Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1915-02-20

In said general election, and It would
not take many to make up the % per
cent, so we conclude that under said
law we must call a urinary election.
However, we feel that the Democracy
of the city OF Bryan do not want any,
and that our calling same Is done by
us merely to be within the law The
reason OF the petition is we'll known
to us; not that every signer of same
or a majority thereof wishes TO he
unfair or unjust but there is no ade-
Quate reason why we should have
a primary this year. In fact, all rea.
sons are against il. II you are asked
why the petition was presented you
are told that (, Is fear that the ne.
groes. will vote, and an examination
Of the poll tax list will disclose that
only about thirty negroes paid their
poll tax in the city of Bryan and
some 400 whites paid theirs. It seems
rather a joke 10 think thirty negroes
ruling 400 whites. Another reason
given Is that We must give up the
party machinery. In answer to that
We must say that the custom has not
been to have a primary every year
For 1913 there was no primary, and
any citizen can cast his mind back
for years before in which there was
no primary in the city OF Bryan.
We therefore conclude that the sole
and only reason OF this demand for a
primary is that it will in some way
carry out such plans Of some person or
persons 10 defeat some candidate or
some prospective candidate for some
office; in other words. the primary is
not for the good of the city, but for
the good of politics; most every one
knows that one of the aldermen is
not affiliated with the Democratic
party for reasons Of his own, but a
man can be a good citizen, a useful
member OF society and a good alder
man without being a Democrat, and
we believe that if a man makes good
and has made an honest effort to pro.
mote the welfare of the city of Bryan
that he shall be given an opportunity
to go before the people and ask that
he be continued in office in order to
see whether the people appreciate his
efforts or not, and if they no longer
want him they can tell him so by their
votes, but for US to say to him, in 1913
we let the bars down and you ran for
office, and was elected, you have held
office for two years and everywhere
we hear praise of your good work;
/ that you have been a financier and
have helped the city materially, but
because you do not believe in free
trade and the income tax like We do,
you are not worthy to put yourself up
to be shot at.
We realize the fact that there has
been some trouble in securing good
men for aldermen in the city of Bryan;
that every man that runs feels like
he is making a sacrifice, and he is,
both of time and of patience, material
being scarce, rather men who have
1.-THE time or who will take the time
being scarce, yet we further wish to
limit the men by drawing political
lines.
So we say we do not wish to be par.
ties to nor do we wish to aid and sue.
cor those who desire this primary, but
since we have no voice in the matter
except to follow the law as it is writ
ten, and realizing that we have done
all we could honorably do to prevent
politics from interfering with good
government, and that we feel that
there is a misunderstanding in the
matter and that many of the signers
to the petition would gladly have their
names erased, but it will teach those
lesson that from now on they will
at least contemplate minute before
they sign and that they will look be
fore they leap, for we belRve beyond
any custom that the Democrats of the