The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-05-10
UNSEEMLY Juror
IN THE LEGISLATURE

Legislature had the Robertson-Fitz-
hugh liquor bill under consideration;
and a number of amendments were
being considered when Representative
Canales, of Cameron County. made
fiery speech in which he declared that
brewers had been back of the defeat
of submission. This aroused Mr..
Terrell of Bexar County, who APP
preached Mr.. Canales in very
threatening manner He demanded
of the speaker if he meant to say
that those who voted against submits
sion were influenced by the brewers?
Mr.. Canales simply reiterated his
statement, but added that he did not
cast any reflection on any member of
the body, that his deliberate opin-
ion was. the brewers were back of
the defeat ofssubmission. This did
not suit Mr. Terrell and he made some
effort to get at Mr.. Canales. By this
time the house was in an uproar, and
the Sergeant-at-Arms took hold of
the enraged Mr.. Terrell and forced
him back to his seat.
Then Mr. Wahrmund the big San
Antonio brewer, was upon his feet,
demanding that Mr.. Canales give the
names of the brewers who had been
back of the defeat of submission. He
did not seem to be in a belligerent
mood, but persisted in his demand.
The speaker continued to make his
original statement without needing
the noisy brewer. Finally the brewer
was seated; but Byrne. the saloon
man who resides in Smithville, was
approaching the speaker with his
hair turned the wong way. He was
very irate, and denounced Canales
as liar and said he did not pro-
pose to have any "greaser to insule
him. 1t so happens that Canales is
of Mexican parentage, though he is
native Texan, well educated gem
tleman, a lawyer by profession, a
Presbyterian in religion, small of
size. but every inch man of charac-
ter and refinement Mr.. Byrne is an
Irishman of huge frame, limited in
culture, always ready for fray, but
aside from his business and when in
good humor he is a very pleasing
6CAl1CAldh anu uO OAC sHCOl0 OohN
him for a saloon keeper But Irish
man that he is, he is hot-headed and
let his temper run away with his
manners and his sense of propriety.
The Sergeant-at-Arms assisted him to
his seat.
Mr.. Canales concluded his speech
and Mr.. Terrell rose to a personal
privilege" stunt, and made a very
coarse exhibition of himself. He pro-
ceeded to show his conscientious"
he had been in all his votes and said:
Il say that any man, whether he be
DR.. Rankin or member of this house,
has no right to make the statement
that / was Influenced by the brewers
TO vote against submission and when
he does it'll denounce him as cow
ard and a liar Upon what meat
has this our Caesar fed that he has
grown so fat? Where did he learn
his manners or his sense of ordinary
decency? We know nothing of him,
but such conduct smacks more of the
haunts of San Antonio saloons than
Of the walks of refined and cultured
society. 1t seems that the State ought
to start a primary school in which to
train some of its representatives in
good breeding before they are per-
mitted to take oath of Office as law
makers for the Commonwealth. They
are not possessed of such accomplish
ments either by nature. environment
or training. Hence the conduct in
question.
The next day, Mr.. Byrne, the typ
ical Irishman that he is. always ready
for a scrap. but possessed of a good
heart, realizing that he was in the
legislature instead of his saloon, pro-
ceeded to make a suitable apology to
the house for his rude conduct and
his unparliamentary language. How
ever rough an Irishman is by nature,
when his hot temper subsidies, his
better instincts always control him.
The house appreciated his candOr and
his manly course. He did all that a
man can do when he loses his head
and makes an unseemly exhibition of
himself.
But neither Mr.. Wahrmund nor
Mr.. Byrne ought to have applied to
themselves anything that Mr. Canales
said: for one of them being in the
brewery business and the other a sa-
loon man, they did not need to have
the brewers exercise influence over,
them to vote against submission
They are both in the legislature for
the specific purpose of opposing any
drastic law against their personal in
terests; and they did not have to
have the brewers TO inspire them.
Being in the business that thew are
it was a piece of presumption in them
to have anything to say in reply to
Mr. Canales. AS to Mr. Terrell. his
name was not mentioned and no ref
erence was made to him either by
Mr.. Canales or by this writer. He
showed a sensitiveness that almost
convicted him of a bad conscience.
Whether the brewers Influenced him (
or not in his vote, he knows and so
does everybody else that the brewers |
are the sworn enemies of submission |
and that they have left, neither will |