San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-07-09
CLOSE UP THE RANKS.

In recent letter to leading repub-
| lican of the city, Judge Noonan, with
his usual conservatism and good
sense 9ounsels the coming together
of all ranks and classes and divisions
and subdivisions of the republican
party in this country. in order that a
solid front may be presented to
whatever opposition may arise and
the strength of the party be exerted
as a. unit. OF the wisdom of this ad-
vice there is no question. That it
should be needed is equally apparent
That there is not the least reason I'M
der the sun for the present conten-
lions in the party in Bexar county is
also plain as pike staff. The sole di-
vision seems to be over the matter of
who is really the county chairman.
The contention is raised by those who
have not affiliated with the party for
years, and it is well to take little
stock in contentious thus raised. San
Antonio is the centre of republicanism
for this Twelfth district, and to her
will the western counties of the dis
trict look for that unity and oneness
of counsel, council and action, under
the direction of which the continued
supremacy of the Republican party in
this west is to be assured. There is
TO doubt that the fight of this fall,
for the control of this congressional
district is to be hard one. All the
available forces of the republicans
in the vast district enclosed, and now
represented by Judge Noonan, must
be called into active exercise if the
victory is to be ours. Many things
that were in favor of the republican
candidate two years ago are not turn
ing that way now, chief among them
the fatal dissensions in the democrat
ic ranks over the nomination by
which Tom Paschal was turned down
after only one term of congress.
True, there are several things that ia
vOr the republican party now that did
not favor them two years since. Not
the least of these is the fact that q
republican congressman has been ell
ected, and what has been can be
done again. Then, Judge NOOnan will
have time to canvass the district, his |
mind is more familiar with his work |
as congressman and his record in
Washington is unpeachable. All |
these count for no little, but they do |
not count for sufficient to carry this
district unless the lines are closed up
and all dissensiOns die out. Only |
those who actually worked the field |
last year know how disheartened fine |
republicans of the district were at
the showing made by Bexar county, |
and how distrustful they were of the |
vote of this county. In |
less the breaches are healed and the |
ranks closed up and differences ad- |
justed it will be a damper upon the |
efforts of the true and tried republi- |
cans of other counties in the district,
who count on Bexar county to stand |
first in the field and show a united |
front to the democracy of the district. |
If it is of more consequence to the re-
publicans of the city and county to |
quarrel over leadership, than to or
ganize for a hot campaign, then it is
their privilege to do it, but it is n
pity that in all Texas there is no spot |
where republicanism is safe from the |
attacks of it's so-called friends. If |
someone in Texas would rise up and |
save the Republican party in the state
from itself the saving it from it's enc
mics would be a comparatively easy |
thing.