Evening star., 1925-12-09
BY MIRIAM 4. FERG USON,
G0veynov Of Texas


Govevnov Of Texas.
THE OBJECTION TO MY HUSBAND
HELPING ME-.
AUSTIN. Tex, December 9.-My
opponents have been raising mighty
howl because my husband aids me-.
gives me the benefit of his experience
in Texas politfcs-and God pity the
governor who can get no experienced
advice In Texas politics-sits in my
Office with me. and counsels with me
over my executive acts.
They 60 around saving he Is Gov
ernor of Texas
They say he is the real head Of the
state.
They say he has the final say.so in
every important question.
For e6 years James F.. Ferguson
has been giving me advice. helping
me. counseling with me. For 2s
years I have been giving James F..
Ferguson advice, helping him, coun.
selling with him.
Is there more crime in one than the
OF her of us?
When l announced my candida CIV
for governor i announced that my
rely on his experience and his advice.
In all his years of public life ne
brought his problems to me and we
discussed them. worried over them.
and decided them ! made no pre-.
tense that | would not take my prob
lens to him. Yet this is one of the
biggest sins ] have committed accord.
Ing to these wolves who howl at my
door
Where could I get more disinter,
ested advice than from my husba nd
Glad TO Get Advice.
Yes, it IL true he sits in my Office
with me-and | thank God that he is
here. True. he gives me advice on al
sorts of Questions-and ! tina nix God
that / can get such advice.
But as for my husba nd ha wing the
final saY-so in questions of state. !
make no bones about bra nding tha I
as lie. have not been married
all these wears without learning how
to tell my husban nd about it when |
disa gree with him-a nd, of course, we
do not always agree And when
know that | am right. | can tell you
pretty plainly just why and how my
word and my saySo is the last word
on that particular question as far as
] am concerned.
The objection by my political enc
mics TO James r.. Ferguson being my
adviser In based on the gang hatred
that has followed him through the
wears OF his public life in Texas: the
same gang hatred that he aroused
years ago when ne was elected gov.
ernor without gang help. that un
Justly drove him from office that was
intensified by his fight on the Ku kluN
klan and by this unusual fsct-lines
re sharply marked in Texas: voters
are either pro-Ferguson or anti-Fersu
son: there are few, II any. neutra Is
on our question.
The 50 me Texans who damn me SO
heartily because my husba nd advises
me are among the very people who
pride themselves that a Texan. Col
Edward NJ. House. was the adviser OF
President Woodrow. Wilson. They
boa sted that Texan was. as they
openly put it. the power behind the
Presidential throne
II IT was quite regular for Wood.
row Wilson to have an adviser IL IL
Is right for Mr.. Stearns of Boston
to he the confidential friend of Presi
dent Coolidge. why is it wrong for
me to have such an aid?
Cites Opponents Case.
1t Is known fact that one Of the
men who is fighting me hardest, just
a he fought my husba nd eight years
ago. a man who has sat In the gov
ernor's chair of this state. took ad
vice in every question from his wife
1t is known that she aided him
counseled with him. advised him, con
trolled him.
Did they condemn that administra
ton! They did not.
NV husha nd has as broad an
acuua inta nee in Texas as any man in
the State. II he doesn't know. per
sonally. a man rpcommende for office
in this State. he knows the man or
men from whom the record can he
secured. Why Is II wrong for me
to take advantage OF that knowledge?
Yet | am up against just such criti
cisms.
There IL never day in the gov,
ernors Office that some man does not
come In to tell me something like
this:
Now. Mrs. Ferguson. 1 don't want
YOU to think that l am trying to run
your ONCE or tell you what to do
But IL l were In your place. I'd do
so-a nd. so-or I'd appoint so-and-se."
Isn't that advice. Isn't that the sort
of counsel that every governor oi
every State in this Union gets day
by day? Isn't that the sore Of thing
for which a President appoints a
cabinet? Is 1t possible for any one
executive to know all about all the
questions that come before him or her.
Common sense tells you the answer
to these questions. Yet II seems tina,
common sense has little to do with
the hatred / face.
When an executive wishes to make
make as l have made. as 1 will make
before complete my term. despite
my enemies. that executive asks 70,
nd accepts advice. And I ask again
where could l sst more disintereste6
advice than my own husband car
give me?
Will Vindicate Name.
Why should l wish to accomplish
anything else than the best admin
istration that any Governor of Texa,
ever had? Did / not run on a plat
form Of vindication of my famil.
name, and having been granted b,
the voters of this State an oppor
tunity to do that, should l not ust
every advantage 1 have to leave Z
finer record than has over gone before
me? In such circumstances. Is 1t no.
rea asonable that my husba nd woult
WISH 10 give Hle lHe peSl huNiCe ~
can, since his interest Is the same
Is mine?
Is there anything criminal In sucf
interest and such advice?
They condemn me because my hus
ba nd often interviews people for me
Does not every executive have trustee
advisers who interview people an,
rive confidential reports on such in
terviews?
| Since / took Office, as one Of tn
! moves toward State economy / cut tn
appropriation for my own Office In tn
State Capitol consid erably below tina