REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS 
 The First 50 Years

HOUSTON, May 14-16

The rupture in the ranks of the National Republican party caused the leaders of the party in Texas to lay great emphasis on the necessity for harmony. The call for a convention was issued early; among the objects of the meeting was specified a thorough reorganization of the party. The attendance was about three hundred and fifty delegates, representing, perhaps, one hundred counties. The call for the convention had fixed the basis of representation at one delegate and one alternate for every five hundred voters in each county.

Officers: President pro tempore, John G. Scott, of Anderson ; permanent, Robert H. Taylor. Vice-Presidents: 1st Congressional district, William Chambers and Thomas Younger; 2. A. Lands and J. L. Lovejoy; 3. D. J. Baldwin and J. H. Washington ; 4. Charles Metzner and Henry Haupt. 

Secretaries : G. T. Ruby, Richard Allen. M. H. Goddin, R. J. Blair, A. H. Longley, and J. J. Stevens.

Delegates to the National Convention : 1st Congressional district : State at large, A. M. Bryant ; Local, J. B. Williamson, Wm. Chambers, and Thomas Younger. 2. State at large, Webster Flanagan; Local, N. A. Ellett, A. B. Norton, and F. W. Summer. 3. State at large, G. T. Ruby; Local, W. A. Saylor, Richard Allen, and II. V. McMahan. 4. State at large, J. P. Newcomb; Local, J. W. Talbot, T. C. Barden, and B. F. Williams.

Presidential Electors: State at large, E. Degener, C. C. Caldwell, J. H. Townsend, and F. M. Hays.

Congressmen: State at large, L. D. Evans, of Harrison, and A. B. Norton, of Dallas.

Committee on Platform and Resolutions: Thomas H. Baker, of Caldwell; F. L. Britton, of Victoria; James H. Bell, of Travis; W. A. Price, of Matagorda ; C. C. Gillespie, of Harris; A. L. Darnell, of Grayson ; J. H. Townsend, of McLennan ; J. B. Williamson, of Harrison ; W. B. Bonner, of Limestone ; A. B. Norton, of Dallas; F. E. Younger, of Smith; A. Lands, of Red River; W. J. Locke, of Bexar; Julius Schutze, of Travis; F. W. tinier, of Lamar; Robert Zapp, of Fayette, and - - Patten, of Galveston.

PLATFORM ¹

WHEREAS. The Republican party of the United States is about to appeal once more to the Nation for the support of its principles in the coming presidential election; and

WHEREAS. The election in this State in November next will decide whether or not the Democratic party, with its prejudices against the equal rights of men and against popular education, is to be restored to power in Texas:

Therefore, the Republicans of Texas, in convention assembled, do now make the following declaration of their principles as a party:

1. We declare our full fellowship with the National Republican party of the United States, and our unqualified devotion to its principles and to its fortunes.

2. We declare that the grand and fundamental idea of the political equality of all men and their equal rights before the law is peculiarly Republican, and is not professed by any other party in this Nation; that it is the mission of the Republican party to carry this idea into full, practical effect, and, therefore, the Democratic party cannot safely be entrusted' with powers of government, either National or local.

3. That there are but two political parties in the Nation, the Republican and the Democratic, that the nomination of Horace Greeley for the presidency of the United States was made in the interest of the Democratic party, and that the Republicans of Texas will follow no such lead, but will give their firm and zealous support to the nominees of the convention to assemble at Philadelphia on the 5th of June next.

4. We indorse the administration of General U. S. Grant as wise, just, and honest; and we instruct our delegates to the Philadelphia convention to vote for his renomination for the presidency.

5. The Republican party in Texas regard the free education of all the children of Texas as a sacred duty, the first and most sacred of all our public duties; and we hereby pledge ourselves to secure to the children of all the facilities of free public education at the smallest cost possible to the people; and we will hedge the system of public education with all possible safeguards, endeavoring to secure the most rigid economy and the best administrative experience. Free public schools shall ever be the dearest motto of the Republicans of Texas.

6. That the development of the vast mineral, agricultural, and stock resources of Texas is of vital importance to the future prosperity of our people, and a necessary prerequisite to that development is a well-devised system of internal improvements, stimulated by reasonable aid from the State, which shall not tax the people, and the Republican party of Texas will devise and support a reasonable system of aid to such improvements in lands, but will resist any and all further attempts at aid in bonds or money.

7. We declare our unabated confidence in the personal integrity and incorruptibility of Governor Edmund J. Davis, in his fidelity and devotion to the best interests of the people of Texas, and we will give him our firm and unflinching support in every effort to secure to all the people of the State a wise and good government.

8. That we declare our unqualified condemnation of all corruption and peculation on the part of public officials; we will do all that in' us lies to promote honest and wise legislation, to secure honest and just administration, and to guard with a jealous care all the interests of all the people.

9. That we will endeavor to give protection to our frontier by every means at our command, and we pledge ourselves to cut down every superfluous expense in the State government, and to reduce taxation to the very least amount compatible with efficient government.

State Executive Committee: J. G. Tracy, of Harris, chairman: J. P. Newcomb, of Travis, secretary; 1st District, Wm. Chambers, of Chambers; 2. E. M. Wheeler, of San Augustine; 3. R. J. Blair, of Houston ; 4. J. H. Morrison, of Anderson ; 5. W. B. Harper, of Anderson; 6. L. A. Templeton; 7. S. H. Russell, of Harrison; 8, 9 and 10, blank; 11. R. Peterson, of Lamar; 12. blank; 13. J. H. Leatherman, of Austin; 14. R. M. Yell, of Montgomery ; 15. C. Caldwell, of Grimes ; 16. T. G. Davidson, of Washington; 17. W. A. Saylor, of Brazos; 18. P. W. Hall, of Robertson; 19. blank; 20. T. H. Powell; 21. blank; 22. A. L. Darnell, of Grayson ; 23 to 27. blank ; 28. Henry Willis, of Travis; 29. W r . J. Locke, of Bexar; 30. J. L. Haynes, of Cameron.