The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-07-31
HON. A. S. FISHER.
HIS PLEDGE TO JUDGE GLAssgOGK
CONDITIONAL. HIS VIEWS UP
ON PUBLIC MEASURES
AT the joint Discussion in
Georgetown Friday the 18th
"A Comprehensive Speech.

/
Gentlemen and Fellow citizens of Williamson ,
county.
BY agreement between Judge Glass
cock and myself, we will address you
to-day upon certain issues that are
pending between US, for the purpose
of placing ourselves properly before
you as candidates for senatorial hon
ors from this, the twenty-fourth sena-
torial district.
1t was not my intention nor desire
to make any speeches before the pri-
mary meetings of Williamson county,
but having been called upon repeat
eddy by Judge Glasscock to meet him
IN debate, and because of certain mis-
understandings as to my position, l
think it would be nothing but right
and proper that l should lay before
you, the people of this county, the po-
sltlon occupy, that you may not mis-
construe 1t. In order to do this, | |
propose to state first, how it is that |
L am before you as candidate for |
office in opposition to Judge Glass
cock. 1t having been currently
reported that L have pledged myself |
to support him, shall begin by MAX
| which occurred between him and my
self, and the pressure that was brought
to bear upon me to make the race for
senator of this district:
In April, shortly after my return
from the frontier district courts, l
met Judge Glasscock upon the streets
| of this town, near Mr.. Makemson's
residence, when he was in conversa-
ton with Mr.. Makemson and Mr.
Strange. AS came up. UNDERSTOOD
Judge GlaSScock to say to those gen
tlemen that he was a candidate
for the senatorship of this district,
and as l passed by made the remark,
Judge, you are rounding them up,
are you" and he said, eyes; am just
from Austin" 1 had passed on by
some Jew steps when Judge Glass
cock called to me and said he wanted
to speak to me, and he and l walked
off some fifty steps. [ stopped and he
said: "Are you a candidate for the
senate?" replied, II am not; 1 do
not want the office" He asked: "Do
you expect to be candidate for the
senator" and 1 replied, 81 do not. l
do not want it, as it would require
a sacrifice of my business inter
ests to accept nomination that do
not desire to make" Judge Glasscock
then asked me if would support him.
1 replied, Judge if you are nominated
1 Will support you with pleasure" L
told him [ did not think he would re-
ceive the nomination. He asked me
why, and l told him 1 had just re-
ceived a letter from Mr.. Ward, of
Burnet county, that he would be a
candidate, and thought some one
from Travis would receive the nomi-
nation, and Judge Terrell would, in
all probability, be the nominee. Judge
Glasscock said he (Judge TerrelD could
not afford to be a candidate, having
proclaimed from the floor of the SEN
ate, and to him, that he would not be
d candidate. [ replied, "you know
that if the people of this district de-
mand Terrells services he will run,
because he will consider that demand
as higher obligation than nything
he had said to you; and he said: "Let
him come out, and I will show him
up in his true colorS, and [ will OPP
pose him."
About this time Mr.. Strange came
up, (and l allude to this because Judge
Glasscock has letter from Mr..
Strange which, without this explana-
ton, may place me in a false position, J
and when Mr.. Strange had passed us
a short distance, Judge Glasscock
asked him to stop, and then said to
me: "And you will not run ?" and /
replied, NO." and he said, "You will
support me, then ?" and [ said, 81 will,
as l have stated" That is the pur-
port of the conversation between us.
: A day or two subsequent to the
above convention, Major Leseur called
me into Col. Coffee's Office saying that
he wanted to interview me, and he
said, "are you candidate for the
senate" and said Il am not" lie
then asked "will you be candidate
not" and he then asked me if l would
support Glasscock. 1 replied, eff he
is nominated 1 will"
Fellow citizehs, L have told not
only Judge Glasscock, but many
others in this county, great many of
whom see before me, that [ was not
candidate for the Office of senator,
that l did not desire to become a can
didate. And reiterate to you to-day,
fellow citizens, that when l consult
my own interest and personal feelings
l do not wish to represent any people
in the legislative halls of this state,
because 1 think it is requiring of me
too great personal and financial sacri-
flee to give up my practice and neg
lect my business, situated as / now
am. Then the question recurs, why am
l before you? 1 will give you nv
reasons. Because gentleman from
this county, from Burnett county, from
Travis county-and if you wish their
names, can give the names of hun
dred of them now-came to me from
day to day and urged me to become a
candidate for the senate, and l told
those who approached me that 1 did
not want the Office, and some of those
| gentlemen then became little out of
humor with me and said, two years
| ago when you were a candidate for
| judge of the court of appeals, this
county and Burnett county supported
you, and now when we demand your
| service you have no right as a demo-
| GRAFT to refuse to serve the people, and
they then said, if we nominate you
will you serve? and finally said, if
you nominate me, 1 will serve you.
And, fellow-citizens, if you nominate
me for justice of this precinct, 1 will
serve you, because l will always re-
spect the demand of the democratic
party of this state. Col. Coffee, Mr..
Price and other gentlemen, will tell
you that my name was announced as a |
candidate before [ knew anything of |
it. I did not know that my name had |
been placed before this people for sena-
tor Of this district until paper was
shown me containing my announce
ment, which had been put there with
out my knowledge. That is the posi-
ton l am placed in exactly. And l
say here to-day that if the people of
this district do not want me, if the
people of my county do not wish me
to serve them, all they have to do is
on the day of the primary election
to say so: In accepting the office l
would do so merely as yielding to
what l believe to be my duty believ-
ing that no person has the right when
called upon by a majority of his fell
low citizens to refuse their desire.
Now the question is why 1 suffered
my name to be used after telling
Glasscock that would not be can
didate. have no explanations. At
the time I had the CONVEX
5ation with Judge Glasscock, 1 ;
had no idea that the people
Of this district wanted me TO serve
them, having just returned home af- {
5er long absence, not being posted ,
1t the time as to what seemed to be :