REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS 
 The First 50 Years

DALLAS, August 9 and 10

The attendance was large; the proceedings were harmonious; the only contest made centered about resolutions below, num- bered 24 and 25.

Officers: Chairman pro ternpore , W. II. Atwell, of Dalian; permanent, Charles W. Ogden, of Bexar. Secretary pro ternpore, Mose C. Harris, of Bexar; permanent, Otto Patterson, of Tarrant,

Nominees for State Offices: Governor, J. O. Terrell, of Bexar; Lieutenant-Governor, Harris Masterson, of Harris; Attorney- General, Charles W. Ogden, of Bexar; Comptroller, Fred Hoffheinz, of Comal; Treasurer, C. W. Hutchinson, of Tarrant; Commissioner of the General Land Office, W. H. Fealherstone. of Clay; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Sam T. Swinford, of Harris; Railroad Commissioner, J. H. Hawley, of Galveston; Commissioner of Agriculture, Ed C. Lasater, of Starr ; Supreme Court, J. G. McGrady, of Fannin; Court of Criminal Appeals, J. W. Cocke, of McLennan.

Committee on Platform and Resolutions: E. P. Wilmot, of Travis, chairman; J. A. Hurley, of Bowie; C. R. Bone, of Jeffer- son; S. D. Waldrip, of Van Zandt; C. A. Gray, of Fannin; M. N. Baker, of Dallas; Allen Meyers, of Brazos; John Grant, of Galveston; W. A. Matthaei, of Austin; Ben Sheldon, of Aransas; Joe E. Williams, of Hamilton; C. C. Littleton, of Parker; Lewis B. Lindsay, of Cooke; J. S. Sweet, of Bexar; E. G. Crabbe, of Nueces; A. H. Anderson, of El Paso.

PLATFORM

[1] Resolved, that we commend President Taft for his advocacy of the policy of progress developed by his predecessors and himself and indorse his administration for the many substantial measures of reform it has written into our statutes and assure him of our approval and support in all efforts to secure further effective reforms in legislation and administration, and reaffirm our allegiance to the Republican National platform of 1908.

As to State affairs:

[2] Two years of additional misrule in Texas have not changed, but have confirmed the position taken by the Republicans of Texas in convention assembled in 1908 and, therefore, we, the Republicans of Texas, assembled in convention, in common with all thoughtful and observant persons, recognize in recent and now transpiring political events and discussions the unmistakable evidence of the patriotic interest which the entire citizenship of our State is taking in the many and important issues of the hour, affecting both our National and State governments. That this awakening to a solemn duty exists to such an unusual degree is, we consider, one of the most hopeful signs of the times and promises well for the future of our great State, for we have no manner of doubt that if every individual voter will think and act for himself and not at the dictation of any man or set of men, the important questions before us will be solved so as to promote the best interests and aid in the development of the limitless resources of the State. We commend and share in the apparently universal resolve to treat those vital issues as business propositions? and as such to give them the best, the most unselfish, unprejudiced, unbiased, and nonpartisan thought of which fair-minded and patriotic citizens are capable. Without other purpose in view than to promote the general welfare, we tender to the people of Texas the aid of the Republican party, its organization and its membership throughout the State, in working out the problems which confront and affect us all alike. To this end we propound for the consideration of our fellow citizens of Texas the following declaration of principles:

[3] We favor again the adoption of such State policies as will be recognized as an earnest and sincere invitation to capital to seek within our borders all forms of investment and will be accepted as a guarantee of protection and fair treatment.

[4] We, therefore, again condemn as unwise and too radical, [Here are quoted verbatim count (1) to (5) and the concluding paragraph of plank 2 of the platform of 1908.]

[5] We favor fewer and better laws on all subjects and particularly upon the subject of taxation.

[6] We again condemn the full rendition law and the methods pursued by the State administration in enforcing same and demand its repeal or amendment. Since the condemnation of this law by the Republican convention in 1908, it has been abundantly proven by its operation and enforcement to be a vicious enactment which has in- creased the assessed values of certain classes of property without fulfilling the promise of reduction in tax burdens.

[7] We unsparingly condemn all hasty and ill-considered legislation, and call the attention of the people to the great bundle of laws

540 Platforms of Political

passed by the recent legislatures involving the material welfare of the State without having given to the important subjects the mature consideration which they demand, and we call especial attention to the Inexcusable waste of public money which legislative haste involves as IB illustrated by the fact that the Governor has just called a special session of the legislature for the purposes of, as he states, repealing the fire rating bill which has just been passed by the same legislature, involving the people in an expense which is estimated to be not less than $50,000.

[8] WHEREAS, the Democratic party of this State has been guilty of the inconsistency of adopting a plank in its platform declaring for the submission of a prohibition amendment to the constitution, and of nominating a candidate for governor who made his campaign in opposition to such submission and to prohibition in every phase of the question; and,

WHEREAS, the Democratic party has thus thrown the State into an- other prohibition campaign, which will array neighbor against neighbor and community against community, we reiterate the declaration contained in our platform of 1908 and again declare in favor of the strict enforcement of the local option laws as the correct solution of the liquor question in Texas.

[9] We again, and with added emphasis, demand the repeal of the provisions of the Terrell election law relating to the primary elections as being legislation in the interest of machine politics, and as being cumbersome, complicated, unintelligible, and expensive, and as being intended to force the citizens of this State to surrender their independence as voters to a political machine.

[10] We oppose the proposed legislation prescribing the educational qualification for voters as being calculated to deprive many of our worthy citizens of foreign extraction, who speak with greatest facility their native tongues, and who are not yet versed sufficiently in the English language to expound or construe the constitution to the satisfaction of Democratic election officers.

[11] We denounce the expenditure of public money derived from taxation of all the people in the legislative investigation of alleged frauds in partisan primary elections.

[12] We again denounce as meriting the condemnation of all of every party the law passed by the thirtieth legislature known as the textbook law, and the action thereunder of the School Textbook Board in awarding the contract for textbooks, at an additional expense of many thousands of dollars to our people, and again demand the repeal of the law, and that the said board as now constituted should be abolished at the earliest possible time, and a law enacted providing that the State shall furnish at its own cost all the school books for the children of the public schools of the State, as is being done by so many States of this Union.

[13] Recognizing the importance of thorough primary training in our schools, we favor and demand the enactment of such laws as will build up and strengthen the country public free schools of the State by giving longer terms and securing more efficient teachers.

[14,] [15.] [16,] and [17] [Same as planks 8, 9, 10, and 12 of the platform of 1908.]

[18] [Same as plank 13 of the platform of 1908, plus the follow- ing:] and we deplore the veto by Governor Campbell of the appropriation for the establishment of a tuberculosis sanitarium.

[19] We condemn and deplore the act of the Governor of Texas in his veto of the proper and necessary appropriation made by the last legislature for additional barracks to be erected at the Agricultural and Mechanical College for the young men of the State. By his veto he has compelled several hundred young men who are seeking to secure an education to camp, sleep, and live in tents.

[20] We demand the passing of such laws as will further the establishment, laying out, building, and keeping in good repair of a system of intercounty public roads, and to this end we further demand the employment of penitentiary convicts, thus providing for their profitable employment without bringing their labor into competition with honorable free labor.

[21] We condemn the inhuman treatment of our State convicts, as well as the administration of the third degree or other barbarous treatment of prisoners with a view of extorting confessions.

[22] [Same as plank 14 of the platform of 1908.]

Additional Resolutions

[23] Resolved^ that we especially commend President Taft's admin- istration for its friendly cooperation with the liberal and progressive government of Mexico in promoting peace among the Central American republics and in fostering mutual beneficial relations of friendship.

[24] That it is the sense of the convention that no person who is a member of any executive committee of the Republican party in Texas, State, district, county, or precinct, shall be considered eligible to apply for appointment to any Federal position in Texas so long as he remains a member of such executive committee, nor until after his resignation as such has been received and acted upon. We, therefore, suggest to the State chairman that he decline to recommend any such person for an appointment to any Federal position in Texas.

[25] That it is the sense of this convention that the chairman of any Republican executive committee in the State of Texas shall upon the request of the chairman of the State executive committee furnish a complete list of the executive committee of which he is chairman, and a failure to furnish such information within a reasonable time there- after shall be deemed a sufficient cause for removal from office and the chairman of the State executive committee is directed to proceed accordingly.

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[26] That we most cordially indorse the administration of our party affairs under the leadership of Hon. Cecil A. Lyon as being clean, honest, and conservative, that he has given tone to the party and brought into its ranks the best citizens of the State and thereby strengthened the party in a substantial and commendable way. W extend to him the expression of our profound appreciation of hit diligent service for the party, and we hereby vote for the reelection of Hon. Cecil A. Lyon as chairman of the Republican State executive committee for the next two years and the election of Bart Marshall as secretary of said committee.

[27] That the convention tender its hearty congratulations to Hon. Julius Real, the Republican senator from the twenty-fourth district, and point with liveliest feelings of pride and satisfaction to his splen- did record made in the thirty-first legislature. He is a type of the representatives Republicans select to represent them, and we most heartily commend him to the earnest, loyal, and undivided support of all the electors of the twenty-fourth senatorial district, regardless of political feeling or predilection. He deserves such support and indorsement, for he has "stood as a stone wall," holding the balance of power and defying the partisan, fanatical, and un-American legisla- tion recommended to be passed by a Democratic chief executive.

[28] That the Republicans of Texas, in convention assembled, do hereby direct the secretary of this convention to convey to Hon. and Mrs. O. B. Colquitt our profound sympathy in this their hour of bereavement.

State Executive Committee: Cecil A. Lyon, of Grayson, chairman: 1st Senatorial district, A, M. Peebles, of Cass; 2. August Huffman, of Titus; 3. Dr. C. A. Gray, of Fannin; 4. 0. F. Johnson, of Grayson; 5. W. N. Griffin, of Collin; 6. E. S. Thayer, of Dallas; 7. F. N. Hopkins, of Wood; 8. D. H. Morris, of Harrison ; 9. Rube Freedman, of Navarro ; 10. J. B. Copeland, of Hill; 11. J. W. Cocke, of McLennan; 12. Frank A. Myers, of Brazoria; 13. George W. Burkett, Sr., of Harris; 14. E. G. Christian, of Hardin ; 15. William Watson, of Leon ; 16. Charles A. Warnken, of Harris; 17. Otto Letzerich, of Galvestori; 18. W. Hottman, of Fayette; 19. W. W. Edwards, of Bastrop ; 20. Dr. E. P. Wilmot, of Travis; 21. W. R. Kelley, of Caldwell; 22. Max P. Schorre, of Karnes; 23. Ed C. Lasater, of Starr; 24. John E. Elgin, of Bexar; 25. Charles B. Stevens, of El Paso; 26. J. B. Lockhart, of McCulloch; 27. Joe E. Williams, of Hamilton; 28. L. S. McDowell, of Howard; 29. Lewis Johnson, of Jack; 30. Sam Davidson, of Tarrant; 31. Harry Karlsburg, of Montague.