Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-07-27

IN TEXAS
Nominees From State Offices
To Constable TO be
Selected
Bitterly Fought Primary Cam.
paIgD has Just Been
Concluded
Special to The Tribune.


Special to The Tribune.
AUSTIN, Texas, July 26.--On the
eve Of the statewide primaries at the
end of n of the most interesting
and bitterly fought campaigns ever
conducted in Texas each Of the fac
tons and candidates expresses conf
dence and an unusually heavy vote is
anticipated.
Nominees for state Offices from gov.
ernOr to constable are to be selected,
also a United States senator Cprefer.
ence vote) and representatives in
congress. The voters will be on
fronted with the longest ballot pre-
pared for any election ever held in
this state. In this, Travis county,
the Democratic ballot will be more
than five feet long. In Dallas county
the ballot wiz contain a total of 1877
names. In many of the Other coun.
ties the condition is as bad or worse.
The usual size of the ballots and
the consequent likelihood OF confus-
ion among the voters have brought
something of a reaction against the
present system of direct primaries
and there is much talk among polit-
ical leaders of the advisability of max
ing a change in the law so that the
primary shall affect only the chief
state and county officers, and that the
means of getting names upon the bal
lot shall be made nor difficult.
In the primary most interest will
center in the selection of the demo-
cratic candidates for United States
senator and governor. The leading
candidates for the toga which is now
worn by Joseph w. Bailey are Con
gresham Norris Sheppard of Tex
arkana, Congressman Choice B. Ran
dell of Sherman and J. F. Wolters or
Houston. In the gubernatorial con-
test Governor o. B. Colpuitt has a
rival for the nomination in the per-
son of Judge w. F. Ramsey, associate
justice of the state supreme court.
In the senatorial fight it is an align
ment of the ~so-called conservative ele-
ment Of the democratic party against
the radicals. Wolters is generally re.
garded as the choice Of the conserva-
identified with the radicals, but Shep-
pard is the particular choice of the
followers of William j. Bryan, who
for a long time have been bitterly op-
posed to Bailey.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
statewide prohibition question has no
1iroOf hoo vi m ,,r<>, thn T1rifoIl C<o %rc
se%natorship, this is one of the chief
issues of the campaign. Wolters vas
chairman Of the state anti prohibition
organization during the campaign last
year, and naturally has against him
the prohibition element. The prohi-
bitionists are giving their support to
Sheppard. Randell is an anti-prohi-
bitionist, although he did not take any
active part in the fight last year. 1t is
the general opinion. however, the an
ti-prohibition vote will be divided be-
tween Wolters and! Randell which, of
cOurse would rebound to the benefit
of Sheppard, as he is the only prohi-
bitionist in the race. The prohibition
question likewise has injected itself
into the contest for the governorship.
Judge Ramsey is one of the leaders
ON the prohibition side and has made
the most of the issue in his bitter
fight for the seat of Governor Colquitt.
Another interesting contest for a
place on the Democratic state ticket
is the fight 70 rthe nomination for at
torney general. Jewel P. Lightfoot,
who for three years has been engaged
in trust busting in that office, de-
clined to seek another term. He de
clares THAT after eight years of ser
vice of the state in connection with
the Office, he is poorer than when he
entered it, and that he will take up
private practice. His chief assistant,
James D. Walthall is a candidate for
the nomination and is opposed by B.
F. Looney and M. B. Harris.
The entire state will vote or the
selection of two congressmen-at-large.
Practically all of the present delega-
tiOn in the national house of repre-
sentatives expect to be renominated
though several are meeting with spin
tied opposition.
The rivalry between the Taft and
Roosevelt republicans in Texas, which
figured so prominently at the national
convention in Chicago last month,
promises to manifest itself ever more
strongly in tomorrow's primaries. The
Roosevelt adherents have arranged
to hold Progressive primaries, and 1t
is probable that few OF them will at
to vote In either the republican
the democratic primaries. which
will choose delegates to the state con-
ventions to be held next month.
Whether the Progressives will con