Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-10-20
COMPTROLLER LANES Statement
Methods Of Democratic Executive Committee Are
Criticised and Point in Contest Discussed.

two positions for large, 10.
which Texas d entitled under the last fed
eral census. That was selected by a
majority of the honest. legal democratic
voters IN the last primary election a. their
nominee 10 fll one If these positions there
can be- no shadow of doubt. That ! have
lost this nomination which ] honestly won
on account of my opponent through In at
torney invoking = ilim~y, far-fetched, legal
technically. there J. still less room for
doubt.
That my defeat IN tins contest and the
nomination of my opponent j. but n tenn
porary triumph Of the liquor machine in
this state j. still more certain. ii possible,
than either one Of the previous assertions.
That the people Of Texas may know how
] nave been deprived of this nomination
for congrc~sman-at-largc ! submit the fol-
lowing brief review of the case:
Immediately after the primary election.
sent out n circular letter to the chair
man Of the democratic executive commit
tee m each county IN the state requesting
them To certify 10 me the vote received
by each Of the candidates for congress
man-at-lar in their respective counties.
Up 10 the Saturday preceding the date set
for the state convention nj III Paso, ! had
received replies from every county IN the
state except four, the aggregate vote in
all four of these missing counties heinz
less than 300. Taking the vote in these
four missing counties n tabulated aud
III. IL =. Al. MI ". "
verified a. correct. and adding this vote
Ia the figures certified TO me by the county
chairman IN the other counties III the state
gave me a majority ot SOC votes over Mr.
McLemorc. Keep IN mind the fact that
these figures were given to ne III 4 time
when there was no contest pending be-
tween Mr.. McLcmorc and my self. and ~
prospect of any, and consequently no mo-
tive To certify anything contrary to the
figures that had already been certified To
the state chairman. ! have these certif-
Gates from these several county chairmcn
IN my possession to verify this statement.
The III paso convention came on, and
Notwithstanding the law provides that the
state executive committee shall meet az
Monday preceding the Tuesday designate
by law a. the day for the meeting IT m,
state convention. and .'opcn aud canvas
the returns Of the primary election a- ~
the nominations for state officers" found
on reaching I'll Pa~o on SUNDAY night that
thi, work had already been performed. and
Mr.. McLrmorc was said 10 h.vc received
the nomination by a majority of 800 votes
over me. After checking over the official
returns. ! found that this result had Ae.u
reached by leaving ont OF the calculation
the vote ~ nine counties. Win the vote III
these nine missing counties included in the
calculation. | would have been nominated
by q majority of 81. The state executive
committee declined 10 consider the vote IN
these nine missing counties notwithstand-
ing was prepared to show by tclcgram~
from the county chairmcn. verified bv ali
davitS. that was entitled To the number al
votes for which was claiming credit the
CORRECTNESS of my claims n; The time being
established by undi-puted testimony IN the
recent trial of the ease. That the returns
from some ~ these missing counties were
sent M to the state chairman and the state
secretary ~ ample time 10 have been r.
c"lvcd and taken INTO the calculation. there
= undi~puicd proof. have IN my posses
sion a sworn statement over the signature
Of ". I. Hay. chairman Of the democratic
executive Of Montague County.
and h. also testified 10 the same effect m
The trial ~ the ease. that on SATURDAY. pre-
cedIng the state convention ON Tuesday.
h" mailed the official returns from that
country addressed 10 the state secretary
M +. Paso. and in the same envclopc with
The returns he also sent a list OF the dele
gates 10 the state convention from that
county together with their credentials. and
that they could not have opened the letter
and taken ont one Of these papers with
out coming m contact with the other. They
did recognize and seat the delegates from
Montague County on the authority of thi,
crcdcntial. lint claim never ~ have received
the returns. The vote in this county alone
would have given me the nomination. |
have m my possession a letter from Hon.
W. \. Smith. chairman If the democratic
executive committee Of san Saba Comfy
F" ~" :" "'N lhat N' sent ~ the returns
from hi~ county by special delivery letter.
and according 10 n report made bv the
postmaster M III Paso "a the postmaster
at San Saba. this special delivery letter
was rccciptcd for in III PaSo III the name
of both the state chairman and the state
secretary on Saturday IA 10 o'clock pr,-
cedlng the opening of the state convention
an Tuesday. The vote from thi, county
would also have Given me ,ba ,,,,;,.