The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-07-26
BAILEY LEADING
IN TEXAS PRIMARY
Open Shop Candidate
Polls Surprising Vote
For Governor

DALLAS. Texas. July 26.--dat NJ.
Neff. OF Waco gained slowly on JOS
eph w. Bailey. former United States
senator from Texas in the contest
for the democratic gubernatofiai nom
inatlon when $4,000 votes from
saturdays primary had been tabu-
lated today by the Texas election
bureau but IL became Increasingly
evident that neither would score
majority and would be opponents in
run-off primary August IS.
Bailey. who ran on an "open. shop"
platform had i15.536 votes accord
Ing 10 the unofficial tabulation which
included returns from gao counties
Neffs vote totaiied 11i.4fT.
Thonrison Tbirf
Robert +. Thomson, speaker OF
the Texas house OF representatives
still was In third place with 1904.
and Il. r. I.ooney. FORMER state at
torney general trailed with ss.066.
Political observers sun believed
that the total would run between
$4,000 and 500. zoe and II wns be-
lieved that later tabulations would
contlnuc the ratio which has been
maintained virtually since the first
few thousand votes were counted. In
the five cornercd contest for lieu
tenant governor II was indicated w.
a. johnson. incumbent and Lynch
Davidson would contest In the run
off primary.
on face OF present returns the So
called home ownership plan will carry
by good majority the vote already
tabulated favoring II almost two to
one.
The race for the nomination In
Texas has been one Of the most spec
tacular Of many thrilling contests In
the state.
For Open sI.op
Bailey aligned himself with the
open shop movement and vigorously
opposed prohibition and woman suf-
frage and fought the Wilson admin
istration In It's efforts to win the del
egailon to the National Democratic
convention.
Organized labors strength In the
campaign was split between Neff and
Robert r. Thompson formerly speak
er OF the lower house OF legislature.
Bailey lost the support of adminis-
tration democrats when he toured the
state before the state democratic con-
vention for the purpose OF controlling
precinct and county conventions and
/ electing delegates TO the state con-
ventlon who were unfriend.y to the
administration. His efforts were
Overwhelmingly defeated In the pre-
cincts contests. with the result that
, less than "a half dozen counties sent
delegations to the state convention
| opposing the administration.
Following his crushing defeat In
I the preliminary test Of strength MIR.
/ Bailey left the state. II was perHis-
tenily rumored that he would not be
a candidate for governor. Just a few
/ days before the time expired for I'LL
| ing his candidacy with the state DEM
ocratic executive committee, he re-
turned and set these rumors at rest
by formally entering his name as
! candidate.
Open Shop Movement
Finding himself without an issue
/ the formrr senator began trimming
his sails to catch any breeze that
! promised to enhance his political fu-
| ture. The open shop movement ap-
| pealed to him and he sensed an OPP
/ portunity to regain political prestige
/ by aigning himself with the move
/ ment which has the support OF Cham
/ hers Of Commerce and other business
organizations throughout the state.
H. declared himself unquahfiedly
against the closed-shop position and
carried his fight into every part OF
the state on that issue.
Bailey will have to reckon with his
unpopularity among supporters OF the
administration. the possibility Of the
women who are permitted to vote In
both primaries. ard tho opposition OF
/ the advocates OF prohibition In the
/ the final race Whether his advocacy
Of the open shop. which all indica-
/ tions point to as the popular issue,
will enable him TO overcome these
/ other handicaps. can only be answer
ed by the voters themselves.