Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-16
CAMPAIGN CHARGES
Made Against Mr.. Hogg by the Capitol
Contractors.
What # is Alleged Mr.. Hogg Did as Mem
Der of the Capitol Building
Board.
Houston Post.

Houston Post.
CHICAGO, ILL, June lS--The First
and Fourth congressional districts have
been in the throes of primary election
to-day, to send delegates TO the conven-
ton to nominate congressman, and 1t
is pretty certain that Abuer Taylor and
George c. Adams Will be renominated.
A week ago the outlook in the First dis
trict was pretty bad for Mr.. Taylor, and
he came over from Washington Monday
to repair damages and put up his
fences, and to-day he stated to the
press correspondent that he was well
pleased with the result. Indeed, Col.
Taylor is we'll pleased with the Republic
eau outlook everywhere, except in
Texas, where he has large land and
cattle interests. When asked about the
Texas gubernatorial race he said the Re-
publicans stood no show, and that he
was taking no interest in it. He knew
two of the Democratic candidates per-
sonaliy, Attorney General Hogg and
Land Commissioner Hail. The men,
tioning of the name OF Mr.. Hogg re-
called the Texas capitol trouble, of
which the Chicago papers were full at
the time, and the correspondent asked
Mr.. Taylor if Mr.. Hogg mad not given
him q great deal of trouble. eyes, sir.
he gave me much unnecessary trouble
about the time l was closing up work and
getting ready to turn over the building
to the state. His attacks would not'haye
made me so sore as they did, had he not
made a rather singular proposition. In
other words, he offered to sell me tract
of land up where he lived, owned, 1 be-
lieve, he said by himself and father-in-
law for $40 900. l thought this very sim
gular, coming as it did from one occupy
ing his position, especially as l thought
the price remarkably high, and great
deal more than the land was worth.
"How did you interpret the offer?''
"Well, interpreted it to mean that
if would buy it he would cease his war
upon me and the building
'FDid you accept the proposition?
"No, didn't want the land. Had no
use for it, but wanted the war to close,
and put him off by telling him ! would
write to Mr.. Farwell, who was in Eu
rope, and submit the proposition to him.
This seemed satisfactory and he ceased
to find fault, until he thought had time
enough to hear from MIR. Farwell, when
he began again. He also wrote Mr.. Mat
lock, our agent and attorney,
offering to sell the land, and
he made q proposition TO Mr..
Bell, who is in the city, and can tell you
all about it. They thought like l did.
that to purchase the laud would silence
Mr.. Hogg. Had it been otherwise he
could have waited q few weeks until the
building was completed and turned over
and then made the offer. As it was, it
appeared to US that he was trying to
force US to buy his silence by taking the
land.
As the question discloses some Sc
crets connected with the building of the
Texas statehouse, the press correspond
ent called on Mr.. Bell, and when Ques-
toned about the affair he said he had
been sent by Mr.. Taylor to Austin to in
vestigate the capitol building and compel
Mr.. Wilke to cure the defects and tear
down and rebuild where the work was
not in st let conformity to the speci6ca-
tions. Shortly after his arrival Mr..
Wilke informed him that he be-
lieved Mr.. Hogg was trying to
blackmail him by compelling him
to buy q tract of land. Mr.. Bell
doubted MIR. Wilkes statement, but
after a week or ten days in Austin, bear
ing Mr.. Hogg's complaints about work
for which there was not even a shadow
of foundation, he began to believe that
Mr.. Wilke was telling the truth. Finally
one day, in Mr.. Hogg's office, he Of
fered to sell Mr.. Bell the tract of land
for $50 200, saying it belonged TO his
father-in-law, whom he wanted 70 move
| down to Austin to live. Mr.. Bell did
not wish to purchase, but Mr.. Hogg,
who persisted in trying to make the sale,
and his urgent and uncalled for COM
| plants about defects in the building,
| that man of MIR. HOgg's intelligence
knew did not exist, excited the suspicion
of Mr. Bell that he was endeavoring to
| force a purchase, and if a sale was made
his opposition would cease. Believing
this, and to end the trouble, Mr.. Bell
says he partially agreed to buy the land
| for his brother, who was to pay $40, -
| 900 cash and the balance, $40 600, on
time, and when this agreement was en-
| tered into Mr.. Hogg's opposition ceased.
Mr.. Bell left Austin before the final &C.
ceptance of the building, and has heard
nothing from Mr.. Hogg since, aud
neither has Mr.. Taylor or Wilke. Mr..
Wilke was seen this afternoon, and
stated that one day in the private office
| of Mr.. Hogg he made him proposition
| to sell him tract of land for S25, 900,
saying: "Wilke, if you buy it, it will
make you both rich and happy. - Wilke
refused, saying he had no use for it, and
no money just then TO invest in land. 1t
was after this refusal, Wilke says, that
Mr.. Hogg commenced to trump up de-
| fects in work that man with ordinary
| intellect knew did not exist. All the
gentlemen mentioned believed Mr.. Hogg
was endeavoring to force them to buy,
and this belief is confirmed by the fact
that after the capitol was accepted by
| the state he made them no furthur offer
| to sell. With the acceptance OF the
capitol, Mr. Hogg's land speculation
| suddenly and inexplicably ceased.