San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-11-20
Our San Antonio Letter.
SAY ANTONIO. Nov, Is, '8I.


EDITOR FREE Pass Since the
smoke Of the election has cleared
away il il now in order for me u
give the result in this county.
1t will here DO remembered that
the regular Democratic nominees met
with strong opposition from u mum
Der OF local political lights who styled
themselves the committee OF one
hundred, and formulated a ticket OF
their own called the peoples ticket
To the surprise Of everyone, the IN
dependent or peoples party elected
almost their entire ticket; only u
remnant of tho nominees remained
to tell the tale, in the persons OF Jose
Cassiano, tax collector, and Oscar
Berg strom for the legislature, the
latter gentleman probably owing his
election to workingman's organiza-
tisn which endorsed him prior to the
meeting Of the county convention.
Many assert, (though ! fail to SEQ
it), that this Wholesale defeat OF the
democratic nominees will eventually
prove beneficial to the party, because
1t will then refrain from nominating
men who are not qualified for the
place or not acceptable to the peo-
pie. Again, it is demonstrated to
the candidate that O nomination is
not equivalent to an election.
1t cannot be denied that there was
some packing Of the convention, but
did you ever see in place the size
of San Antonio that conventions were
not to some extent "packed T Look
at Galveston, there has not been q
thoroughly harmonious county con.
vention held there since the war ;
yet Galveston has none of the mixed
element to contend with we have
here. On o low estimate we have
fifteen hundred Mexican voters in
Bexar county, majority of whom
don't vote, but are o0ted.
John M. Claiborne, late chairman
of the Democratic State Executive
Committee, was nominated in Gal
weston for sheriff, yet he only receiv-
four-hundred votes out of six thous-
and. That veteran legislator from
the Island city, II. j. Labatt, was
q nominee, yet he was showed under
by over one hundred votes, by an in
dependent.
If the people had displayed one
half the energy and determination at
the precinct meetings that that they
exhibited at the polls, they could
then and there have defeated the OBJ
jectionable candidates and put forth
those of their own choice 1t would
have been infinitely better for the
party, because this Wholesale defeat
of their nominees serves to bring the
party into contempt.
- 1 hold there should be no nomina-
tions for county officers, but let every
man run on his own merits, and be
he white or black, democratic or re-
publican; if he is good and compe-
tent man let him hold the office.
County officers are our 'home linen"
80 let us wash it to suit ourselves re-
gardless of politics.
There are few counties in the State
that nominate county officers, and it
is to be hoped that Bexar county
will discontinue it. Where every as
pirant for Office is supposed to be
known and has personal following;
to try and bind the voter by party
only serves as an induce
ment for him to break the party
ranks. As partial result of the cleo
ton in this county, Judge Noonan
was reelected district Judge over Sen
ator Houston, who will return to the
Senate, as he drew II long term in
the 18th legislature.
Oscar Bergstrom and w. L. Thomp.
son is a member of the House, the
the latter gentleman prominent
candidate for Speaker. G. S. Wurz-
bach is elected county Judge.
Now that it il definitely settled
that Cleveland is elected, speculative
minds are indulging in the pastime
of figuring to see who shall hold the
fat federal offices in this neck of the
woods. So far as have been able to
learn there is likely to be but ono
change, and that is a postmaster,
which we are sadly in need Of Eve
ry one comedies that the way in which
the San Antonio z. o. is managed is
a disgrace to the department.
E. b. Turner, the federal Judge, is
very popular with the attorneys of
this bar and will likely hold his own
in any contest that may arise.
U. S. Marshall Gosling is the best
known man in West Texas and proves
the right man in the right place,
while Jack Evans, United States dis
trict attorney goes for the scalps of
the Federal office-holders with such