The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-05-07
CHARGES THAT HIS COMMITTEES
ACTION MEANS TO TURN TEN
AS OVER TO THE "NATION-
AL FREE SILVER PARTY
ALL DEMOCRATS KEEP our OF THE PRIMARIES.
Them n Snare for Both Free Silver
and Sound Money Democrats-A
Magnificent Letter.

The following letter from Governor
last night, with a request from him fol
its immediate publication. 1t is herewith
fully reproduced and will be found most
excellent reading:
Marble Falls, Tex, May 5.-(Special.)
- To the Democrats of Texas
In my address to the public, which was
published in the Austin Statesman of the
18th of last month, the object sought to
be obtained was announced in the first
sentence, which was the harmony of the
Democratic party to the extent necessary
to enable that party to retain control Of
the Texas state government. 1t was at
tempted to be shown how that could be
done by adhering to the well established
rules for the organization of the party.
That was by state Democratic conven-
ton or conventions in which both wings
of the party should be represented, ac-
cording to their relative strength, through
the action of the county conventions and
primary meetings, as heretofore prac-
ticed. BY that means the state conven-
ton at Austin on the 23rd of June next
could appoint delegates in the usual way
by congressional districts, to represent
che Texas Democracy of both wings in
the national Democratic convention ut
Chicago on the 18th day of July next, and
appoint presidential electors (before, how
ever, it could be known what man they
should vote for as q candidate for prcsi-
dent, the object Of which will be seen
further on. And by that means the NOM
ination of candidates for state offices
could be made by the state convention at
Fort Worth on the 18th of August in a
way to harmonic the Democratic party
in this state by the time-honorcd two
thirds rule. which rule was adopted and
has been perpetuated for the purpose
of giving n respectable minority in the
convention such an influence in the nom
nation of officers as would prevent them
from boiling, as it is called, by which the
party would be divided into separate fac
tons. In that address | gave such Il de-
scripton of the plan of organization as
provided by the Dudley Texas state cX-
ecutive committee, adopted at Austin on
the 9th of February last, as showed that
it would not accomplish such harmony,
but would leave the two wings of the
party in such hostile contention over Il
Federal measure of finance as would pre-
vent their cooperation in the nominal
ton of candidates for state Offices. Sub
sequent public occurrences have verified
the view then presented by me, as to what
would be the result of that plan so pre-
scribed by said committee of IL to 10.
If that committee had done those things
only, that it was implicitly authorized to
do by its appointment under the custom
and usage of the Democratic party in its
machinery of organization, it would have
done for the state of Texas just what the
national Democratic executive commit
tee, headed by it's chairman, w. +. Har-
rity, did at Washington City on the 10th
of January last for the Democracy of the
United States which would have been
to have fixed the times and places of the
meeting of the two state conventions with
the ratio of representation in them, and
to have invited all Democrats of the state
cess of the party by their cooperation.
implied by their appointment, rs plainly
as though it had been written in Il com
mission and delivered to them 10y the con-
vention that appointed them. Every
other item in the plan prescribed was an
unauthorized innovation that whether de-
signed or not. was calculated to produce
the opposite of harmony of any kind in
the party.
If they had confined their action to
their authorized powers it would have