Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1920-06-22
THREE IN RACE
FOR CHAIRMAN
Judge Wells Also Out---Co.
Executive Committee is
Boosted to Is.

Two developments that arose out
OF the meeting Monday afternoon Of
the democratic county executive com
mittee cranked up political gossip and
set It in motion, and the gears were
ser to high speed today.
development No. THE revelation
that Judge James B. Wells, far from
retiring or desiring To retire as coun-
ty chairman, which position he has
held for the past thirty years or long
er, had filed his application with him
self for place no the ballot, for re-
election.
development No. 2-The sudden
decision of the executive committee TO
change the plan of representation on
the executive committee from Justice
precinct representation TO voting pre-
cinct representation. This means
that instead of there being eight com
mitteemen and chairman, as has
been the case for many years past,
there will now be twenty-five COM
mItteemen atd the chairman-one
committeeman for each Of the twenty
live precincts in the county.
Another important action of the
committee was the fixing of the as
sessments against candidates for the
primary expenses, and here, too, the
change in the times have been noted
It's the high cost Of holding prima-
ries. Offices that heretofore were
assessed at $3.50 were assessed at
$500; offices that formerly brought
assessments at Sl25 are now $250,
and the doubling up has been almos.
all the way down.
Candidates for county Judge will
pay $500. Those desiring TO be coun-
ty attorney will pay $3.50; $50 for
district clerk; $500 for county clerk;
$3.50 for sheriff; $l00 for treasurer:
800 for superintendent Of public in
struction; S25 for hide and animal
inspector; S25 for county commits.
sioner; $40 for justice Of the peace,
and $40 for constable.
Candidates desiring 10 retire be-
fore July 4 may do so without incur
ring the primary expense.
In some quarters Monday. in view
of the fact that Judge Wells rarely
or never discusses his intentions with
others. it was predicted that when the
complete list Of candidates was an
nounced. the name Of the chairman
would be found thereon, but in others
it was believed that he would retire
However. this may be. with three
of the most prominent democrats in
hn ~ ha g.
chairman, interest in this campaign
is growing greater and greater with
each passing day. The entry Of judge
Samuel Spears Of San Benito was
something Of bombshell in the Sea
bury ranks, where it il said that on
several occasions Judge Spears had
been asked to become a candidate for
the place, but had refused. He had
also been asked TO do so by San Ben
ito friends, without result.
Judge Seabury was solicited a.
early As last February to make the
race. and in May a petition was
drawn up in San Benito. and which
was literally signed. asking him to
be candidate for county chairman.
He took the matter under advise
ment, and announced last Friday The
Spears announcement was filed on the
same day, June lS.
Political gossip has il that Judge
Spears is in the race to help the Wells
campaign along, in view of the prob
ability that he will cut down the vote
that Judge Seabury would otherwise
have gotten at San Benito, while
Judge Wells himself will be able 10
swing the extreme south end of the
county through his own influence.
Seabury men at San Benito say. how
ever. that since they are responsible
to large extent for Judge Seabury's
entry they are going to see him
through. They say also that with
Judge Wells in the race, Judge Spears
has little or no chance of being elect
ed to the place. and that the race viii
really be between Judge Wells and
Judge Seabury. should all parties
stay through to the end of the cam
paign.
The increase in the executive COM
mittee is also receiving attention on
corner and curb in Brownsville. In
some quarters il is set forth that five
men of the so-called reform" ele-
ment has filed for executive commit
teemen, which would have given this
element at least five out of the eight
votes in the committee, and which
would have had the effect of making
the chairman virtually figurehead.
in the event Judge Wells or Judge
Spears was elected.
But there is another side to this,