The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-03-10
JOHN HENRY BROWN
n THE CANVASS FOR MAYOR.
artisan Nominations for Municipal ON.
sss Not Necessary or Desirable-A
Review Of Local Politics with
Some Comparisons.

Kb you as well as myself compels me to
\ Iddress you. 1t is duty demanded by
Shlnhood, self-respect and good faith to
atIhe men of all parties, nationaltties and
tsbursuits, at whose solicitation, several
-Ikeeks ago, and often repeated, became
d kcandidate for mayor | did so, as l
e presume other gentlemen did, in the
Utmost good faith and belief that the
utlection for mayor, as heretofore in
y tearly every instance, would be lett to
y lhe people without ward meetings or
+ barty nominations. But it now seems
pbtherwise. a call W as published on the
7thorning Of the Sth inst. by a Demo-
otratic committee, ordering ward meet
,lIngs to be held on the night of the llth
2lnext Wednesday, to nominate candi-
tfIates for alderman and school director
sln each ward and to send delegates to
yIiGy convention to nominate candi-
i Hate for mayor. | have found but two
NImen in the city who knew such COM
}. |mittee existed until this question was
Eprung, as no nominations have been
!. made or conventions held for several
J. Years. 1t appears, however, that
I In March three years ago
: ufuCu u WAS appointed
but such committees, in all parties, are
4 Iappointed to serve rom one election to
!, IsnOther, which, in our city aifairs,is one
! wear. Why pass the election Of 1888,
: vwhen the same officers were to be
! Ieected as now, without action? But
4 more especially why pass the election of
UApril, 1884, when every officer of the
4 Iclty, excepting the mayor, was to be
!. Ichosen, ana when we were on the eve of
; both the state and presidential elections,
! and there was every inducemenU for
. Uparty organization? After the commit
lee has been, by all party custom, ex-
Etnct Tor two years. and SO acknowledged
ubvits nOn-actiOn in the two last elec-
Itions, the last being the most Important
Ein its extent ever held in the city, why
UshOuld this step be taken, at this eev-
Zenith hour, when but one of the eight
| Igeneral officers is TO be elected? Ii NAV
be that dread OF seeing repeated the
Iscenes of various night ward meetings
Ion former occasions unduly influences
Inv Judgment, but / am unable to re-
Iaize the justice or wisdom OF this course
lin this solitary case, the second attempt
/ 10 nominate Candidate for mayor in IL
( Iyears.
) II 1t is a fact also that, at the several
I ELECTIONS held i'll 1875 and 1876, when the
y = -
: UlS9 and in 1883, when he was elected
: Ifor two years, and in tho special election
: IOf 1850, there was no convention nor
\ Nomination, yet, excepting during a
: upart of 1880, we had q Democratic
Imayor all that time. In the special cleo.
, Ution OF 1881 Is found the only nomination
ISuCe 1874, ii years ago, and that was
; Iuui er circumstances not likely ever TO
J6ccur again.
l Then why should this step be taken
InOw, when only mayor and one alder
I Imam from eacn ward are 10 be elected?
/. IWhy seek 10 make our school directors
Ipartizan OIL GERS, when the chief object
, LOT making them elective by the people,
Twas to divorce our school system from
, municipal politics and relegate its man
. Iagement to non-salaried, honorable citi-
! IEens, specially selected by the people for
. Ithatpurpose? And why wait till snum-
: Der of candidates have been tor weeks
: publicly before the people, in good faith,
II Soliciting support without dreaming of a
+ IcOnventionl Under the foregoing facts,
n covering IL years, who could expect
e ouch course in this solitary instance?
y For one, did not. On the contrary, I
vas for months warmly solicited by
Earge numbers of men of both leading
= Elartles, OF both colors, and by large
o
II Become candidate, aud only consented
d Iwhen satisfied that such was the wish
e IOl majority of the people. | was graf
5 lied at such marks of good will from
Z Imen of different pursuits, parties and
Z InatiOnalities, but have made entangling
= ALLIANCES with 10 man or set OF men,
Z Esayug to all that If elected, my whole
7 Imind and time should be devoted to an
! Impartial discharge of the duties OF the
Ioilice aud TO promoting the welfare OF
I The whole people Of Dallas.
/ II Certain facts are deeply impressed on
Emy mind, and must be more OF
Z Hess SO upon all who have been
, Istudents of municipal history. Among
, these is the admitted truth that the
Inumberless corruptions which have
I Iarisen in American cities have almost
Invariably arisen under party admins
ytratiOns, and so ilourished until ar.
vrested by an uprising of the people in
Ie.ecting nOn-partiSan tickets. New
Vlork, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Chi
veago, ST. Louis, Cincinnati, San Fran
Ieisco, Buffalo, Cleveland, Boston, aud
humorous other cities have vindicated
this assertion, and some Of them, like
San Francisco, several different times.
The wisest and best men IN America
Recognize this fact, and the ablest and
EtNAN1t AAANu IA bNbil lNlhlNH las tohHAutI
~. lilden, David Dudley Field and
Charles O'Connor, in New York; have
Iunltai in rescuiug the people from such
IeNis, The tendency Of the American
Imlnh to-day IN toward reform in ad
mnlstratiun in national and state, ~
IWell as municipal affairs. Every utter.
ance OF president or governor in favor
Oh conservatism aud a return to honest
unconstitutional methods, is hailed by
good mon with joy. Thounnatural con.
aton OF tho country, growing out oil
he war; is virtually ended, and is being
superseded by an era OF good teellnl
aud national brotherhood. For one,
would not willingly intorpose pebble
IN the march of that loug.hoped for ten
Igency i CanvasSod this district in the
ozark days OF 1871 and 1872, when many
Jeiused to stand forth, urging
lhat the return Of tho Demo
crauc party 20 power meant peace
Igoad government and reconciliation
throughout the land. To-day 1t Is fact
nrealized by 55J000,OlO freemen.
reluctantly entered the city council
ast April, having NJ every election for
IiV, years, declined the solicitation oil
FRIENDS, sometime, 10 run for the coun
ISili and at others, for the mnyoralty
ISlnce entering the council have dill
gently sought To do my whole duty
ling;
To have the charter and city laws in
.elligibly compiled and published fol-
me lnlsrmatiOn of the people. IL has
loeen done In its entirety for the frs
Time since the original charter wa,
GRANTED.
To have copied from thousands OF
pages of manuscript journals, ali reso
buttons affecting the rights OF person anC
properly, ana nave them recorded In
book and thoroughly indexed, A work q
fnestimable value, now nearly com.
Eletod.
l To have the thousands of papers, III,
accumulation OF 10 years, in the score
Esry's ONCE In promiscuols packages
thoroughly arranged, labeled and in
iexed, which vast labor is approaching
completion.
10 have all the journals, laws and res,
lutions, past, present and future, prop.
"A.