REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS 
 The First 50 Years

(Convention Hall) SAX ANTONIO, September 18

At a meeting of the State executive committee on August 1, it was resolved that the McDonald-Lowden convention held at Waco in March last, be recognized as the regular Republican State Convention, and that all members of the State executive committee who participated in the Ferguson-Burns convention be expelled and their places filled by the chairman. The result was two Republican State conventions at San Anttonio in September. When the National Republican committee recognized the Hawley convention, the ticket and the State executive com mittee nominated by this convention quit the field.

Officers: Chairman, R. L. Smith, of Colorado. Secretary, P. F. Dennis, of Harrison.

Nominees for State Offices: Governor, George "W. Burke tV, of Anderson; Lieutenant-Governor, G. G. Clifford, of Bexar; Attorney-General, F. B. Stanley, of Tarrant; Comptroller, George Ziegler, of Colorado ; Treasurer, J. G. Lowden, of Taylor ; Commissioner of the General Land Office, J. G. Hornberger, of Travis ; Superintendent of Public Instruction, G. C. MeAndrcws, of Lampasas; Railroad Commissioner, Morgan Jones, of Tarrant.

Committee on Platform and Resolutions: 1st Senatorial district, W. M. Gill, 2. blank, 3. R. L. Kelley, 4. W. F. Smeltzer, 5. H. Waggoner, 6. A. J. McCauley, 7. J. A. Boyd, 8. J. A. Hamilton, 9. W. M. McDonald, 10. John Abney, 11. R. II. Kings- bury, 12. J. R. Blaine, 13. II. L. Price, 14. William McVeal, 15. Alex White, 16. C. N. Love, 17. W. H. Wilson, 18. William Hunter,' 19. E. White, 20. L. B. Kinchion, 21. G. W. Stewart, 22. 0. F. Pridgion, 23. T. T. Brewster, 24. E. H. Terrell, chair man, 25. and 26. blank, 27. W. H. Webber, 28. D. G. Hunt, 29. C. W. Baird, 30. W. Z. Manchester, 31. J. L. Gaston.

PLATFORM

1. The Republicans of the State of Texas express their profound gratification that the National Republican convention, with much enthusiasm and entire unanimity, named as our candidate for the presidency the distinguished statesman who now fills that honored position, William McKinley, of Ohio, and that the same convention, responding to a demand from the people, which was practically unanimous, placed on the ticket with him as our candidate for Vice-President the distinguished Governor, Theodore Roosevelt, of New York. The platform of principles, adopted at Philadelphia, has our most hearty and enthusiastic support and we rejoice with all other patriotic Ameri cans to see the widespread and growing prosperity of our country in all industrial, agricultural, and commercial lines; the wise and states- manlike conduct of domestic affairs; the able, satisfactory, and highly successful management of our financial interests, and increasing com mercial welfare; and the lofty and influential position occupied by the United States in the determination and settlement of the great inter national questions and issues now confronting the civilized world for solution. The Republicans of this State feel proud, indeed, that this prosperous and exalted condition of our country is to be attributed largely to the wise and effective legislation adopted by a Republican administration of one of the ablest presidents, advised by one of the most distinguished cabinets, and sustained by one of the most patriotic legislative bodies that this country has ever seen.

2. We congratulate the Republican party of Texas that during the past four years, under the able personal direction of Hon. E. H. R. Green, as State chairman, the interests of our party have been wisely guarded, and that it has grown and developed under his management and its organization throughout the entire State, extending to the frontier counties, placed upon a most successful and satisfactory basis. We cordially approve and indorse the admirable address of State Chairman Green at the August meeting of the State executive committee, wherein he recommended a number of important changes, hav ing as an object the correcting of the gross abuse of the use of proxies in State conventions, limitations upon the far-reaching power of tem porary chairmen, and the discouragement of and the discipline for defeated minorities deserting conventions after defeat and participat ing in riotous, disgraceful, and illegal bolting conventions. We, there fore, most cordially indorse the entire action of the State executive committee in carrying out Chairman Green's suggestions, and especially do we indorse the drastic action of the committee with reference to certain of its members who had proved disloyal to the regular organi zation of the State. We commend most heartily Mr. Green's adminis tration of party affairs and express the hope that he may yet be in duced to reconsider his announced purpose not to be a candidate for reelection and consent to accept another term as State chairman.

3. The Republicans of Texas profoundly deplore the efforts now being made by the Democratic party throughout the Southern States to disfranchise colored voters who have for many years exercised the sacred right of suffrage. The Democratic candidate for the presidency has been of late profoundly solicitous for protecting the right of self- government on the part of the native races inhabiting our colonial possessions in the Philippines, and yet, at the same time, he looks on without a word of protest at the efforts being made by his own party in a number of Southern States to deprive of that right a large number of their fellow-citizens who have exercised it for many years. We trust that a Republican Congress will, under the legislation to be brought about under the new apportionment when the census has been completed, remedy this great wrong through the means provided by the constitutional amendments.

4. We believe that this convention should place a State ticket in the field for the approaching campaign. Wedded to the principles of our great party, we should nominate a ticket of strong men for all the State offices to be voted for, who will present those principles to the people of the State. We know that there are many citizens throughout the State, who have in the past cooperated with other political parties, who are today in full sympathy with the principles of the Republican party, and we believe they should have an opportunity of supporting at the polls for the State offices candidates who stand upon the bread National platform, adopted at Philadelphia. Our own Republicans demand that we place a ticket in the field, and we trust that this convention will comply with what our political situation in the State requires and nominate a State ticket.

5. The two electors at large, nominated by the State convention which met at Waco last spring and which was presided over by William McDonald, as temporary chairman, and J. G. Lowden, as permanent chairman, as well as the thirteen district electors who were nominated by their respective district conventions, called under the regular Repub lican organization of this State, are hereby declared to be the regular Republican electoral ticket, to be voted for at the November election as electors for President and Vice-President.

6. The Republicans here assembled, representing as they do the regular State Republican convention of Texas, called under the regular State executive committee, do hereby cordially extend to all Republi cans throughout the State, regardless of past differences on questions of party organization, and especially ignoring all differences on ques tions that have grown up within the past few months, a cordial invi tation to join with those supporting the regular organization of the party in conducting its work in the future and in spreading by all means possible the principles of our great party throughout the State.

7. The members of this convention share with all other people of the State in the deep sorrow which overwhelms all over the terrible calamity which has befallen Galveston and other coast towns, and such has been our profound sympathy in this awful loss of life and destruction of property that had it not been absolutely necessary to carry out the program as to the date for the holding of this convention we should have postponed it to a more auspicious time.

While profoundly sympathizing with the survivors who have lost their relatives, friends, and property, we trust and hope that the citi- zens of that afflicted region will take heart and begin anew, and that by their energetic efforts Galveston may rise again and the coast gen erally recover its former prosperity.

8. We declare that the Democratic party of Texas, in its expressed opposition to capital as a factor in the development of the State, does not represent the enterprising and progressive disposition of its in habitants, and that Texas is to be congratulated on the fact that her resources are so varied and her soil so fertile that she has prospered in spite of the Democratic party. The Republican party is in favor of the "open door" policy for capital and investments and willing to cooperate with all the efforts of all her citizenship to "turn Texas loose."

[9] We favor the upbuilding and promotion of manufacturing es tablishments of all kinds and pledge ourselves to legitimate legislation looking to the encouragement of such ventures.

Parties in Texas 437

[10] We call the attention of the people of Texas to the efforts of the Democratic administration to foist the iniquitous Sayers' tax bill upon the State, an inquisitorial scheme to place additional burdens upon the tax payers and add to the accumulation of money in a State Treasury, now plethoric with a fund of many millions. The Demo cratic party at Waco indorsed the present State administration and all its acts, the tax bill included.

[11] The Republican party of Texas pledges the people of Texas to so utilize the school fund as to insure to every child within the scholastic age within its borders six months attendance at the free schools.

[12] We charge that in the Democratic convention which met at Waco the public statement was made that some of its highest National and State candidates and officials had "been seen" by the Waters-Pierce Oil Company and that the result of this "inspection" of State officials was the rehabilitation of this company and a grant to do business in this State, after the Supreme Court of the United States had declared it a trust and forfeited its charter. That a resolution, denouncing this conduct, was smothered in the committee on resolutions and pigeon- holed, thereby withholding from the people a full knowledge of the facts with reference to the misconduct of its sworn officers and trusted officials.

[13] We declare that the twenty-six years of uninterrupted pos session of the machinery of the State government has caused the Democratic party to reach a stage when they are careless and reckless in the discharge of official duty and that they are becoming more and more, year by year, forgetful and neglectful of the obligation that they owe to the people as public servants. We think a change in the ad- ministration of State affairs absolutely necessary and bound to result in- good to all the people.

We invite the earnest cooperation of thinking men of all the parties to place the reins of State government* in new and vigorous hands, to the end that the people may have a look at the ledgers and journals so long kept by the Democratic party.

State Executive Committee: E. H. R. Green, of Kaufman, chairman ; 1st Senatorial district, blank ; 2. blank ; 3. T. W. Tur- pin, of Lamar; 4. L. W. Clark, of Cooke; 5. W. H. Love, of Collin; 6. A. J. McCauley, of Dallas; 7. W. L. Dickson, of Upshur; 8. P. F. Dennis, of Harrison; 9. W. M. McDonald, of Kaufman; 10. Harry Beck, of Hill; 11. G. M. Pattori, of Mc- Lennan; 12. R. D. Daniels, of Freestone; 13. G. W. Burkett, of Anderson; 14. J. C. Frasier, of Jasper; 15, A. W. White, of Grimes; 16. J. R. Hogan, of Austin; 17. R. W. Harbert; 18. blank; 19. H. D. Winn, of Washington; 20. E. P. Wilmot, of Travis; 21. A. L. Maynard, of Caldwell; 22. F. R. Williams, of Victoria; 23. D. N. Leather, of Nueces; 24. E. H. Terrell, of Bexar; 25. blank; 26.. H. H. Andrews, of Erath; 27. Harry Harris, of Coryell; 28. D. G. Hunt; 29. D. C. Kolp, of Wichita; 30. F. B. Stanley, of Tarrant; 31. blank.