The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-08-15
IAN EVEN BREAK"
and A VICTORY.
Recent Democratic Convention of
Texas Reviewed-Where Hogg
and Bailey Scored.
FIRST CONTEST A STAND-oFF.
Hogg's Remarkable Fight in the
Face of a Storm From Hostile
Delegates, Who Became
His Friends.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE

STATE, not excepting the famous convention
at Houston of 1892. when the Clark men
bolted and set up shop for themselves. This
year it was not a contest for the loaves and
fishes. but a play for position between two
great elements in the party; or, more prop
erly speaking. It was a fight between the
administration of Governor Savers. allied
with the Bailey people. among whom are all
of the Democratic Congressman, on the one
hand. and Ex-Governor James S. Hogg and
his friends. on the other. For several weeks
previous to the convention, certain vague
and indefinite rumors of a fight were ven
tilated in the press. and when the day came
for the convention every one was on the
alert for a scrap although a determined
effort was made by many to keep peace, at
least on the surface.
The Issue.
As has been told In The Republic. the i'm
mediate cause of the cyclone. for such 1t
proved to be. was the granting Of a permit
TO the new Waters-Pierce Oil Company. 1t
will be recalled by Republic readers that for
several years the State OF Texas has been
trying to drive the trusts out and that the
test case was that of the State VS.. the
Waters-Pierce Oil Company. After having
| carried the matter into the United States
Supreme Court. the State won the fight and
the company was perpetually enjoined from
doing business in Texas. The company Sc
cured a stay Of proceedings from Attorney
General Smith. and one day its president
and leading attorneys arrived in Austin with
a new charter. That Is. the old company
was dissolved, and Immediately a new COM
pany had been chartered in Missouri. The
Secretary of State applied to the Attorney
General. Mr.. Smith, for his opinion. He ad-
viSed the Secretary of State that the per-
nit could be granted to the new company.
The permit was given. and an oath. in
conformity with the antitrust act of 1889,
was made by the president Of the new
company. and the business of the Waters
Pierce Oil Company proceeded just as if
nothing had happened. The country mer-
chant, and. the city one, for that mater,
noticed that the same agents continued SELL
ing oil and that the same mules drew the
wagons. The merchant began to talk. Like
wise did the average country politician.
Somehow or somewhere, soon-to-be-
Senator Bailey got tangled up in this mat
ter. AT Galveston Ex-Governor Hogg took
a few falls out of the Attorney General
and Secretary Of State Hardy. This was
before the Bar Association. MIR. Smith re-
piled. This added fuel to the flames and
IN the public Prints. around the hotels and,
In fact. where two or three were gathered
together, this matter was. talked of. So
every one expected a hot time al the State
convention, and no one was disappointed.
bailey, HoS8 Crane and Smith.
1t Was while the committees were out
wrestling with platform, permanent organ
ization or with credential propositions that
MI. Bailey was called for and began to
speak. de was anxious TO get to the oil
subject. He made a ciear-cut exposition Of
the Wnoie matter and dramatlcally eX-
Claimed that il any one was wrong 1T was
he and not Smith or hardy. This was fol-
lowed by the severest Pronunciation OF his
enemies that was ever heard from a Texas
platform. His words fairly sizz!ed, and
when he had finished the cheering created
a wonderful scene and few Ii any there
We're who doubted but that Bailey was
right; that no one had done wrong.
Alr. Hosg was next to speak. and it was
SAID by many that he never appeared bet
ter or made a greater effort. His speech
was Tree from personal abuse or covert al
lusions to those who opposed him. He at
tempted TO show that the Attorney Cen
etal and the Secretary or State did wrong.
he was followed by ex-Attorney General
NJ. NJ. Crane. whose speech was punctuated
with fierce invectiyes and strenuous legal
propositions for those who favored The
action of the Attorney General and the
Secretary of State.
The one speech of the day, however, was
that OF Attorney General Smith. If a vote
mad been taken Immediately after Crane
concluded and before Smith spoke, few
doubt that a resolution of eensure would
that. In u. powerful presentation Of the
case he commended that his was the only
legitimate conclusion and then, with burn
Ing s~arcasm-with words that were as hot
as lava from a seething volcano poured
into a frost ~patch-he eXcoriated eX-Gov-
error J. S, H2gg and in passing did not
forget ex-Attorney General Crane. When
smith concluded, there was but one opinion;
tkat was that Smith had won and that
Hogg, Crane, ct al. had lost.
A resolution to censure Smith was de-
feated by the on Platform, as
was likewise a motion TO indorse his action
In the matter: thus, so far as the oil propo-
sition went, it was an agreed 'stand-off."
Hogs's Great Victory.
Yet there was another fight coming. For
three months or more, Mr.. Hogg has been
agltatinS certain amendments to the Con-
stitution which he wanted submitted to the
people Tor ratification. In brief. they. pro-
posed to prohibit railroad passes. to define
insolvent corporations and to prohibit lob
Dying. TIT administration leaders were on
posed TO these amendments aid their OPP
position was made manifest in the Com
mittee on Platform. The amendments were
defeated by. about twenty to ten, but they
We're carried to the convention. Again Gov
ernor Hogg attempted to address the con-
yention. but he was Kissed and howled at
Tor ABOUT an hour. He declared that he
would not sit down. Finally the convention
hour and five minutes. Kisses be-
came cheers, howls OF derision were
turned into bouquets of applause for the
gresham Ball, who gave to the country
those ringing words, the paramount is
sue etc. Mr.. Balls speech was repiete
with logic and reason. State Senator Od.II
also opposed the adoption of the Hog
amendments. His speech was severe and
IKE %ormwood. Hogg replied in a
fortunes. The roll was called and Hogg
won by a majority of les. 1t was a distinctive
personai victory for Mr.. Hogg. Those who
not twenty-four hours before would not do
MN reverence crowded about him with con-
sratulations The State administration had
fought a good fight, but lost.
All OF this demonstrates beyond doubt
taat Hogg. after all that has been said. is
yet a power in Texas. He, by his superb
management snatched victory from defeat
GubernatOrial Candidates.
Regardless Of the contests herein enumer-
ated, many took time to indulge in prophet.
&c speculation as regards the entries for the
eupernatorial handicap in 1902. 1t was pen-
erdi! agreed that the entries sure to be
We're; Attorney General Smith, ex-Attor-
ney General Crane, Tom Campbell of pal
estlne. J. B. Wells. the new State Chair
man; eX-Consressman Bell, Congressman
Lanham and j.. w. Blake of Sherman
Ana a number thought that Ex-Governor
Hogs would be a candidate, especially If
tne next Legislature Should defeat his
amendments. Ms
Farmers' Congress, Colorado Spring..
Colo.
One fare. plus 81, for, the round trip. Tick
Il cts on Glla At,oY,cf 10 orI 10 1oo,,a O.