The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-03-26
FROM CHAOS TO LIGHT.
AN Exgeesls OF CONFUSION.
Major John Henry Brown Explains lie
Wants To Comprehend u Ail-No
Pent Up Utiea-The City Is
the Fold Good Ideas.

interview with Maj. John Henry Brown,
who readily responded, when the fol-
lowing conversation occurred in regard
to the pending election FOR mayor;
Interviewer; Why did you not 90 be-
fore the late ward meetings, and the as
aembIage in the court.houseY
Mai. Brown answered: For numer-
GUS reasons. One was that after "a years
sectional alienation in our country i
wanted TO he mayor of the whole poo
pie of the mixed population OF Dallas,
and not of q part, still actuated by n
party zeal that consider antagonistic
TO our business interests, commercial
expansion, manufacturing hopes and
general growth SO largely dependent
upon capital yet to be drawn here. An
other Is, that in ordinary times munich
pal governments, affecting only the
home affairs Of local people, should be
conducted on rigid business principles,
freed Of the barnacles and slnecures
that are so prone TO fasten on the treas
uTy of cities when managed by local
politicians. In my young days the late
venerable Bishop Odin, my friend and
the friend Of my family, presented me
that great work of De Toqueville, the
French statesman and phil 30 her, or
entitled "Democracy In Am, rl,a," and
written after his long visit
TO the United States. / stud
led 1t with the same zeal / had
the works Of Jefferson on human
rights. He discussed the various
phases Of municipal and local govern
ment In this country, pointed out their
danger and gave such clear and lucid
exposition OF tho non-partizan, yet ad
mirable system of town or township
In ltu
tho basis Of security to pure admin
istration, that became thon, and hays
ever remained close and Jealous OBJ
server in that line OF thought, 1t was
lamp to my footsteps In the govern
ment of Indianoa and twice as mayor
of Galveston, and failed not whom ]
entered the council Of Dallas last April.
Besides, IL has not been the Democratic
custom in either the city or county OF
Dallas to nominate. The county re-
fused last year 10 nominate, when there
were Is officers TO elect and 10 caudi-
dates. The city refused when tboro
were 20 officers to elect by the people
or council and 81 candidates. At this
time the mayor is tho only general
officer to elect. ! was, and am, opposed
to thrusting upon the people this de-
parture from our custom, for II years,
and believe such Is the position OF three.
fourths Of the people OF Dallas. l am
willing 10 stand or fall on tho issue.
would. so tar ny In mo lies, elevate
state and national politics on tho plane
of honorable discussion and Official
purity, aud leave local communities,
having a common interest, aud In
daily communion face To face AS neigh.
bOrs, TO manage thoir domestic
affairs AS sensible business men,
1nhhsoa by partisan ontauglonouts
Interviewer then asked: But were
you moi approached by your friends on
thI7 uDioc before the convention
Nalta was slarted2
m ur Brown; 1 answer omphatioally,
I'D. si#! ! never hoard the subject mon.
uO.rd uut once, 40 FAR w / can recall.
and That wHs Ia e Main street car, after
the adiOuyrmoul OF the council, on sat.
utday night, February p, whom MIR. Ed
G. smith 4Wd 30 two other aldermen
and myso. that "Rabbi Sohuh was go-
INK 20 run lot mayor; that he would get
the united Republican and negro vote,
and chat We must hare convention Ia
agree upon 70 man 60 beat him. Onoof
the gcutcmun promptly replied. "If
you do you viii Bet your nominee badly
beaten, because Mo people OF Dallas
duu't uuiivv8 in ward meetings, the
way they have boon conducted IN THIS
city, Anl party politics IN city elec.
Mons" TIE utnHr gentlom0n ass8ntod
10 thia aud asked my opinion. /
answercd ihai ! ne garded such action as
tending to evil ANA wanted none OF 10 In
nine fua isal ever heard on tho
su 'cct ear OBJ utinu WAS published
a. counting from the Cleveland and
huuort7 cluu, assembled for an en-
trtly am ,cu. purpose, aud feeling
suro that ihe l,Dpuhlicaus had no idoa
ui running hpt candidate, thought
that action ill,siYifcd and iil.timed. |
think sp yet but have no bitterness OF
feeling ON thc subject. spprohend
thAt all generous minds viii accord
u n prNtge 10 one whose pOltl-
cal record has boon consist.
eat 70 principle through his
entire manhood, but who draws a broad
distraction lctwoou great national
issues affecting 50,0O0,00O OF people and
the management Ot the domestic AFFAIRS
OF young aud cosmopolitan city like
Dallas, wherein, rs neighbors, all have
aocmmon interest.
luterNieWer' Well, major, some poo.
PIE seem TO assume that you, being an
old citiz0n OF Texas aud much In public
life heretofore, must necessarily be- nsn.
progressive and welded TO old ideas.
what huvo you 70 say on this hoadg
MAJ br0wn; The answer To such a
question, founded In utter ignorance of
my whole career, from b0ardless boy
ON the southwestern frontier of ToNas.
rs one OF the SELF supporting defenders
OF Inc scattered pioneers OF that now
prosperous country, through all the
Nielsitudes OF iarmor, stock-raiAer,
editor, mayor, legislator, state commits.
sloher ON thfe0 eccNsiOns, member of
constitutional conventions, soldier Con
the frontier and in the southern army,
residence In Mexico, travels In Yucca.
tan and the West Indies, followed bV
Two prolonged visits % tho north, study.
Ing their systems of schools and local
government, down TO NV luca-
ton In Dallas, II years ago
aud my course since that time.
An ansly OF that career By suy di.in.
terosted mind, while doubtless SIN wing
many errors OF Judgment that / would
now recall, will exhibit In bod relief
several material facts, without yariablo.
ness or shadow of turning, furnishing a
Key 10 my uniform principles. Pronii.
nent among these IN my course IN tho
legislature In helping TO lay broad and
deep the foundations Of that system
which has chockered the state with rail-.
roads, reclaimed the wilderness, built
up towns and cities and provided that
magnificent endowment Tor universal
free education, unequallOd by any other
state or nation in the worldl NV efforts
IN oil the past years, whether In puhls
life or az private citizen, with my pen,
10 encourage immigration into Texas
nom the cid states and EnrOpOl NV
jealous regard for the rights OF actual
settlers aud laboring men; my opposi.
ton, ~ its first agitation IN the logisla.
ture, to the legislation which suisse
quently wei, nigh provoked areyolu,ion
In the west and northwest against land
monopoly. The hios OF the HFRIIn
viii show that though private citizen
In Dallas, raised tue voice OF warning
ON that subject ~ soun ~ advised of the
measures proposed They will nlso
show that ever a Keen observer In III
shat concerns the development OF Texas
In theissu OF January q, lSS5, seven DAYS
before tue present legislature mot,
Wrote an article urging the subdivision
OF the five giant countles of tho yo,i
into counties of constitutional sizos as
means OF inviting population ana pro-
tecting seekers after homoa and aeinal
49,