The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1902-05-28
Comments on the Primary OF
MAY 3rd.

Citizens of Tom Green County
do not believe in Reputation of
States Contracts"
The above is the caption of q
write up of the so-called Demo-
cratic Primary held in Tom Green
County, May 3rd, as published in
the Standard of May 10th. The
Standard further says "Fair
methods generally prevailed"
That the Standard should inti-
mate that those who advocate the
adjustment of every form of alb
solute lease on public school
lands and the putting such lands
on the market TO actual bona fide
settlers and home seekers, and
who therefore opposed the election
of Mr.. Hill and Mr.. Hudspeth TO
the State Senate and House Of
Representatives, advocate or be-
lieve in any form of reputation of
contracts on the part of the State
of Texas or any private individu-
al, is an insult to the higher man
hood of the citizenship, not only
of Tom Green county, but of the
State of Texas. The Standard
can not establish any such a
proposition, neither can Mr.. Hill
or any other man in the State of
Texas and we dare say no one
knows the fallacy of such a state
ment better than the editor of
the Standard.
When the State of Texas made
contract of lease on public lands,
every lessee knew they were made
subject TO sale in the discretion of
any subsequent Legislature, and
the act of 1897, which established
an absolute lease line, reserved, in
express terms, the right to change
the law and offer the lands under
lease, for sale. And now to put
the land on the market is doing
nothing but exercising a privilege
reserved in the contract: further
more, such action on the part of
the legislature would be carrying
out the plain mandate of the
constitution of the State of Texas,
as well as pursuing a policy of
this State which has been follow
ed so long that it has become the
unwritten law of the land.
Frln Cd ,,,nn,t sn,,,n
thing when it said the land shall
be sold; the legislature meant
something when it reserved the
right to put the land on the mar
ket at any time! And the people
mean something now when they
say these lands are in demand for
settlement.
Fair methods generally pre-
vailed" says the Standard, and
this, too, in a paper whose editor
was selected as manager of the
electionl He was not ignorant
of the fact that the contest be-
tween Messrs. Rhodes and Hill
created "the largest amount of
general interest" Yes, he knew
that this was the only contest
that was not purely personal, He
knew that in this contest it
was issues rather than men. Yet,
this same manager, Democratic"
manager, absolutely refused to
appoint one man who favored Mr..
Rhodes to assist in holding the
election, after being requested,
begged and urged to do so. He
even refused to appoint any man
by a committee of Mr.,
Rhodes friends. But he appoint
ed only out and out avowed Hill |
men as judges and clerks of the
election, four of whom were
named as Hill delegates, one his
law partner and one his relative
This may appeal to fair minded
men as fair methods" but we
doubt it. The so-called Demo-
cratic executive committee of
Tom Green county ignored the
petition of the people and refused
to allow the people a chance to
vote on all the candidates for
District and State offices and
usurping authority never delegat-
ed to them, endorsed the candida
cy of Mr.. Hill for State Senator.
In view of the above facts, and
other palpable unfair dealings, we
feel justified in saying that the So
called Democratic Executive Com
mittee, and the managers of
this election have absolutely run
Mr.. Hill and Mr.. Dean over the
people of Tom Green county.
COMMITTEE.
Following are the names of the
committee, member of which
handed in the above for publica-
ton.
R P Smith NJ G Reid
w A Threadgill S B Ratlitf
l. NJ McLendon M NJ Woodward
Lon Arnett G w Stevens