The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-03
Politics In Texas
By RALPH CESSNA

Six-foot-Six, good-natured Jess SWeeten.
Sheriff OF Henderson County, Texas drew his
shiny, nickle-plated forty-five, and calmly
blazed away. He missed the man standing
there, Tot rs feet from him, Jimmie" Alfred,
former Governor of Texas, potential candidate
for the same job again this year. Again big
Jess loaded, aimed, and squeezed off a shot
that echoed out over the lake. He missed
again. This time it was Case March, another
gubernatorial aSpirant.
Everyone rushed forward and congratulated
no, not Mr.. Alfred and Mr.. March for coming
of unscathed. but the sheriff. Big Jess is a
trlck-shot artist, and he was showing his wares
at an old-fashioned Democratic barbecue. He
wasn't shooting at the men, of course. but at
big Idaho potatoes each held on the end of a
stick in the gentlemen's teeth. And he didn't
miss the potatoes. 1t seemed a slow way to
peel spuds but it was an exciting demonstra-
ton Of skill, and good fun. I
Your correspondent was fortunate to stumble
onto the barbecue. He was invited in by
Arch Underwood, oil and cotton compress
operator, who keeps a camp" just outside
Athens for outings such as this. Democratic
precinct committeeman, candidates for office,
neWspapermen and neighbors turned out for
barbecued and fried chicken, story swapping,
political fence building, and speeches.
Jess Sweeten's introduction, put on, by the
10y va eS fNAPSSS, ~ WoS ANNOUNCED ONSl
the loud-speaker system, of honoring the
presence Of your correspondent, was signi-
fieant. For nothing could have demonstrated
better that political arguments are no longer
settled as Of old down this way by six-guns
than the discussion that followed. 1t was a
virtual school in democratic political action
at the precinct level.
Over their beans and chicken bones these
TAUas -~L ILL.,
estly about choosing and getting out delegates
for county conventions, about the women folk
helping on the telephone, about putting mo-
tons and how to outmaneuver opponents a la
Roberts Rules Of Order. A skilled parliament
tartan gave them some of the finer points, all
a part Of this modern machinery which takes
the place of the old law Of the frontier.
Did you know. by the way, that if you are
chairman of a meeting, and want a chal-
lenged ruling to be upheld, you should put
the question so that not the yeas but the
noes are in your favor? NO. it seems,
in a chorus sounds much louder than YEA
Also, the noes vote last, and by that time
they know how much noise they must make
to beat the yeas"
Jimmie Alfred, once the hoy Governor Of
this immense and virile State, made a poll
teal speech. He hasn't said that he will run
for Governor in the July primary. But an
other potential candidate, Bob Calvert, said
later that with the edges polished off Jim
mics talk would do f~irst-rate for a CAMPAIGN
opener.
These people, of course, were not sharpen
ing their tools to beat the Republicans. A
Republican is an oddly who has lust moved
IN from the North. Less than 10 per cent Of
the total vote in general elections is cast bv
Republicans in Texas. The job OF this group
OF New Deal Democrats is to lick the So
called regular" Democrats, in the primary
or IN the run-of. The regulars, as you may
guess, are the anti-New Dealers, the conser-
vatlves, who are Republicans at heart but
VINO still don't like the sound of the word.
Texas politics is always a complex but a
heartfelt matter. Driving along a winding
gravel road into Arch's camp, I noted a
freshly painted sign on a tree. An arrow point
ed off in one direction. The sign said, sheep
dip for Regulars"
Fortunately there was no such preparation
for Yankees such as I. To the contrary a
visitor of whatever political hue couidn't
have been treated more royalty. Aside frcm
the fact that Jess invited me to hold = nlaving
card in my hand, thin-edge toward him
while he chewed off one end with a az bullet
the occasion was without CHALLENGE or fa1ss
note. ~
They're not only ingenious in politics in the
Lone star State. Driving home, a LITTLE h,,;ld-
ing az ue gate OF the Underwood estate was
,at, SAID my host, sis a peach defuzzer',
49, ve " or not, inside was a contrivance
%,-zad ss.uaIy taxes the fuzz off peaches. De-
ter = psa.nes' 1T seems, polish and sell bet
,uzz out I'll venture it doesn't ~ ~ was 4e
Sothlng does in Texas. Cert.;n1,, ~ hs.A"N,