San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-02-14
CONTRIBUTED SCRAPS.
Written for the LIGHT.l

Written for the LIGHT.l
The organization and machinery
of both the democratic and repub-
lican parties in Bexar are very
much in need Of thorough over
hauling and recasting, as they
seem to have been used to promote
the interests of the "Big g." and
not the interests of their respective
parties.
The consequence has been that
both those parties have been Grip
pied and demoralized. No nomi-
nations for county offices by either
the republican or democratic par
ties can command the entire vote
of those parties.
This condition Of things is not
the result of local factions in either
of those parties since it antedates
the birth of such local factions in
BeXar.
The "Big 6" is responsible for
the condition OF things in Bexar,
and all hands are aware Of the
fact. They played the same game
on the populists in 1894 by nomi-
mating one of the populistic nomi-
nees fer the legislature for the
same office on their ticket. - ~
To "divide and conquer" is the
key note to the policy Of the "Big
g." They draw into their meshes
a portion of the republicans and of
the democrats, and these, added to
the Mexican vote, give them a
majority in Bexar.
The country voters Of Bexar,
judging from the way in which
they have voted in the past, ap-
pear to be in love with ring rule.
This is truly surprising. Farmers
are usually independent, hard
headed men, who are not to be
either wheedled or purchased, and
are opposed to ring rule.
But for the vote received at the
country precincts in Bexar the
"Big 6" would long since have
been choked loose from the public
teat, which they have sucked from
time immemorial.
The populists in 1894 failed to
poll one-half Of the votes claimed
by them in Bexar. Patriotism
should, in that election, have led
the populists to have united, heart
and hand, with the opposition to
the "Big g." whose defeat ought to
be the paramount object of patri-
otto desire.
Perhaps they would have done
so had not the "Big 6" given them
some sort of assurance that they
would elect one of their candidates
to the Legislature. "Divide and
conquer" is the alpha and omega
of the policy of the "Big g." and
they worked it successfully on the
populists of Bexar in 1894.
The same game will doubtless be
revamped and put in execution in
the coming election by the "Big g."
1t is trump card.
The situation of Bexar, political
ly, is funny and farcical. Men,
who proclaim from the house tops
their democracy to be "pure and
undefiled," have not hesitated to
run on the "Big 6" ticket and to be
elected by the votes of democrats
and republicans, and to aid the
"Big 6" in staving off the holding
of democratic county convention.
The democracy of such demo-
Gratis is a puzzle to common people
outside Of Bexar.
So-called "simon pure" double
rectified republicans have acted
precisely in the same way.
AS no one Of the three political
parties is able to rally it's entire
voting strength around its nomi-
nees for county offices, it is as
plain as pikestaff that the "Big
g." or the ring, can be beaten sole
ly by coalition between all dem
ocrats, republicans and populists
who are opposed from principle
and patriotism to ring rule and in
favor of ga government of the peo-
pie, by the people, for the people,"
Such a patriotic coalition would
smash the "Big 60 into smither-
Gems and liberate BeXar from ring
rule-''a contamination most de-
voutly to be wished"
IT would be followed by purifi-