San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-03-08
Capt. Broadbent's Interview.

Capt. G. G. Broad hent, of Del
Rio, recently visited San Antonio,
and was interviewed by the Ex-
press upon the question of Mr..
Ogden's call. In this interview
Capt. Broadbent straddles both
sides of the controversy, but is
quoted as favorable to Mr.. Ogden.
In letter to Mr.. T. B. johnson, of
the LIGHT, the Captain made quite
q different statement. He says:
"The convention did not elect a
chairman for the executive COM
mittee. My recollection Is that as
San Antonio was the central point
OF the district and the center from
which the campaign should be
directed, it seemed to be generally
understood that the Bexar county
members should control the man.
agement. / think this was the
impression Of the country delegates,
tho 1 am positive no motion was
made to that end, hence no entry
on the minutes"
Capt. B. evidences in his inter-
view his alarm over what he
calls discussions, and his de-
sire not to be positive about any of
the facts. The truth is, the rea-
sons that there was no chairman
selected, were pertinent to the
character Of the campaign; both
factions Of tho party had united,
for the purpose Of complete har-
mony; two republican state tickets
were In the field. To have elected a
chairman Of either faction would
have disturbed the harmony of the
Twelfth district, and the old chair
men, Messrs. Lindner and Hoefling
were left undisturbed, and logically
were the only authority that could
call convention, unless the ex-
ecutive committee had assem- bled
and settled the question. III that
had been done, there would in all
probability have been general acqui-
csc snce. Each Der of the COM
mittee had the equal right to call
convention. hence there might
have been fourteen calls, and the
importance of fixing the authority
was OF the first Importance.
The Noonan campaign commit
tee ceased as soon as the election
was over and dissolved, and have
never been called together since.
Mr.. Ogden was chairman Of that
committee, and nothing more. The
district committee has never been
organized by the election OF officers,
or called together in any way to
decide matters pertaining to the
pending campaign.
Mr.. Ogden's assumption of the
functions of the craftsmanship Of
the district, as well as the powers
OF the committee, necessitated in
voking the only apparent and by
all usage proper authority, to call
convention, the joint chairmen,
who called the Noonan convention
thereby insuring harmony and
regularity.
1t is to be regretted that the dis
trict has got into this tangle, but
when understood, twill not in the
least disturb the harmony of re-
publicans. The fierce battle which
is raging over presidential candi-
dates will pass over and leave us
in good humor.
The prospect is that the Austin
convention will break up in a row.
The reform republican state con-
vention at Houston on the Goth of
April will place before the people
party capable of self respect, and
self restraint. The Twelfth dis
trict is too intelligent not to APP
preciate the situation, and will not
be slow to express a preference for
that party. Hence the Importance
of showing, in our call for a dis
trict convention, that it is made
without sectional divisions. Had
our friends over the districtlunder-
stood all this, there would never
have been a Fredericksburg con-
xranffOn