Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1910-04-26
THE P0|NDEXTER SPEAKING
TALKED sTRAIcHT FROM THE
SHOULDER ON QUESTIONS
CONFRONTING TEXAS
DEMocRAcy.
SPEECH MADE HAEIMPREss!0h
Impressed All A. Man Of Honest Con-
vletIons Honestly and FearIessIy
Expressed.

Judge VIM. PO1ndexter, OF CleDurne,
candidate for the Democratic nomina-
tion for governor Of Texas. arrived
here Sunday night to fiIl his speaking
date in this city. On Monday morn
Ing In company with Maj. L. L. McIn-
mis-, Hon. w. c. Davis and Mr.. John
A. Moore, he was driven out to the
A. and M. college and shown over
that great institution. He was enter
tanned at lunch by President Miner
and other college officials and extend
ed all courtesies possible during his
short stay there.
He complimented the college on the
magnitude and Importance of the work
being done and said It was disgrace
that there was not plenty OF dormitory
room instead Of being forced 20 use
the large number of tents now occu-
pied by students on the campus.
He spoke at the court house In this
city at 3 o'clock in the afternoon to
a fair sized audience. including num-
Der of ladies'.
He was introduced by Professor
John A. Moore, who eulogized the
Judge declaring that he lowered above
his opponents like lofty mountain
peak above the foot hills and that
he would make governor whose
greatness would be commemorate
with that of the great state of Texas.
Judge Poindexter began by disclaim-
ing all pretensions to greatness, pro-
testing that he was only plain citi-
zen with honest purposes. He con-
tinued that he is seeking office be-
cause he stands for something that
his opponents do not stand for. II Is
the duty of the state, he argued, to
encourage men Of capital to make in
yestments and develop the resources
of the state, bnt under existing laws
the executive can do nothing to en-
courage the building OF railroads and
factories. He contended that the poor
man would be more benefited by such
investments and developments than
the rich man.
The Characteristic feature of the
speech was a criticism Of Davidson's
coon skin postal cards and circulars
to which he devoted rather more than
half an hour. No officer has a right
to claim credit for the performance
of his duty. as Davidson Il doing. The
DE-Il UiIC l<lli lOAA44n IL ~ ~
cised the former attorney general for
failing to enforce the criminal laws
against he trusts. Holding up one OF
the coon skin cards he said. 1--WE can
see what is on the outside Of the cab
In but not what is inside" The Wa
ters-P Pierce Oil company skin is on the
outside: on the inside is the receiy-
ership for three years, mixing oil and
gasoline with water and selling ii for
| "a higher price than the Waters-Pierce
company had sold good oil. The Har-
vester company skin showed q fine
of $4,000, which was paid by agree
ment after a plea of guilty. On the
inside was new company organized
| by the attorneys of the outlawed COM
lpany. Who ever before heard of
lawyers going into the hardware busi-
ness? This new company got the
scalp of every farmer who had bought
agricultural machinery since it was
organized. So the other skins were
exhibited in turn and the companies
they represented were ridiculed. "The
fact is" said the Judge, the trusts are
having a dance inside where we can't
see It."
He related how one of his old
\ friends, who is miller, had desert
ed him because he told the truth about
] Davidson's compromise with the mil
ler's trust, exclaiming with emphasis:
t"If any man wants to go against me
because | tell the truth he will have
to go.r
i Judge Poindexter then spoke of the
book trust as the most disgraceful
and dangerous of all and said the book
board should be composed of teach
ers instead of politicians.
Reform of judicial procedure was
then discussed at considerable length,
but on this subject nothing that has
not been said and published hereto
fore was developed. Davidson" said
the Judge, ''favors reform, after a
fashion; Johnson touches ii in high
places, but 1t is too small matter
for Colquitt to notice." The worst
feature of the case is the inequality
in the administration of the criminal
law because nobody, not even the law
yers can tell with certainty what the
law is. In this connection it was de.
clared that the laws delay breeds
crime ard special reference was made
20 the frequent murders in Houston as
an illustration.
In discussion of the penitentiaries
Judge Poindexter said Mr.. Colquitt
had got on his platform, advocating
taking the management of the peni-
tentiaries out OF politics. He said
that according to the report of the in-
vestigating committee the conditions
I had improved under Governor Camp
bells administration and he compli-
mented Mr.. Herring for his excellent
MANAGEMENT at Huntsville; but in his
summary the Judge declared signifi-
cantly: III am elected governor no
man shall hold commission from me
who treats his prisoners as II they
were not human beings" This was
understood as reference to the king
of the Leather" at Rusk
The asylums and the insane in jails
! were briefly but forcibly discussed bu