Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-18
SLY MARION MARTIN.


Hon. Marion Martins latest utterance
Is curiosity IN the way Of politicsl liter
allure, and is susceptible Of varied deflni-
tions. Ostensibly it is reply to the COM
mittee appointed to notify him Of his
nomination BY the convention at Waco IS
the Prohibition candidate for Governor Of
Texas. THE GAzETTK learns, in an in
formal way, that the Prohibitionists are
satisfied with the letter. Mr.. Boynton,
secretary of the state executive committee
OF the Prohibition party says it is in effect
an acceptance and as such is eminently
satisfactory. DR.. Crsrfiu takes similar
view of 1t. Dohoney hasn't been heard
from, but If the Cranflu wing is satisfied
Dohoney must needs be satisfied too.
And yet, as q matter Of fact, Mr.. Martin
does not, in this letter, accept the Prohi-
bition nomination in that frank and out
spoken, glsd-to.get-it tone that usually
characterizes letters Of acceptance.
1t may be definite enough for Cranfill and
his party, but would not fill the bill with
Democrats or Republicans, who want q
man to say yes or no when he is rendered
q nomination. Boiled down, Mr.. Mar
tins letter Gao far as the third party pros
are concerned) means just this: ~ am
one Of you and with you. For reasons
not necessary to mention I can't write
you positive acceptance. You will un-
derstand. But go ahead and vote for me.
II am elected I will provo to be the
man you want and are looking for. If l
am beaten you haven't lost anything"
This Is about the gu ostance Of 1t IS THE
GAZETTE construes 1t, and 1t looks as
though the Prohibitionists understand
Martin and are going to take him at his
word. But the letter WAS written to have
wider scope than the narrow confines
of the Prohibition camp. 1t is IN reality
an appeal to every element opposed to
the Democratic party first-clsss nu-
cleus for fusion ticket-one that third
party Prohibitionists, Union Lsborites and
Republicans can all unite on and sup
port II they want to-beat the Demo-
cratic party. And the most subtle and
significant feature of the document is in
the claim made by the writer that he is a
Democrat-a consistent Democrat-that
all good and true Democrats favor prohi-
bition IS police regulation. Reading
between the lines one msy see that Mr..
Martin has visions Of disgruntled, humil-
lated Democrats put outside the Demo-
cratic camp By q heart Of oak plank.
These votes must 60 to somebody, and
who more naturally than Martin? We
may do the "Swamp Fox Of Navarro" in
justice, but 1t does look wonderfully like
he has evolved comprehensive scheme
to put himself at the head OF Q miscells-
neous movement which he hopes will
prove strong enough to triumph at the
polls in November, make him, Governor
Of Texas, and that. too, without commit
ting him to the tenets or platform OF any
particular party. Wait few days
until the "non- political" convention
Of farmers, laboring men, and
wsge- earners meets at Waco and
then # is possible the next act in this
play, with Marion Martin as
the star, will be presented. Forewarned
is foresrmed, and all these things FORE
warn the Democracy of Texas to stand
shoulder to shoulder, unified and in her-
mony, to meet the assault that will be
made all along the line in November.