The Calumet news., 1912-07-26
Spirited Campaign Ends In Lone
Star State. Primary Elec-
tlon Tomorrow
PROHIBITION CAMPAIGN ISSUE
Gov. 0. B. CoIquitt Has Strong
Opposition This Year

Austin. Texas. July go nthe eve
of one of the most interesting and bit
terly fought campaigns ever conduct
cd in Texas each of the factions and
candidates expresses confidence and
an unusually heavy vote is anticipat- :
ed tomorrow.
Nominees for state Offices from gov
ernor To constable are to be selected,
also United States senator (prefer-
ence vote) and representative in Com
gress. The voters will be confronted
with the longest ballots prepared for
any election ever held i'm this state.
In tbs, Tdavis county. the Democratic
ballot will be more than five feet long.
tain a total of l67 names. In many
of the other counties the condition is
as bad or worse.
The unusual size of the ballots and
the consequent likelihood of confusion
among the voters have brought some
thing of a reaction against the pres
ent system of direct primaries and
there is much talk among political
leaders of the advisability of making
change i'm the law so that the pri-
and county offices. and that the means
of getting names upon the ballot shall
be made more difficult.
Three After Bailey's Toga.
In the primary tomorrow most in
terest will center i'm the selection of
the Democratic candidates for United
states senator and governor. The
leading candidates for the toga which
is now worn by Joseph Bailey are
Congressman Morris Sheppard of Tex
arkana. Congressman Choice h. Ran
dell of Sherman and j. +. Wolters of
Houston. In the gubernatorial contest
Governor .. Il. Colquitt has a rival
for the nomination i'm the person of
Judge w. t. Ramsey, associate JUS
tice of the state supreme court.
In the senatorial fight Ii is an align
ment of the so-called conservative ele-
ment of the Democratic party against
the radicals. Woters is generally re-
garded as the choice of the conserva-
tives. Sheppard and Randell are iden-
titled with the radicals, but Sheppard
is the particular choice of the fol-
lowers of William j. Bryan. who for
a long time have been bitterly oppos-
ed to Bailey.
Prohibition Big Issue.
Notwithstanding the fact the state
wide prohibition question has no di-
rect bearing upon the United states
senatorshp, this is one of the chief is
sues of the campaign. Wolters was
chairman of the state prohibition
organization during the campaign last
year. and naturally has against him
the prohibition element. The prohibit
tionists are giving their support to
Randell is an anti-prohibi-
tionist. although he did not take any
active part in the fight last year. 1t is
the general opinion. however, the an
IT, prohibition vote will be divided be-
tween Wolters and Randell, which, of
of sheppard. as he is the only prohi-
i'm 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
Other State Contests.
Another interesting contest for a
place on the Democratic state ticket
is the fight for the nomination for at
general. Jewel II. Lightfoot.
ir trust busting" i'm that office, de-
clined to seek another term. He de-
clares that after eight years of serv-
ice of the state In connection with the
office. he is poorer than when he en-
tered IT, and that he will take up pri-
vate practice. His chief assistant,
James ID. walthall, is a candidate for
the nomination and is opposed by B.
f Looney and II. h. Harris.
The entire state will vote on the
selection of two eongressmep- -at large.
all of the present ~ielega-
ton I'm the national house of represen-
tatives expect To be renominated,
though several are meeting with spir
tied opposition.
Renew Chicago Rivalry.
The rivalry between the Taft and
Roosevelt Republicans in Texas. which
figured 80 prominently at the nation
al convention i'm Chicago last month.
promises To manifest itself even more
strongly I'm tomorrow's primaries. The
Roosevelt adherents have arranged 10
hold Progressive primaries. and IL is
probable that few of them will at
tempt To- vote I'm either the Republican
or the Democratic primaries. which
will choose delegates to the state con-
To be held next month.
Whether the Progressives win con-