The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-01
THE SENATORIAL CONTEST.

Austin, Texas. october 30.--(special Cor
respondence.) lin view of the approaching
canvass for United States senator and
the unusual prominence Of the three prn-
cipal and, so far, the only candidates for
that great and important trust. 1t will
be but natural that Governor Culberson's
career since his entrance into public life
and his administration OF the office he now
holds, we'll as that OF attorney general
should be referred TO and critically review
ed for the purpose Of asccrtaining and
establishing whether or not he has any
substantial claims to seat In the United
States senate. His illustrous opponents
will no doubt rely largely upon their
prominence in the late civil war and the
prestige and renown achieved in both bat
tlefeld and cabinet during that stormy
period, as well as their long public service
since that time, as at least some Of the
grounds for their election 10 this great
Office, while the friends OF the governor
will insist upon the marvellous record OF
their candidate, which, though wholly
civic In its character, has left its imprint
indelibly written in the history Of its
time. Though considerably the junior OF
his competitors, both in years and the
length of his public service. 1t will be
boldly proclaimed that he ID at least the
equal OF either OF them, in their palmiest
days, in intellectual yigor, while for sturdy
manhood and lofty patriotism and states
manshlp he is their peer on any part Of
.,r,I vs, ~
vigorous and active. backed by record
phenomenal in it's successes, in hearty
accord with all popular demands and In
close touch With the masses. this young
intellectual giant will go before the peo-
pie OF his State, asking their sulirages
upon his own merits only and his distin
guished competitors will be challenged to
combat for this common prize upon such
a plane of respectable and honest politics
as Will make 1t impossible that any but
| the most merltorfous and deserving shall
| win. Under these circumstances IL may
not DO Inappropriate to briefly review the
| present State administration and recall
at least few of Its most prominent fea-
tues, which will no doubt make interest
ing reading, not only for democrats, but
the whole people as well. Passing over,
| for brevity's sake, his four years admins
| uation OF the Office OF attorney general,
| which began In 1891. and which friend
and foe alike, II unbiased, will admit was
| characterized by marked ability and the
utmost]y fidelity to the peoples interest,
| his first canvass for governor in 1894 is
| yet fresh In the memory OF ALL Against
| him were pltted. as his most prominent
| opponents, the gifted Lanham and his
| venerable antagonist for senatorial honors
| Hon John II. Reagan. The canvass was
| a clean one and the contest was one prn-
cipally OF men and not measures, all the
| candidates being pretty well agreed upon
| the leading political issues OF the time
both State and National. Before the con-
yention met 1t was clear that the young
| attorney general had won his spurs" and
| only the formality OF q nomination was
| necessary to make him the nominee of the
democratic party for governor of the Lone
Star State. The convention met and NOM
| mated him on the first ballot. aside from
| which act only two other circumstances
thereof deserve more than a passing notice.
| one OF these was the departure from the |
| tWc-thirds rule and the substitution of |
| the majority rule therefor. and the other |
was the peculiar Silver plank" So called. |
| or the platform adopted. or the first It |
Is only necessary TO say that the change |
made In the method of making nominations
was not due to the efforts or the particular
desire OF any particular candidate or his
friends. because the question had been, in
that same canvass submitted TO the demo- |
cratic primaries. The delegates were in
structed upon the question, and when the
convention met it was found that a ma
jority favored the change. The fiat had
gone forth that the two thirds rule had
had Its day, that it had outlived its USE
tuiness and deserved to he superseded by
a rule both more rational and moro demo-
cratic. OF the second it is only fair to
add that the convention was composed
largely OF anu-silver democrats and the
N n.alA vTaI
handiwork. The "silver question" yns not
then direct and clean-cut issue and no
National issues Were directly involved
but the former was being considerably
agltated, and each candidate was known
10 be pronounced silver man. The gold
contingent of the convention, the ardent
supporters Of President Cleveland. knew
that straight-out gold platform could not
be adopted, and the best they could do
was to insert u plank, when read one way
meant gold. and when read the other meant
sllVcr,-~a sort of "straddle" plank which
left each democrat with the right to con-
strue It to suit himself. In the exercise
OF TINS prerogatlve, in speech at Goliad
shortly after his nomination, Culberson
opened his campaign by a pronounced
declarstion In favor Of bimetallism. con-
tending that he was justified in that con-
struction OF tue platform by the language
OF the plank referred to. Thus IL was that
.he gold people. many of whom have since
'eit the party, We're beaten at their own
game and the party held in line for The
white metal. The correctness and FAM
reaching effect of Culbersons course was
soon patent TO all true democrats. but a
large portion of the ultra gold men never
| torgave him for II. The populist party
was then In the zenith OF it's strength and
nominated Its strongest and hest man.
Judge 7. i. Nugent, as its standard bear.
er, but he was badly defeated at the polls.
and in the following January Charles A
Duloerson was installed as governor of
leNas. He succeeded Governor james S.
hogS, and at the very Threshold Of his
administration his executive Aioility v.as~l
put TO a most crucial test. BY reason OF
series OF short crop years and general
business depression, as well MS mistaken
reduction OF the tax rate, which failed Ia
bring IN sufficient revenue to meet the
current governmental expenditures he
| found himself confronted with n deficiency
OF about $500 900, But he WIGS not fismay