Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-04

only made upon Mai. Stratton'e veracity,
but also his politics. / wish that some
OF the good people around Bedford
could have seen that good christian gen
tleman as ne sat by my side to. night and
told me Of his early life.--how in A ID.
1861 he entered the Confederate army a.
a lieutenant; how he was aiterwArd
transferred TO Forests command, and
at the battle of Shiloh, although a mere
boy, he was promoted ON the battle field
10 the position of captain In Col.
Rewsome's regiment which was the
Nineteeth Tennessee, 80 familiar to all
Tennesseeans; that how he was the frst
TO bring 20 Texas soldiers 10000 stand
o. arms and one million cartridges across
the Mississippi when they were so badly
needed; then how he had full control
OF all the prlsonefs captured at Fort
Pillar; how In short time afterward,
upon the battle field in, as he thought, de-
Tense OF his country, lost his leg
how, before 1t was known that he had
lost limb, he was promoted to the posi-
ton OF major, how he had conducted
himself since the war, how he had always
advocated the principles Of Dsmocracyi
then for one Of the Bowlins to have
either questioned his Democracy or bis
veracity you would have thought the
proposition preposterous.
| may sometime iokingly have said
that / would swap "Jno. F.,n my
brother, off for a vote for Car
lock- This could only have been a
Joke, for l would not swap my vote on
any Of the candidates under any coneid-
Grafton. went into the convention, am
Democrat, and propose to vote the
whole ticket. l think the ticket good
one / believe that all the candidates
upon the Democratic ticket will make
honest and efficient officers.
may have said, II not say 1t now,
that It would be better for this county, so
far as enforcing the law is concerned, to
elect Carlock for county attorney
II one OF the others had
to be defeated than to elect
my brother for county clerk. While
thought the people, for their own con.
yenlence and for the protection of their
matters, which are so often complicated
In the clerks office, needed a man who
was familiar with every detail Of the
office, able and qualified to at all times
attend 70 their business, still at the same
time they needed more a prosecuting at
torney, for the protection not only Of
their property, but the lives OF our citi-
zens, as well as 60 enforce all laws upon
the statute books.
When Mr.. Bowlln, a year and a half
ago, attempted to close gambling In Fort
Worth, there was no man who encouraged
him more than |, aud many are the times,
when he was assailed by my friends or
enemies for doing what l conceived to be
his duty, have taken mis- part. ! appre.
ciated his position, for when /, as city at.
saffh 10 nftu 1ftat a Ia "a
me, closed up gambling and selling
whisky on Sunday, knew what task
he had before him. While was attempt
ing to do my duty as city attorney, from
whal place did receive the
most encouragement outside of Fort
FORTH 1t was from the vicinity OF Bed
ford. Many an honest farmer from that
community during my struggles came
and took Inc by the hand and said "You
are doing right, Bedford country is with
you.n ! said when he did right / was
willing to encourage him. How success
full he has been in reference TO closing
gambling, ! do not know, but have IL
from good authority that now, Just before
his election is to take place, gambling is
running as IL sees proper, no attempt
being made 10 close them. Even
that most dangerous of games, "keno,"
understand is running in full blast.
understand further, that gambling mas
been running all the year and he has
never stopped IT, Then, If this Is true,
1t is time for me to withdraw that part of
the defense have always made for him.
II he Is now allowing the gamblers to
run with the expectation Of getting their
votes and then closing them up after
wards, he is not acting honestly by the
gamblers. II he knows they are now rum
ming and is making no effort to stop them,
he is moi acting honestly by his constitu-
ency.
The above are not the reasons why l
object so strenuously to the election of
Mr.. Bowlin In the first place, he has
done more to array class preiudices than
any man Ia this county, eX
cept Ross. Secondly, he has made more
Misrepresentation of the Democratic
party than any man In the county except
Ross. He has done more to get the peo-
Pile In the country to get down on the
people in the town than any man in the
county except Ross. He has done more
to bring himself in disrepute with his own
profession than any mau in the state, not
excepting his brother Ross.
These are only political reasons. A
to be engulfed In the most serious trouble
that any city in this state has ever ex-
perlenced Of like nature; when our oil
GERS who were only doing their duty
were like dogs shot down by cowardly
assassins who, as am sorry to say IL,
were members OF the Knights OF Labor.
Yet to the credit of the majority of the
members OF that order in this city, be IL
said, they opposed such lawlessness.
There are many who sympathized with IT.,
and those so far as l have been able to
learn, are the supporters OF Mr.. Bowlin.
You find me man who Is indicted with
reference TO that strike, and I'll show you
one, il there is the least shadow of case
against him, who is to-day supporting
the Bowlins for county attorney. 1t Is
said upon reliable authority that they
have said they thought II very doubtful
whether or not the murderers of the
lamented Dick Townsend would ever be
convicted; that the officers had done
very badly. Yo1 know that the strike
was participated in by men, all
OF whom without an exception,
are his supporters to-day. An
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