Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-11-02
GIRO ~ L A R.
DALLAS, Texas, Oct. "a, 1872.

Guy,n signed Dy NUMBER OF clizenS,re
heclipg with consde rable severity upoI
our action in tho loto Mansfield Convcn
tion. Many oftbe siguers Of this commu
nication nre our personal friends, md W
know them to be just and honorable men
and feel conscious that they have been in
duced to sign this communication without
having the facts fully before them bu
having tho facts distorted by designing
individuals who look forward to o certain
approaching election for reciprocal tavors
These signers say, "and let convention
know that the voice Of the people must b.
regarded" We propose to submit thu
facts and let on impartial public judg'
and condemn those who attempted to sti
fe and disregard the voice Of tho people
in this contest.
II will be remembered that county
convention was called for the purpose ol
appointing delegates to the Mckinney nnt
: Mansfield Conventions, and select the
candidates for the various county offices
In order that no one Precinct should wield
an undue influence in o general mass
ing, it was thought expedisnt that eacl
Precinct should have an equal represcn-
tation regardless Of the number of voters
in the Precinct, and that the whole matter
should be referred back to primary meet
ings to be held in each precinct. 1t was
agreed that each Precinct should be enti.
tied to ten delegates, and that these dele
gates should meet at Dallas on the 9th
Of July, and make nominations for the
various county Offices, and appoint dele
gates to the Mckinney and Mansfield Con-
yentions. Several of the Precincts in their
primary meetings instructed their dele
gates to vote for certain gentlemen to
represent them in the various Offices. Tho
most of the delegates come to the Dallas
Convention with instructions direct from
the people. The Lancaster Precinct (Capt.
Guy's,) instructed her delegates to vote
for Capt. Guy for representative in the
Legislature; in fact nearly all Of the Pre-.
cincts had expressed q preference for
Capt. Bower for District Attorney. Up
to The day of the assembling Of the Dallas
Convention, the only candidates for the
office of District Attorney were Captain
Bower, of Dallas, Capt. Hanna of Tar
rant and Geo. N. Aldridge, Esq, of Ellis.
After the Convention was called to or
der Capt. Bower and Mr.. Aldridge with.
drew from the contest, and Capt. Guy and
Mai. Ault came forward and declared
themselves to be candidates for District
Attorney. Now the people had not ex-
pressed any preference for either of these
last named gentlemen, Except for Capt.
Guy for:the Legislature.) After the voice
of the:people had been heard in regard to
county officers and for the Legislature,
each Precinct claimed the right to select
their own delegates to the Mckinney and
Mansfield Conventions. 1t will be kept
in mind that this was no mass-meeting Of
the people, but only meeting ofthe SER
wants of the people-some there with spe-
cifc instructions from their respective
Precincts, others there without instruc-
tions. Those instructed were responsible
to their respective Precincts, aud their re =
spective Precincts only for disobedience
Of their instructions, and those uninstruct-
ed were responsible to their own Precincts.
The convention did not assume to appoint
the delegates to these conventions, but
each Precinct selected its own delegates,
and the convention selected delegate at
large for the county.
During the convention Capt. Guy, know
ing that most of the delegates who had
been instructed to vote for Capt. Bower,
were favoring him, taking advantage of
the personal friendship of these delegates
now left uninstructed by the withdraw
al of Capt. Bower-very ungenerously, as
we think, proposed that the Convention
then and there should instruct the dele
gates to the Mansfield Convention. Maj.
Aults friends opposed this On the grounds
that it was Convention Of the Precincts
and not mass. meeting, and the Preci ncts
being equals, one Precinct could not in
struct the other; that the delegates were
Precinct delegates selected by their re-
spective Precincts, and should be left free
to reflect the sentiment of their respec-
tive precincts, to which alone they were
responsible, and moved TO refer the mat
ter back to the sovereign people, who alon e
had the right to decide this matter. Did
Capt. Guy accede 10 this? No; they vot-
ed il down. 1t is true some Of his friends
saw the Justice of this proposition, and
voted, with Maj. Aults friends, to refer it
10 the people.
Ault and friends thought it just and
right that the voice of the whole people
should be heard, and their wishes consult
ed. Now, who were attempting to stife
the voice Of the people? Was it Captain
Guy or Major Ault? We leave it to the
rejecting and candid mind to determine.
But in this boast Of Capt. Guy, about vio-
lating instructions, the old adage of "the
greatest criminal is the first to turn State
evidence" is clearly demonstrated.
The District Convention met at Mans
field ON the 18th of Augustine two.
thirds rule was adopted with but one dis
senting voice, and the names of Captain
Guy, Capt. Hanna, of Ft Worth, and Maj.
Ault we're placed in nomination. On the
first ballot Dallas went solid for Guy-ll
votes. Ellis gave Guy eight-ninths of one
vote and Ault 10. Tarrant gave
Hanna 9. Hanna's name was then with
drawn, and ourselves and J. NJ. Spillers
changed our votes to Ault and continued
TO vo 70 for him Except Stemmons, who voted
for Hanna as long as II. had any hope)
until he was declared the nominee of the
convention by acclamation without word
of dissent.
We thought then and think now that.we
did our duty, and fully complied with the
instructions by voting for Capt. Guy once.
This might have been different If he had
had any prospect Of nomination. But il
was apparent, even before the convention
was called To order, that he could not be
nominated. Sixteen and two thirds votes
we're required to make a nomination, aud
IL from Dallas, 8 from Tarrant and eight
ninths Of one from Ellis we're al he could
have gotten under any circumstances,
making only IA and eight-ninths. And
the only result of our continuing to vote
for him would have been the defeat OF
both. Could we have expected or desired
to sacrifice our individual choice under
such circumstances, with no hope OF Sc
curing the nomination Of Capt. Guy2
The memorable Mckinney Convention
had Just adiourned--ohoice Of the peo-
pie defeatsd by the strange adherency 10
the weaker man. Was this TO be re-en-
acted at Mansfield and q compromise man
TO be brought forward, As 10 Captain
Guys reply to this communication, so far
as il relates to us, we will merely say that
although making due allowance for the
hasty expressions Of one smarting uni
defeat yet his language is not such as 10
merit our attention.
With this statement, embracing the facts
/ in the case, we ask the county TO say who
go