The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-07-26
(staff Correspondence
Dallas, Tex, July II, 1919.
A Note of DiscOrd.


Dallas, Tex, July 81, 1919.
A Note Of DiscOrd.
/ CHANGED to see in leading white
daily newspaper printed in North
Texas city, what purported to be
report Of speech made several DAYS
ago by former Congressman X: L..
Henry of Texas, at Lexington, Texas,
before a picnic crowd of several
thousand people, among whom were a
number of ex-Confederate soldiers.
The effort was intended as rebuke
to the recent special session OF the
Texas Legislature for its part IN
the recent suffrage legislation.
After charging the members Of the
legislature of having trampled and
spat upon that for which Southern
soldiers fought and died, State rights,
and he told the world war veterans
that eff some of the things that hap
pened, in Texas and in this country
while you were fighting in France are
allowed to be perpetuated, your fight
for liberty and democracy will have
been in vain" He declared that a
campaign should be inaugurated to
undo what the Legislature had done.
Mr.. Henry read from the Texas
Constitution the declaration that "all
political power is inherent in the
people, etc" "and yet" he said, ION
the face of this Texas Constitution a
Legislature that had the answer, No,
from majority of $4,000 Texas vot-
ers on the woman suffrage question
defied those instructions, scorned the
will of the people and said that with
the aid of New Jersey, New York and
other States they would give Texas
women suffrage anyhow.
Public Will "Flouted."
"No more discreditable thing was
ever done by Legislature. If our
Senators and Representatives have set
themselves up to act in a manner SUI
perior to the people what has become
of the peoples right to govern them
selves? What has become of local
self government and States rights if
Legislature can emDezzle power,
steal an election and flout the will
of the people? Every one of these men
should be retired to private life and
never hold office again, for the people
can't trust such men,"
Anti-WOman Stand.
Mr.. Henry said that during the revo-
luton and during the Civil War
Women made sacrifices, but they did
not, because thereof, demand the
ballot when the war ended. But to-
Jo,, ,.,o ara ALL xro,,,a,, chou1d ho
allowed to vote because they helped
win the war. SWELL" he said, "if they
are going to elect Legislatures like
the one we have at Austin now, say
God pity the State that has full women
suffrage"
He said that during the woman's
suffrage debate at Austin he heard a
"little simlin-headed fellow" in the
gallery say Estates rights. Pm tired
of States rights. To hell with States
rights. 1t has got nothing to do
with this question"
Calls COIOred Man "Nigger."
"Then," said Mr.. Henry, 81 walk
ed down the capitol grounds past that
monument inscribed 'They Died for
States Rights Guaranteed Under the
Constitution, and yet you veterans,
there is a spirit abroad in the land
today that says destroy States rights,
that saws you shall not even be allow
ed to vote on the question or if you
do that your instructions will be scorn-
ed or disobeyed. | still believe in
State rights. ] still believe the Con
federate soldiers fought not only foT
what they believed was right, but for
what was absolutely and unqualifiedly
right. / still believe a white man is
little better than niger and / am
going to stick to it."
He appealed to the people to shave
clean up in Texas" to elect to the
Legislature men who are genuinely
Democrats; to exile politically those
who have refused to obey The will of
the people.
He referred to "a Governor veto
ing perfectly legal and constitutional
bill allowing soldiers to VOTE" and then
fearing the result, the Governor
called a special session, and there
wasn't one of them who would vote
against it with the boys coming home
although it was different when they
thought there would be an ocean be-
tween them and the soldiers"
He spoke of the "rascally tricksp OF
the Legislature in attempting t.
'bring woman suffrage in by the back
door with the help of New Jersey
and other States after the people OF
Texas refused to allow it to enter
by the front door"
If l had not read this speech in
reliable new spaper should have
refused to believe it. So far as what
Mr.. Henry has to say against white
women voting, leave it untouched
He delivered himself OF orthodox
republican doctrine, when he declared
against the Legislature and it's acts.
As for his reference to the white
man being a little better than q
Niger" | make answer by repeating
the words of the New York World
during the war, to a southern white
man who was voicing the Henry
sentiment about the colored soldier
The World said: Whoever thinks
that he is better than a colored man
the place to show it is on the West.
ern front in France"
1t is late in the day of civilization
too late--for any American to. give
utterance to such sentiments as are
here attributed to Mr.. Henry. We
are now world power, having beer
initiated in fire and baptized in blood
we come forth today to take oui
places as the common citizenry of q
common country. AS we, year ago
matched shoulder to shoulder, know
ing no North. no South, no white, nc
black in the effort to make the worlc
safe for Democracy, let us not forget
that overness of purpose is absolute
ly necessary to preserve that Dem.