The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-08

aud point type Hastily leaving the
composing room to escape tho lcmMhs o!
the regular, bee was stopped ou the stain
way by "a group ot gentlemen VINO were
81 discussing the bearing the iVoJhiFds rule
would have ON tho nomination Of their
choice for president The question having
arisen as tu whether precedent In favor or
the two-thirds rule was so strong as TO
prevent nomination lay q majority vote,
True Method could not remain sieGh
and he began TO state the attitude VI CNcry
ming Win the body that nominated Thomas
Jefferson one Of the crowd IN the stair
True Method aside he engaged him to
write a monograph on the subject Jones
did so, and In u few days turned the work
over 70 the major
Jones" soid the major 'aud Is especially
valuable aus showing the position Of Nl-
tional conventions ON lAe subject, Bnt
which win be opposed by the Louisiana
''Tery stupid Of me-" replied True
Method, but no harm done | Gnu write
q much better argument from the other
side aud quote q great many more prcce.
dents Auu this he dd.
But Joue, real ambition I'M litc vas IN
change the method OF clccung o president
ut tho United States, lie desired 20 com
hine, or an least to reconcile the electoral
college aod the popular vote This he
ident' aud hence his name Under the
patronage of Major Burkr he wrote %
pamphlet on this subject His "true
method was TO retain tho electoral col
loge, but to require t 10 cast the vote OF
state mo such q way as 10 give effect ia
( me viii OF the minority as well as the ma
/ iurty of the voters For instance, " n
I Stpte had twelve electoral votes and gave
/ the democratic ticket $4,000 votes aud the
republican 10000, Jones maintained TINT
I the electors ot that state should east eight
votes for tho democrat and four Tor the
] republican
/ il was during the Hancock campaign and
/ 0t thet time The election 81 democrat
/ president WAS d mere matter OF tradition
Consequently the effect was startling when
one night Jones, after figuring out the per
1 ceutagc vote OF every State In the Union,
| brought his INST with q tnump down ON inc
| desk and announced eNultingly
| by ] have elected a democratic
Jones true method never became po
! litCal ISSUE but 10 may become one yet
! III there are many more instances " the
| electoral voJ1 overriding the popular vote
But Jones differed from his fellows In
| purpose 10 achieve, whereas The ordinary
| ramp printers only object iu life was
the acquisition OF booze. Almost every
| cent he earned went for whisky, save that
| large percentage which found It's way into
| the Golfers az the faro banker Inc
| tramp printer was compelled 10 have wis
| KY and when funds We're not available hts
| Wit would md way 10 secure the Stmu
| liant. Interesting takers as they usually
were many OF them would stroll Into sa-
loon aud begin conversation with those al
ready there, with the result that when they
LEFT few hours later the thirst that could
not be quenched was moderately satisfied.
One Of the smOOthest takers tor the
drinks IN the fraternity was shorty Me.
Laughlin but his weakness was 60 huild
for himself resplendant family tree.
Shorty did not trace his ancestry back
to au Irish king. but WAS content 10 claim
for his forebears the achievement Of every
thing that was worth mentioning IN the
history Of Texas. Ii was one Of his auces-
tors who really secured the Independence
ot Texas: the constitution II the State
WAS altogetheR In the handwriting Of an.
other aud every decision worth the paper
hy Chief Justice Mclaughlin, "Shorty's'
immediate ancestor.
In the early eighties shorty" and Jim
Baker were In the principal saloon Of