The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-09-08
GOV. rEncusoS's CASE.

Fcrgueon OF Texas. VINO IN now on
trial defending Impeachment charges
drought aalrst him. has attracted
more Than ordinary interest. for the
treason that Texas In tho past has not
been a. " particular a. she might have
been in keeping her officials In the
straight and narrow path. In fac.
without attempting 20 cast any as
,perSlons on the state. tho Texans ave
never taken their politics seriously.
They played the game according to
the rules OF long ago and white they
played Il with all the vlgor they conld
command and the contest made llfe-
Hong enemies In many cases. they adj
hercd closely to the ancient axiom
THAT the spoils are the rightful prop
erty Of the victor end let It so at that.
Governor Ferguson. a Temple bank-
err. started out. as many other poiiti-
clans have dore. under the most au-
Ispicious circumstances. Almost I'M
known and without previous expert
ence In politics. he entered the race
for the go~vernorship in 1914 on the
platform tina TEXAS had had too
much politics; that the wet ms dry
objection which was then agitatine the
state should be shelved for the time
being and that n buslness-iixe admin
tration IVES the n great need CT
the commonwealth. In fact. follow
ing his nomination the first time he
wrote the party's platform at III Paso.
defeating a plank against national
prohibition proposed by senator Jo-
seph w. Bailey.
His first administration as governor
ran along tremendously. His campaign
for reelection developed controversies
however. with the result that charges
sgainst his campaign fund and other
financial dealings were published ~
his opponents as paid advertising
AFTER being reelected the governor
coIlectcd apologies from his opponent
and damages TO the exteat OF $500
from The san Antonio Express be-
cauze OF the charges made.
The university quarrel. which
brought on the present impeachment
trial. broke early last spring when the
lgovernor demanded. requested or sug
~,gested that President vinson OF the
University of Texas dismiss certain
members of the faculty. His difficult
tiles increased measurably on Febru-
larry ~ 1917. when old election
charges and new questioning regard
ing his handling of state funds were
raised against him. on March 8 a
resolution calling for his impeaeh-
ment was introduced in the state legis-
%lature. The investigating committee
recommended CRITICISM but not inn
peachent. But when he vetoed the
%entire appropriation for the main uni
~versity and the medical school, the
whole state went loco mad" and on
August / Speaker Fuller called upoH
the house-the legislature then being
in special session-to consider the
matter OF Impeachment proceedings.
Some OF the governors remarks
Ibesring on his fight against the uni
~verslty are classic. Asserting that he
was engaged In u death struggle %
he was asked on the stand u il was
Inot true that he was "A member oi
lone Of the Greek letter societies which
he had been sneerlng at
II don't know" he replied. Some
OF the members invited me TO become
an honorary or ornery member Of an
apple pie society. and they c,mo over
10 the mansion and gave me the
hunger high sign.
, That heightened stuff at the uni
, ~versity amt doing the people any
good some Of his gems continue
''They've got eighty girls over there
doing domestic economy work. and
IN bet ! can take any Of en- and the,
> can't preserve a can OF peaches No Il
viii keep five days. The unlver.
E sity provides too much favortism Tor
too few people
{ Governor Ferguson went into offc,
as the poor mans friend. but evidence
brought out during his trial shows that
. while he ma have been all that. IA,
was somewhat OF n financial Jungle,
. who handled the state funds to m,
. advantage Of the bank which he con.
ltroiied No harm came from his II
2 Is true. bat the example IL not AN
= enyia hle one FOR a man in such a hisi
. position % set