East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-05-01
TEXAS IS AFTER
BA|LEY'S SCALP
MOMENTUS POLITICAL
STRUGGLE is NOW ON.
Question Is TO BE Settled I'm Primaries
TOmOrrOw-Scnator's Standard Oil
Dealings Are Being Urged Against
IIim-A Life and Death Fight for
Him Politically.

Houston, Texas, May Whether
United States Senator j. w. Bailey
shall be sent to Denver as one of the
delegates at large from Texas is the
question to be determined at prima-
rles TO be held throughout the state
tomorrow. The fight between the
Baileytes and the anti Baileyltes has
been the most mOmentous political
struggle since the republic of Texas
enterd the Union, and has been con-
tested with Unprecedented bitterness
by both sides. Senator Bailey has
been speaking almost constantly for
weeks and has made an almost super
human effort to maintain his threat
ened political supremacy in Texas.
The fight against Bailey began with
the airing Of the charges that he had
been In the employ and had received
large sums Of money from the Wa
ters-Pierce Oil company, a branch If
the Standard oil company, which the
state officials were attempting to oust
from Texas on the ground that it had
violated the antitrust laws.
Result Means Much.
Tomorrow's primaries will be life
and death fight for Bailey. politically
speaking. While he was elected to
the senate for another six-year term
only year ago. it is admitted by his
closest friends that his defeat in the
present contest would be equivalent to
demand for his resignation. In his
public addresses at the time his re-
election to the senate was pending,
he said that If majority OF the demo-
Gratis Of the state should declare
themselves as opposed to him in pri-
mary, he would resign his seat The
men who are leading the present fight
against him say he will have an op-
portunity to fulfill that pledge.
Both sides are already claiming vic
tory. The campaign managers for Mr..
Bailey say that ne will be chosen a
delegate-at-la large to the national con-
vention by a majority of $4,000. The
anti-Bailey managers claim that Cone
Johnson, who heads the ticket as Mr..
Eailey's opponent will be named by a
majority Of 60. 900 ot 10000 There is
no way of arriving at a reliable esti-
mate of how the vote will stand.
Bailey and anti-Bailey clubs have
been organized in almost every town
and village in the state. In some To-
calities the campaign has been at
white heat. In the larger cities, such
as Dallas, Waco, Houston, Galveston,
and Austin, the statement of the
democrats Is overwhelmingly anti
Bailey 1t is said that in San Antonio
and Fort Worth the Bailey support
ers are probably in a small majority.
The more thickly populated counties
III the agricultural belt Of the state
are said to be strongly opposed to
Bailey. while in the ranch territory |
of western and southwestern Texas, |
" here the voting population is prnn-
cipally stockmen. Bailey is the fa-
vorite.
1t is claimed by the managers of the |
Bailey campaign that an enor- |
nous amount of money Is being ex-
nended on behalf of Bailey, and that |
the trust interests, which they say Mr..
Bailey has represented for several
years, are putting up the funds At
the recent rally of Bailey supporters
It Fort Worth $4,000 was subscribed
by those present for the expenses of
he campaign. The anti-Bailey people
have raised about $4,000 for the same
purpose.
Some of the leading democrats of
Texas are on the side that is fight
ng Bailey. Among these men are eX-
Attorney General c. X. Bell Judge