Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-07-27
STATE CAMPAIGN
DRAWS TO CLOSE
Nominations TO Be Made
from Office of Governor
to Constable
INTEREST IN SENATORS
TWO TO BE ELECTED FOR con.
GRESSMAN-AT-LARGE OUT
OF TwENTY-THREE
CANDIDATES.

Austin, Tex, July 26.-On the eve
of the statewide primaries at the
end OF one of the most interesting
and bitterly fought campaigns ever
conducted in Texas each of the fac
tions and candidates expresses conf
dence and an unusually heavy vote is
anticipated tomorrow.
Nominees for state offices from
governor to constable are TO be sell
ected, also a United States Senator
preference vote) and representatives
in Congress. The voters will be con-
fronted with the longest ballots 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 will contain a total OF l67
names. In many OF the other coun-
ties the condition is as bad or worse.
The unusual size of the ballots and
the consequent likelihood OF confus-
ion among the voters have brought
something of reaction against the
present system OF direct primaries
and there is much talk among politi-
cal 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 ballot shall be made more diff
cult.
In the primary tomorrow most In
terest will center In the selection oil
the Democratic candidates for United
States senator and governor. The
leading candidates for the toga which
is now worn by Joseph w. Bailey are
Congressman Morris Sheppard OF
Texarkana, Congressman Choice b.
Randell of Sherman and ]. +. Wolters
Of Houston. In the gubernatorial
-cvus~s. governor ". q. Colo -1c ar
A rival for the nomination In the per
son OF Judge w. +. Ramsey. associate
Justice of the State supreme court.
In the senatorial fight IL is an
alignment OF the so-called conserya
tive element OF the Democratic party
against the radicals Wolters is gen
orally regarded as the choice OF the
conservatives. Sheppard and Ran
dell are identified with the radicals
but Sheppard is the particular choice
of the followers OF William j. Bryan
who for a long time have been bit
terly opposed to Bailey.
notwithstanding the fact thal
the statewide prohibition question
has no direct bearing upon the Unit
cd States senatorship, this Is one Of
the chief Issues OF the campaign
Wolters was chairman OF the state
anti-prohibiiton organization durinl
the campaign last year, and NATURAL!
has against him the prohibition ele
ment. The prohibitionists are civ
ing their support to Sheppard. Ran
dell Is an anti-prohibitionist. al
though he did not take any active
part In the fight last year IL Is th'
general opinion. however, the anti
prohibition vote will be divided be
tween Wolters and Randell. which
OF course. would rebound 70 the bene
m OF Sheppard, as he Is the onl!
prohibitionist In the race. The pro
hibition question likewise has inject
I'd itself into the contest for the gov
ernorship. Judge Ramsey Is one o
the leaders on the prohibition sid'
and has made the most OF the issu'
in his bitter fight for the seat o
Governor Colquitt.
Another interesting contest for
place on the Democratic state ticke
is the fight 70 rthe nomination for az
torney-general Jewell p. Lightfoo
who for three years has been engage,
In trust busting In that office, De
elined 20 seek another term lie ie
clares that after eight years OF ser
vice OF the state IN connection wit
the office he IL poorer than when h.
entered Il. and that he will take al
private practice. His chief assistant
lanes D. walthall. IL a candidate 20
the nomination and Is opposed by =
? Looney and " p Harris
The entire state will vote on tn
selection Of two congressmen-ai-large
Practically all OF the present delega
ton In the national house of repre-
sen,atives expect 20 be renominated
though several are meeting WI
vnfrited oopoeitiou