The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-13
ABOUT PRIMARY ELECTIONS

looked the crlticism of me by your Dallas
reporter in The Post OF December until
my attention was called thereto. 90
not particularly object to Mr. Armistead
criticism OF my position as to primaries
inasmuch as he published the reasons
am willing for the reader TO pass upon
the arguments, respectively, proW1ed ne
discover any in that OF your reporter
have the right, however, to demur to the
sinister motives he ascrihes to me- but am
not surprised. He seemingly has absorbed
from MIR. Bailey, his idol the idea that oil
opposition to that young man is grounded
in motives sinister. He represents me as
a primary enthusiast in the last campaign.
While do not remember harboring any
great amount of enthusiasm in the mat
ter. I did believe that a clearer and more
honest expression OF democratic sentl-
ment could be had, and hence Endorsed the
demand for them. They have been thor
oughly tried Judged by their practical
workings, they are a failure. While the
club and convention system has us ABUSES.
the primary is not a remedy, However
they may have worked in the country. they
were not success In cities in securing
democratic verdict A few minutes con
versation with any State candidate IN the
last election will satisfy any one upon
This point. But a discussion pro and con,
Is not my purpose Then Mr.. Bailey and
his friends may not he influenced by dem
ocratic reasons in the premises. That
young mans candidacy for the senate is
seemingly upon the proposition that
large majority of the last convention, rep
resenting the democratic people. were en-
thusiastic madmen. and II may be the
purpose of his managers to leaven what
they deem democratic insanity by intro
ducing the nondescript voters sure to re
suit where primaries are loosely managed.
~
notice a point or two in Mr. Arm
istead's staff letter" I object to the
gratutous assumption that my sentiments
as to primaries represent those of either
Senator Chiffon or Mr.. Hogg. l have never
talked with either gentleman on the sub
ject as / remember and have no idea as
to the position of either. Indeed, | have
never considered the question as related
to the efforts of Mr. Bailey to jump from
| the lower to the upper house OF congress.
and "only BECAUSE" as Bailey says. his
conscience commands him TO make an eff
| fort TO retire Chiffon as repudiator OF
the Declaration of independence and the
! constitution" albeit Chiffon only helped
other democrats repudate Bailey's mo-
| tives and methods. Hence / had no o.
caslon to talk to Chiffon about the eject
! OF primaries upon his race. AS matter
of fact have no opinion as to which one
OF these gentlemen would be most ben
Gifted by primaries. / simply know. from
close observation in the last campaign,
that primaries are not always true test
OF democratic sentiments no election
can be where other than democrats vote.
Your star writer designates me d.
ore OF Senator Chilton's lieutenants. In
the late gubernatorial campaign was
often alluded TO as one of Major Sayers'
managers. Please dc me the kindness
and candidates whom ] may support the
Justice to say l have never in any sense
been manager for candidate and never
expect to be. have never held myself
subject TO the plans or theories OF any
candidates manager and never expect 10.
support men for reasons fully satisfac-
tory to myself, submit reasons for
their election satisfactory 10 my
self, and do what my conscience
approves for their success. But no cam
didate or candidates manager is respon-
sible for anything l may do or say. | en-
on the "go as you please" list, and
even the men | support could not other
wise steer me. In the gubernatorial can
vass I supported Mr.. Sayers because |
thought it best for Texas. | do not think
/ made a mistake. l am supporting Mr..
Chiffon for a like reason, ! could adduca
many incontrovertible facts to prove ]
am not mistaken this time, but you would
not print them.
Mr.. Armistead justiies Mr.. Bailey's
my bolt of the primary resolution adopted
by the last convention. (If such a rasolu-
tion did really pass ! wish you would re.
print it, Does one detailed fox justify
all foxes putting their tails in a steel
trap? AS 4 am not a candidate, The pc0-
pie care nothing about my position. When
one asks the people for high Office, they
have the right to require him TO be con
sistent. Hence | ask your STAFF writer,
whom you permit 20 use his position 10
boost a favorite. how he can reconcile
Baileys position as 10 convention utter
anoes aneut prohb iton with his bolt OF
the Galveston platform, his bolt of Bryan
nomination and abuse of Bryan, and other
of his bolts? 1t VIII be remsm INBRED that
In his late letter to Mr.. VOTERS OF Fay
etc county concerning his canvass for
prohibition in 1887, Bailey holds thet the
convention OF 1855 decided the results of
the election of 1857 "a fnality." and that
he Galley had accepted that declaration
in good faith" In this Bailey is extra
loyal 10 convention utterances as we all
know that no convention can decide an is
sue as "a fnality,' because no convention
can bind any future convention, but the
conundrum | submit 10 your STAFF man
is this: why should his candidate, Bal
ley. be SUPERFICIAL to a convention ut
terance Of 1888 and such loose cons rue
ZIONIST as 10 the utterances OF the con,e1
tons OF 1894 -9s?" IT. won't do TO fall
behind the assertion that imperialism is a
National issue, for so was and Is prJri-
hition. This conundrpm applies with IS.
pecial force TO the Galveston convention
of 1895. Bailey was there in all his mighty
power. He says he was in convention
~ his own request For the first Tine he
had asked his delegation to place him
on the platform committee. He said in
his Dallas speech that he felt sure he could
so appeal TO them as TO arrest tao mad
men in their career OF fanaticIsm and on
thusiasm.'