Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-06-14
POLITICAL
PARADE
BY George
RotheweII Brown

TEXAS ! is going to have a
= chance this year to have
another woman governor, who
would be the second in Lone
Star history, and the first since
Miriam A. (Ma) Ferguson COM
pleted her second reign at Aus
tin in 1885.
Mas first term expired in
1927, 10 years after her hus-
band. Gov. Jim Ferguson. had
been impeached and removed.
She was swept back into office
in the Roosevelt landslide of
1882.
If another Roosevelt landslide
should be in the making down
Rio Grande way, il may do as
much for Mrs. Minnie Fisher
Cunningham. who has thrown
her new Easter bonnet slam
bang into the ring for the Demo-
cratic gubernatorial nomination.
During the recent Democratic
ruckus in the Texas state CAPT.
tai, when Texas Democrats were
split by a bolt of the Roosevelt
fourth termers, I found myself
sitting in the rump convention
beside an alert, bright brown
eyed woman who was among the
most ardent OF the New Deal
boilers.
CHE was no stranger. for from
~ 1889 TO l943-in Washing
ton-she had been in charge of
rural women's work. under the
Agricultural Adjustment Admin
istration. She had resigned in
huff over the celebrated gag
rule" imposed in the matter OF
increased production OF food,
after which she fought the rule
by way of individual letters to
every member of Congress and
finally secured its repeal.
For nine years she also has
been editor OF the extension
service in educational work al
the Texas Agricultural and Me-
chanical College. at College Sta
ton. in Brazos County.
That school," she told me,
"has contributed more officers
to the army In this war than
West Point has"
Her brilliant eyes snapped as
she said meaningly-'and they
are all writing letters TO me-"
II is. OF course. mighty
good thing for any candidate
for public office right now, 10 be
in touch with the soldier vote"
Mrs. Cunningham, moreover. in
World War l was state chair
man for women in the Liberty
Loan drives. In other words,
she is widely known throughout
Texas.
81 am going to make my cam
paign for governor, added this
energetic farmer-she is a
widow and runs" 1,200-acre
farm in Walker County-"on
an a card and n one-plnnk
platform. I am going TO mo-
billie the whole state behind the
war effort, and n I probably
won't be able TO get enough gas
am going 10 cover Texas by
bus. oh. it's no hardshlp-Fye
done II before, and can do IL
again"
MRS. CUNNINGHAM pro-
A'1 poses to fire her main and
auxiliary batteries al Gov. Coke
Stevenson. who is candidate
10 succeed himself, and who
thus carefully kept in his bomb
proof shelter in Austin while
the big split In the party was
being organized. She Will charge
him with being anti-war and
anti-New Deal
As a result Of the bolt OF the
Roosevelt faction from the state
Democratic convention. a move
ment has been launched 10
enter Tom Miller. mayor OF Aus
tin. in the gubernatorial race.
From formerly having been
critical OF certain New Deal
policies-in 1912 he planned TO
run for Congress against ardent
New Dealer Lyndon Johnson
he came over to the fourth-term
camp, and was one OF the most
active members of the boiling
faction at the state convention.
Another interesting candidate
for Coke Stevenson's job is A.
NJ. Ferguson, q brother of for
mer Governor Jim. And there
are two or three others among