the fascinating, if not always edifying, other side of the historical coin. The record includes political machines and bossism, land grabs by the railroads at the expense of the state’s educational endowment, public underwriting of private investments, racially and ethnically biased public policy, great banking and commercial family fortunes built upon smuggling and other illicit activities, epidemics, pollution, and union busting. What’s more, most of that started well before the twentieth century began. So, as far as the makers of South Texas go, Dobie missed the mark many of them did “lie, cheat, oppress the weak . . . and backbite.” The record on whether they “discussed respectable 24 NOVEMBER 14, 1980 women” still remains unclear. This research may never get published in Texas, but the work is being done. The many excellent scholars now at work on Texas can go a long way toward clarifying Texas historiography if the Sesquicentennial will open its doors to them. Hats off to Stagner, and let’s hope his comments open minds rather than closing them. John A. Booth San Antonio More fun The Observer always mirrors my gut reaction to political situations almost exactly and you express it so dammed well that I thank you for making life in Texas a little more fun. Troy H. Kitchens Houston Deeply Stupid Regarding “Advance” by Rod Davis in the October 3rd issue, can you seriously characterize defense of an indicted citizen as “legal parlor games”? The depths of your ignorance are now revealed to be in unseemly counterpoise to the heights of your shrillness. Tom R. Doyal Austin To Our Readers: The Observer policy is to run as many letters as possible in each issue. Partly this is because we wish to keep open a two-way communication, and partly because Observer letters are pretty classy. But we’ve been getting these five and six page tomes and there’s just no space for letters that long. So please, try to keep your praiselinsultsljibesl exultations to 400 words or less whenever possible. Anything longer than that we might have to edit for space. Thanks for your help, and keep on writing. Eds. Parisian Charm. Omelette & Champagne Breakfast. Beautiful Crepes. Afternoon Cocktails. Gallant Waiters. Delicious Quiche. Evening Romance. Continental Steaks. Mysterious Women. Famous Pastries. Cognac & Midnight Rendezvous. In short, it’s about everything a great European style restaurant is all about. IheOld Pecan st 310 East 6th St. Austin, Texas IF YOU ARE an occasional reader and would like to receive The Texas Observer regularlyor if you are a subscriber and would like to have a free sample copy or a one-year gift subscription sent to a friend here’s the order form: SEND THE OBSERVER TO name address city state zip this subscription is for myself gift subscription send card in my name sample copy only you may use my name $18 enclosed for a one-year subscription bill me for $18 MY NAME & ADDRESS THE TEXAS OBSERVER 600 W. 7th, Austin, Texas 78701 DiaiOgUe/from page 23