Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-07-22
Change of Personnel
in the office of
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF TEXAS
Urged by Thomas B. Love
Candidate for Lieutenant Governor
In speech at Brownsville, Texas, Monday Night, july 9 1928
Urged by Thomas B. Love
In a speech at Brownsville, Texas, Monday Nj,

! stand for pitiess publicity Of campaign funds. and tried in
the State Senate last year to create a Campaign Fund investigating
COMMITTEE like the Reed committee of the U. S. Senate. to sit dur
ing this primary campaign and examine candidates and campaign
managers under oath and make public the facts before the election.
s. that the voters might know who was putting up money to elect
Or defeat candidates and how it was being used.
In 1926 I was a candidate for the state senate in the Dallas dis
trrt a main supporter Of my opponent a Lieutenant Governor
larry Miller a candidate for a third term in that high office.
mai issue in the campaign Of 1926 was the reform Of the high
way department, which had admittedly paid to the American Road
Company 100000 Of the peoples money that it was not entitled "
and which Attorney General Dan Moody had compelled it to disgorre
under an agreed Judgment.
denounced the American Road Company IN every speech I
made and Gov. Moody did. and saw my opponent sit on the plat
form in Dallas and applaud Gov. MOOdys denunciatiOn OF the
American Read Go. in a speech there just before the primary.
AFTER the primary my opponent, whom defeated BY 27OO ma
ment showing that he accepted a donation" of 500 to his am
paign fund from the president Of the American Road %. He also
swore that $5s5, Q r fve-sixths of his campaign fund was optribut-
ed by Hon. Barry Miller, lieutenant governor Of Texas. then a candi.
late or a third term; and an interview with Lieutenant Governor
Miller was published in a Dallas paper shortly after this report was
MED; stating that this $685. contribution a not his money.
n lieutenant governors name wa used as a dummy. lust as
VIII Hays used the names Of high government officials a. dummy
contributors to conceal the source Of Harry sinhars CONTRIBUTORS
TO the republican national campaign fund.
The lieutenant governors interview about this contribution d.
IAreu tney VIII ~ a hard time proving that was my money
my esoiutio had been in force during the campaign Of 1925 the
democrats Of my district would have known thees facts before the
psamsIy, ns'ead 4 arterWard' and my majority would have been ten
When the bills providing revenues for the State Highway Com
mission were pending before the State Senate last year. | offered
a an Amendment, ar additional section. which would have renpired
every person firm o r corporation holding any contract involving the
payment OF highway funds out Of the State Treasury to file AZ Aus-
TN and with the County Clerk Of each County in which work i.
IN obtaining such contracts and what compensation, IL NJ -
paid to any and all persons for such assistance. and what cor,-;hr
tions had been made 70 any and all campaign fundx n M So.
oy the contractor o r any agent or representative of the contractor
The Lieutenant Governor or Texas. Hon. Barry Miller. who ii
now a candidate for reelection for a third term. ruled this Amend
ment out Of order and il fell by the wayside. It seemed 70 me that
MS parliamentary decision wrong; that the Senate had tbe
power C prescribe reasonable conditions, in a bfi providing the
state Highway Commission with revenues. for the expenditure of
those revenues ! had pledged myself a a candidate for the State
senate TO endeavor to procure this Legislation and 7 did nv bas,
70 redeem this pledge and it net my fault that failed !
to procure this same legislation for pituess nuhjictr II = \ en Io..o
OF State Highway Contracts in the next Legislature whether he
your votes. l preside over its deliberations Is Lieutenant Coyernor
Q z whether ] am Senator IN the floor.
Speaking of Highway Legislation. whether ! am elected y d.
next Legislature Of the automobile license fees now collected from,
= more than a million automobile owners Of Texas. in addition u
! wanted to see this relief granted BY the Legislature two ear
ago 2 coneiusively convinced by our State Highway Commits
sion that the accomplishment Of its great work would be- servion. .,
!eoparolzeo IL TINS reduction in revenues we're then made. and that
the cost to the automobile owners resulting from traffic over had
roads especially over the scandalous gaps in our main highways
many Of which are now being eliminated. would cost the automo.
pie owners in tires and car damage many times what the reduc-
ton in license fees would IA them.
Also ! do not believe that the Lieutenant Governor Of this State
ought TO exert any influence or have any interest in the letting
q contracts either for road construction Q for the purchase Of
equipment by the State Highway Commission and whether / am
elected or defeated ! pledge myself to support measures IN the
next legislature making any such interest II the exercise of such
influence unlawful There is no law against it Of which I IN aware.
70 ms connection IS a matter Of public duty, want to call
your attention to the testimony, officially published BY the State.
before the Investigating committee Of the seth Legislature n 100
OF John N. Cage. of Erath County, who had been formerly a member
of the State Highway Commission. I am sure this testimory i ~.
because it was sent out by the Associated Press and published in
the newspapers at the time and has never been questioned. In nv
n of Texas the benefit Of those facts. | will rea ! . ene fro onpf h-
testimony as printed on page $50 Of the proceedings Of the Inves-
ugating Committee published by the State.
Mr.. Cage testified that while he was Highway Commissioner
under appointment Of Governor Ferguson, James 4. Ferguson and
All members OF the Highway Commission together with the
Lieutenant Governor and a State Senator held a meeting in the
Governors office at Austin and he detailed the matters considercd
by this conference.
when Mr. Cage was asked what the present Lieutenant Covsrpor
hon. Barry Miller, who is a candidate for a third term and ubo w.,
tnn Leutenan Governor, had to do with this conference. he texti-
fled Is follows:
answer; n e wanted u to let one job. I believe IL ~ Amauf.a
to his son. who was $S37OOO higher than the next one.
question; He wanted you to let his son have one job Of retop,
ping? "WP'
Answer: Yes, sir.
Question:; Well. what occurred between the Governor -. :
ferguson), the Lieutenant Governor Barry Miler). and vo,rr.I,s
answer; Wen. Barry, got mad because " z would not let ~.
boy have the contract.
Question: What did he say?
Answer He got pretty mad about IL.
Question: ! say, what did he say?
Answer: He could not understand WHY We didnt f,-n~o Y. ..
way. He figured It out a different way. you understand tbsr
otner fellows. Barry said this-and one thing he wasn't mad
at me, but he was mad at Moseley. on account that he had inoujr.d
OF Moseley about, the bid checks. and understand now that Moselev
had wired him that IL would take a s25,00OO0 check on each bid, in