New-York tribune., 1879-05-24
cans as thieves. In Galveston was told by cor

leans as thieves In Galveston was told bv cor
tain offce-bolders that Davis was an impractcabla
leader-tba; he had disrupted the party; that he
had f0olIshy gone To the GTeenbac and
that he had no influence save with the neoroes.
and / wanted to ask him some direct questions
as TO his course last Fall. | found a tall thin
gentleman Of commanding presence sharp strong
features, keen eyes and iTon-may hair--evdently
q man of force and nerve, and of firm convictions
He presented me 20 his wife, who expressed delight
to SEQ n Northern X publican. and 70 bis son,
handsome young man in school uniform. lie
spoke with ease aud earncstness.
what Is the condition Of the Republican parry
in Texas7" asked.
1--WE are in q hopeless minority. We have about
10000 votes and tho Democrats Outnumber us by
nearly 100000"
yet even your small minority divided last Fall"
"Very foollshly. | was chairman of the state
Committee, and after correspondence with nearly
all the prominent Republicans in the state, founl
the sentiment strongly ia favor Of holding no con-
yention and joining Greenbackcrs as the only
way to strike the Democracy an effective blow. l
Issued a circular advising this course. Then Gen.
eral Norton, the Dallas Postmaster, and fow
other Federal offceholders held convention and
put up ticket. 1t got about 10000 votes aud the
voters back into the Democratic party who had
INTENDED supporting the Greenback ticket"
at seemed queer to us in the North however, that
while we were fighting the fat-money heresy you
you should join hands with it In Texas"
Few of the men who were in the National party
here were rag-money men. They used il as a cover
to get away from the Democracy. l regarded it
simply as an opposition party combating the ar
r0gant intoerant Democracy, and for this reason
thOught we should JON forces with II. lheTe rs no
chance for Republican party in Texas I'LL we DIS
lntegrate the Democracy aud that can only be done
by some movement not calling ltse1 hepuDlcah.
POOR PROSPECT FOR REPUBLCANIsM.
"Then you counsel temporary abandonment OF
the Republican organization III Texas"
Decidedly. Ny opinion is that we should hold
no State Convention next year, and send no del
egatos to the Presidential Convention"
THAT may be a wise course, looking 10 future re-
suits III Texas; but the excitement OF fhe Presl-
Dental canvass VIII spread 10 your stare ana II
Won and your friends send no delegates TO the
National Convention and put up no electoral ucket,
other Republicans OF less influence and less right TO
lead viii move IN the natter,
The Ex-Governor admitted that this could not be
prevented, and said that he had not fully made up
bis mind yet as TO the course he should take. he
was hopeless, however. of any present good from
Repub can effort in Texas.
Are Won not getting large reinforcement OF
Republican voters every year by Northern lninil-
grafton r. | inquired.
mo: most of them vote the Democratic ticket.
They see that 1t would Djure their business and De
unpleasant iOr them socially to be RepuDllcans ana
they get on the right side OF their nelghbors at the
start by voting with them Inc pressure IL 100
strong for then. 70 resist"
"How does it happen that YOU nave such heice
and intOlerant Democracy here
a liter the war the Union sentiment, which was
i'm a majority before 1861, for yOu know leNas
was forced out OF the Union, began to reasse-t IT.
self; but negro suffrage threw a large humDei OF
s..4.. fI.. A.
we cot a big wave of immigration nom Jhe Ola
Slave States-hOt-be2ded young men, bitterly nos,
tile 10 the Government for the most part many OF
whom were Obliged TO leave their old homes ny 'ne
proceedings against the Ku klux. For several years
our state was the refuge OF the laWle.s ugsPeiMe
and disconteBted element OF the wh0ie south. tns y
element gave new zone 10 OuI POi'A"s' ""'0" ~
has not yet Outgr0wn." .-,. .,
'IIow many Republicans are IN your LegisaluIe'
"Only five or SIX. believe. Ihey come eitner
from the sugar district the lower ETazoS or rom
the Red River Counties IN the Northeast, ana aIo
elected by negro votes. Wherever tnere - llo
Saiisst 6reiexf the Democrats unseat Republicans.
Including the Greebbackers and independents, the
whole opposition force IN both houses Is less tnan
twenty" ..,.,..n.. p.,rrlioan
"AIe the negroes still faithful 70 the hopu'i'''"
Universally. If allowed free ballot they would
be lust as s0lidly with us as they were lheula'0S
after TecOnstruc ton" . -, to..o- %
the Federal appontees in Texas, many OF ~hohl, nc
said were Democrats appointed at the instance OF
the Democratic members Of Congress lh0se Wno
were RepnbIicaus were as a rule, men of no merit
He made an exception in favor OF the new Collector
at Galveston whO he SAID, was an old Cniolst ana
a filst-rate man, who deserved much 3eIter piace
Than ne had got Ii Is no wonder that DAVIS fees
little sore that his advice should never be asked
about Texas appointments, and that hls brave
leadership of the Republican party snouu DC ioi. -,
gotten at Washington, and men without IecoiI ni
a name taken up Us representative Texan kepnDh1,
cans to give advice and receive Office IL Is l.tto
~ L. ". :.