San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-07-13
The REASON WHY.

The Evening Paper Of yesterday COM
plains that the LIGHT does not favor a
state republican convention; charges
that the LIGHT is throwing a tirebrand
into the republican camp by making
personal attack upon }. G. De Gress;
challenges the republcanism OF the
LIGHT; insinuates that its editor does
not know anything about Texas politics;
that he Is not friendly to the republican
party, and so attempts to read him out
of its ranks and silence his voice. The
republicans of this state and county
may have an opportunity to pass upon
these questions later on. 70 the point
at issue; the holding OF state conven-
ton, and the LIGHT's objections thereto.
The Evening Paper says:
The republican state convention has not
been called by Colonel J. G. DE GrCss, but at
the instance of a majority of the state cXCCu-
tive committee.
The.LIGHT directly challenges the truth
of the above extract and calls for the pa
pers. There are thirty-one districts in
this state, and the state executive COM
mittee is formed of the chairman Of these
districts. These district chairmen are
nominated by the district delegates in
caucus assembled, and elected by the
state convention. By reference to the
published proceedings of last state
convention 1t will be seen that only
twenty-five district chaIrmen were
elected, and of these J. G. De Gress was
not one. The present executive COM
mittee of the state is thus composed of
twenty-five active members, and at least
thirteen would be necessary to cOnsti-
tute that Large majority Of the COM
mittee" who favor a state convention,
according to the Evening Paper. We
challenge Mr.. j. c. De Gress to show
the original answers to his enquiries,
concerning the mind of the state execu-
tive committee on this question Of
state convention and state ticket. or
the eleven answers received from the
members Of that committee, five favored
a state convention and ticket. Does the
Evening Paper assert that five is a
"large majority" Of thirty-one; or of
twenty-five; or even OF eleven? Does
not the Evening Paper know that &C.
cording to republican party usage no one
but the chairman of the state executive
committee can call the state convention,
and that the first duty Of the committee
when deprived OF its head Is to provide
itself with new one? Does not the
Evening Paper know that when De
Gress sent out his letters testing the
sense Of the committee as to state con-
vention he also sent out enquiries as to
the choice OF the members for chairman,
and that the answers showed SO conclu-
sively that De Gress was not the choice
Of the committee that the calling of
the committee to complete its organiza
tion was quietly dropped? II the Even
ing Paper does mot know these things It
ought to, before assuming to give les
sons In the political history of the state.
But why this itch to hold conven-
tion just now and put ticket in the field?
Has the state convention always deemed
1t of 80 much importance to maintain the
party organization intact by keeping a
ticket in the field? Why was 1t that dur
ing the years OF republican administra-
ton, with the federal patronage of the
state in their hands, that the Editor Of
the Evening Paper and j. C. Dc Gress
did not agonize to put ticket in the
field? The editor Of the LIGHT Is not
posted in Texas politics, and desiring
information would ask the editor OF the
Evening Paper-Did you not resist and
oppose the nomination Of state officers
by the republican party at Austin in
1878? Did you not favor the greenback
ticket that year, and did not Colonel