The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-10-23
vol III.
REASONS WHY A NEW CONVEN-
TTON SHOULD BE HELD.


As We have IN a former number Of the
STATESMAN expressed our agreement with
the Lampases Disateh, that a new convcn-
tion should be held in this district to review
the nominations heretofore made, We think
it proper for US to give tho grounds Of our
conviction clearly, that no misunderstood
ing may exist In the first place. there is
reason TO believe, from the information
which comes to US from all quarters, that
great disappointment and dissatisfaction
exist all over the district at the result Of
the late convention. Why is this7 The
gentlemen nominated are all men Of good
rcpute and well qualified for the positions
to which they have been nominated. What
then is the troublel It is that the late con-
ycntion did not regard the known wishes of
their constituents in the nominations made
For some time before the meeting
Of the convention there was no one
talked Of for the position Of Senator
but Judge Walker Of Austin. His
name had first been brought before the
public by the Lampasas Dispqtch, that in
Nsietei the frontier counties were unanimous
for him. Three counties, Williamson, Lam
pasas and Burnet, instructed expressly for
him, Il not Blanco, about which we arc un-
certain OF course the people of Travis
were wen satisfied with him, and no ono
else was thought Of for the position. The
convention met at Burnet, and it is con
fessed that, out of thirty-threc delegates,
thirty were ayowedIy for Judge Walker for
Senator And yet, strange to say, no one
would put him in nominf tion, and DIR.
Wcstfall, gentleman never thought of for
the position, was declared the candidate for
the Senate by acclamation Was anything
OF the like ever heard of before? Thirty
delegates out of thirty-three, and half
Of them expressly Instructed for one man,
and yet fail to put his name in nomination,
and declare by acclamation another the can
didate Of the party, when he had never been
talked of for the position. II such things
arc allowed, conventions will justly be held
in contempt. A grosser political outrage
on the people was never heard of before in
the annals Of conventions. But this is not
all BY certain combinations and bargains,
after tho Senatorship was disposed OF, the
Representatives, were apportioned between
Travis aud Williamson, leaving the frontier
counties without any representation. This
was another outrage, The people Of Travis
county never desired such an arrangement.
They wanted the frontier counties repre-
sented. They acknowledged the justice of
their claims. They desire to cultivate the
most friendly relations with them, and the
delegates from this county should have
known it. Large as is the vote
OF Travis, its people would rather
have had the Senator alone than
that such gross injustice should have been
done the frontier counties. They would be
entirely willing to rest their interest with
the representatives Of those counties, from
which comes mainly their best trade. We
insist, then, if the delegates from this
county had any hand in bringing about
result so unjust to our brethren of the
frontier, and 50 injurious to our own best
interests, that they grossly misrepresented
the good people of Travis county. Not one
of the delegates, with whom We have con-
veTsod, seems able to give anything like a
satisfactory explanation of how this unfor-
tunate result was brought about. However
it was, there is time to remedy it and it
should be done II not, we can have no
prospect of success in this dis
trict, strongly Democratic as it is. We say
again, let new convention be ca!lab and
Justice done.
p. S.-Since the above article appeared in
our daily, we understand there are two cr-
rors, which VIC hasten to correct. The
counties recommending Judge Walker for
Senator were the counties of Williamson,
Lampasas and Llano, and not Burnet, MS we
stated Wednesday. Burnet, We are told,
did recommend Dr. WestfalI for the Senate,
though we were under the impression that
he was recommended for the lower house.
The fact, however remains, according to
the statements of delegates, that thirty out
of thirty-three delegates were for Judge
Walker for Senator, and yet they nominated
gentleman. This is the great won
der in the case, and shows that there was
something wrong somewhere, II the from
tier counties can be allowed representa-
tive Of their own selection so as to be salts
fed with the ticket, that is the main thing
to DO considered. We have acted in this
matter from the best motives ana with due
regard to the interests Of the party Ne
wait patiently for. further Developments.