The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-03
TEXAS PLATFORM DENOUNCES KHAN, URGES ECONOMY
Ferguson Element In Ab- solute Control Of Con-
 ventiOn At Austin
fBx Associated Press.)

CAPITOL, AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 2.-Proclaiming no quarter for the Ku Klux Klan, adopting platform which denounced the klan and declared for strict economy in government and according complete recognition of Mrs. Miriam A. Ferguson as the democratic nominee for governor, the state demo- cratic convention went through voci- ferrous sessions here today with the Ferguson element in absolute and audible control. As night fell on the capitol the meeting was still continu- ing with the permanent organization effected only short time before by the election of Joseph Weldon Bailey, former United States senator as the chairman and Senator Burkett of Eastland as secretary.
 The day was crowded with bitter denunciation ,of the klan and its meth ods with heated oratory, climbed by a masterful appeal of Senator Bailey for peace and marked by warm accla- nation for Mrs. Ferguson and her husband, James B. Ferguson, who, with their daughters sat on the speaker s platform throughout the day.
 Delegations Ousted
 To be certain that the convention would be 100 per cent anti-klan all klan delegations were busted and every attempt of the klan delegates to place their friends on important committees was decisively defeated by election of substitute committeeman favorable to the convention majority. In this man. ner committee members favorable to the anti-klan element from the fourth district of Orange, Jefferson, Liberty and Hardin counties from the thir- teenth, districts were seated. A bitter fight over the Dallas county committee selections, brought former Gov. c. B. Colquitt and Lieutenant Governor Davidson into the fray attempting vainly to stop the proceedings.
 That's what they did to use at Waco" shouted many of the delegates. Its their own medicine"
 Even some of the Ferguson delega- tion protested at the method one dele gation explaining that it was not ne- cessary to adopt such decisive methods since Fergusons were in control by five to one. The flaying of the klan con tinued, however until the job was com pleted.
 A klan voice might be heard occasion ally in the early stages of the conven- tion but by evening there appeared to be left not single murmur of the or ganization which has controlled several democratic conventions.
 A platform, presented to the plat form committee by Mir. Ferguson asked for rigid economy in the state govern ment.
 ''To the accomplishment of this pur- pose," read the platform, "the demo- cratic party cheerfully endorses and commends the candidacy of Miriam A. Ferguson for governor and approves her platform, demanding a material re- duction in legislative appropria ations. We demand that the legislature give due and proper respect to her election by the peopll on a platform of busi- ness and economy.
 The klan was handled in these words:
 "The democratic party of Texas in convention assembled, bodily, em- rhatically and without reservation con temns and denounces what is known as the Invisible empire and the Ku K lux Kan as an undemocratic, anti-christian and un-American organizati tion. We brand such activities in politics and elsewhere as treason against the state and nation and treason against the fundamental principles upon which the government was founded. We call up on all these who have joined this dan. gerous order, through mistake as to its real purposes to withdraw and lend their aid to free the country from the strife and trouble which this secret and insidious clique has arOused:''