The Howe Messenger (Howe, Tex.), Vol. 17, No. 13, Ed. 1 Friday, April 19, 1940 Page: 4 of 8
eight pages : ill. ; page 23 x 15 in. Scanned from physical pages.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Page Poor
THE HOWE MESSENGER
Friday, April 19, |1&40
Pc
The Howe Messenger
RUSSELL W. BRYANT
Editor and Publisher
..ji.cn a ...s sccoml-Wass mailer uf. liie
j": i ce it i.uwr, To.* as, U!:.i«r t!'.« n<*
Via
1 879.
..isi....i j.non J-nd-iv Morning
Subscript/on $1.00 a Yea"
Editorial Comment
FIRST PRIZE
All-Southwestern Editorial Contest
State Fair of Texas, 1939
SECOND PRIZE
All-Southwestern Editorial Contest
State Fair of Texas, 1938
-------------------------
The Russell W. Bryant
Publications
HOWE MESSENGER
. . Howe, Texas
ALLEN TIMES . .
. . Allen, Tex*fl
PRINCETON NEWS
. Princeton Texas
ANNA LIGHT . .
. . Anna, Texas
TOM BEAN TIMES .
Tom Bean* Texas I
Advertising Rates
on Application |,
Dissension
Criticism of the legislature for failure to enact
tax legislation f<Jr social security purposes',
whether coming from the Governoror from a lay-
man, is without foundation and distinctly unjust.
Now this statement is not to be taken to mean
that provision should not be made for this program
nolr is it a predicate for placing the blame upon
some other official.
The blame for failure of the last legislature
rests upon the public, and the public alone. (Legis-
lative bodies are closely attuned to public senti-
ment and whenever public sentiment overwhelming-
ly wants legislation passed, it is usually but a short
time until a new law graces the pages of our
statutes. The reason the forty-sixth legislature was
in such a turmoil over tax legislation is simply
that the public in general was not in accord on
additional'taxation nor the type of taxation.
y It must be remembered that the legislature is
composed of 181 men, coming from at least 100
different sections of Texas. It must; also be remem-
bered that the interests of the various widespread
sections of Texas are highly diverse. One type of
tax will be objectionable to one °r more sections;
while acceptable to others. A sales tax proponent
would find hard sledding in a section predominated
by organized labor, for instance, while an oil or gas
tax would be the wrong thing for a representa-
tive from producing areas to advocate.
We have had occasion to discuss these matters with
people from various types of human endeavor and
we fail to find a unanimity even in this particular
area in which one would expect to find more or
less unity of mind and purpose, if such is to he
found anywhere in the state.
We believe it would be an interesting and en-
lightening experience to start out some morning
and ask the first 181 men or women we met these
two questions. First, “Do you favor an increase
in taxation to pay social security?” and second;
“What type of taxation do you favor as a method
of raising revenue for social security purposes?”
From what observation and conversation we have
had we are of the opinlon that the first question
would fail to receive a favorable majority, and
that of four or five possible methods of raising
revenue, that none would receive a sufficient ma-
jority to say that this or that tax repffesents
the public opinion. We may try this experiment
some day 30011.
-K)-
If Ma Ferguson is elected governor we know
that we will have anotehr governor by proxy, but
we will at least know that Jim is the guiding hand
^behind t(he chair. .Which is more than can be
determined about the incumbent.
I
IT could happen here
By Irv Tirmar
Recognition
t
Lacking
The withrawal of Col. Ernest 0. Thompson from
the list of probable candidates for governor of Texas
leaves conscientious Texans at somewhat of a loss.
Col. Thompson, though not personally appealing to
the writer, was by far the most capable of the
aspirants for the office.
His withdrawal puts Harry Hines and Albert
Derden at the head of the list, so far as ability is
concerned, although it must be admitted that at
the present time neither of these two men are well
enough known to the state as a whole to make
any appreciable drive for votes.
All of which leaves Governor W. Lee O’Daniel,
Jerry Sadler and Mrs. Miriam A. (Ma) Ferguson
as leading contenders for the office. Just which of
these three has the lead cannot be determined at
this stage of the race. O’Daniel still has a con-
siderable following among the old people and cer-
tainly has the support of the big interests. Jerry
Sadler surprised everyone with the .showing he
made two years ago as a ppiltical nonentity and it is
impossible to gauge his strength at this time. The
Fergusons have always boasted of their vest pocket
vole of more than 200,000, but whether they still
possess this vote is a matter that is subject to much
debate.
From remarks picked up in our territory we
would say that Mrs. Ferguson has a slight lead on
the other two leading aspirants. We have heard a
number of staunch O’Danielites state that they had
switched to the Ferguson band wagon and we have
1 eard a number of former anti-Fergusonites avow
that they would vote for Mrs. Ferguson in prefer-
ence to O’Daniel or Sadler.
Employes of the attorney general’s department
are sure this week that the department has receiv-
ed high recognition for the ability of those con-
nected with it, but are not sure of the motive be-
hind such recognition, nor for wliat particular type
of ability the recognition and honor is given.
Basis for such a feeling is to be found in the offer
by Governor W. Lee O’Daniel of the position of
Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court first
to Attorney General Gerald G. Mann himseif, and
then, after being twice refused by appointees, to
W. F. Moore, first assistant attorney general.
Those connected with the department know that
the recognition should be for the ability of Mr.
Mann and Mr. Moore as lawyers, but there is more
than a little suspicion that the recognition was for
the vote-getting ability of the young.attorney gen-
eral and his staff, which, of course, was an im-
portant factor in his winning race two years ago.
This is not the first time the^ Governor has at-
tempted to clirfrb on the Mann bandwagop, if such
was the purpose behind his appointment.
Jerry Mann handled the situation with the cour-
age and level-headedness we have come to expect
from him and his department. The position offered
him is riot) one to be lightly refused and more than
one person would have been tempted to accept the
place without offering an excuse of constitutional
ineligibility, and certainly those who would have
refused it after the terms of the appointment were
changed to overcome constitutional limitations ax-e
few indeed. Not only is the position of Chief Jus-
tice the highest Texas post of hon'or open to an
attox-ney, it has also become through custom vir-
tixally a life-time job, and even when a campaign
is foi-ced upon the incumbent it is usually of such
high type that no appreciable hardship is worked
upon the candidates. It took courage to refuse such
an appointment, but Jerry Mann had it.
The appointment and acceptance of W. F. Moore
is one for which the Governor cannot be censored,
even though such appointment was inspired by
ultex-ior motives. Justice Moore, as we can now call
him, is highly regax'ded in legal as well as lay
cix'cles and will add dignity to even this dignified
bench. His appointment as first assistant was one
of the first acts of Jex-ry Mann’s to draw almost
unanimous approval and his further elevation to
positions of honor, cannot be an error.
The Governor did a good job of picking this
time.
-O-
If the O’Daniel News is pi’inting the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth, as the Jov-
ex-nor said it would do, then the candidacies of Al-
bert Derden, Harry Hines, Jeri-y Sadier and Axdon
Davis must be idle rumors. We failed to find their
names mentioned in the first issue.
BGB.W
UNDER THE CAPITOL DOME AT AUSTIN
By Gordon K. Shearer
“United Press Staff Correspondent
Austin — (UP) — The whole
question of whether Texas will
send its whooping big-hatted
delegation to Hhe National
Democratic convention in Chicago
to cast 46 votes for President
.Roosevelt or Vice-President John
Nance Garner will be settled in
10,0000 small room meetings to
be held over the state on May 4.
Others suggest teaming Roose-
velt and Jesse Jones of Houston
rather than compromise.
Feiv of the precinct meetings
will last long. In the couxxtry,
conventions will be held in the
afternoon following custom. In
cities and towns the gatherings
will be at night. Legally the pre-
cinct conventions, can be held any
time between 10 a. nx, and 8 p.
m.
Tricks of the Trade
erally could attend. It is an old
political trick for one side to call
a meeting for a certain time and
place, then “discover” that place
is unavailable jand meet ■' some-
where else. Of course care is
taken to see that their partisans
are notified of the new meeting
place and time. Opponents must
be alert to attend.
Once in the meeting the pro-
ceedings are simple. The precinct
chairman calls for all poll tax
jhdlders to gather at qn|e side.
Those without poll tax receipts or
exemptions are excludqd jfrorn
participation in the vote. Each
side then presents a prepared
3late of delegates to a county con-
vention. The side with most votes
wins.
At the county conventions on
May 7 the procedure will be much
the same. The slates there will
TEXAS DEMOCRATS TO SETTLE ROOSEVELT - GARNER
QUESTION AT 10,000 PRECINCT CONVENTIONS ON
MAY 4; RIVALRY NOW INTENSE
(Usually there is considerable name delegates to the state con-
dispute about whether the xxxeet- vention to be held in Waco on
ings were held so the voters gen- May 28. County conventions usu-
Is we heard it
HARD LUCK
“Why are you crying little
girl?”
“ ’Cause my brother has holiday-
and I don’t.”
•Well, why don’t you have holi-
days?”
“ ’Cause I don’t go to school
yet.”
• • •
AGGRAVATING
“Does your husband talk in bis
sleep ? ”
“No and it’s texrihly exasperat-
ing. He just grins.”
THE LAST STRAW
“And now, gentlemen,” said the
leading speaker, “I wish to tax
your memory.”
“Good heavens, has it come to
that?”
ANOTHER ONE
A Scottish horseman went into
a saddler’s shop and asked for oixe
spur.
“But why only one spur ” asked
the puzzled clerk.
Replied Jock: “Well, if I can
get one side of the horse to go,
the other’ll go with it.”
ally ax'e held in the county court
house at 2 p. m.
'.Disputes about rival delegations
will be ixioned out by a creden-
tials committee at the state con-
vention.
Then the same px’ocedure of of-
fering slates will take place and
the winner will be known.
Beside selection of the delega-
tion the convention, will decide]
whether to issue instx-uctions or
let the delegates be free to act
as the national convention sit-
uation dictates. Instructions us-
ually bind them to support the
favored nominee, until he x'eleases
them.
Texas Plays Large Role
In past National Democratic
LIFE’S BYWAYS
conventions, Texas has played a
iecisive pax*t. Nomination of
Woodrow Wilson was ipade possi-
ble by the Texas delegation
sticking firm on roll call after
roll/ call. At Chicago Texans
led the stampede to Roosevelt af-
ter backing Garner.
(Formerly* Texas Democrats
nominated all thier officers by the
convention system. Nbw nonii
nees from U. S'. Senator to pub-
clic weigher ax’e selected in pri-
mary elections. TTrs choice of the
national party ticket, alone is left
to a convention.
State nominees still are nomi-
nated formally at a state party
convention but the nomination is
only a lxxatter of form. The selec-
tion is made in the primary elec-
tion preceding the convention.
Primary Adopted in 1906.
The fix'st time state candidates
were named by primary election
was in 1906. Then there was a
combination system requiring both
popular vote and convention ac-
tion. The convention vote was
prorated to the candidates in pro-
portion to the number of eliection
votes they had received in con-
gressional districts. In convention
balloting the low man was drop-
ped each time until selection was
made.
CENSOR AT WORK
•••• . /
iaipito#*
W<> have read the first issue of
the O’Daniel News and have no
criticism to offer. It is not a news-
paper, of coux-se, but is not in-
'tended to be, atr|j |we suppose
that as a purely political organ
published for the sole purpose of
canying on the campaign of its
owner-sponsor for x-e-election, it is
all right. But it seems to us that
the paper disproves his claim that
the newspapers and radio station-
have been unfair to him. We have
never listened to his radio bx’oad-
casts but we have x*ead the news-
paper reports of, what he said, and
from them we have gotten evei-y-
thing that we get from x-eading
his printed statemens in his own
| newspaper. In fact some of the
, niost unkind statements directed
j at his political enemies as' reported
i in the accounts in the daily news-
| papex’s of the broadcast in which
he announced for re-election were
| not included in the vex’sion pi’inted
in the O’Daniel News. His refer-
ence to his political enemies is
much milder than we expected.—
Mesuqite News.
HOW TRUE
The sight of Tom Love and Jim
Ferguson side by side in the third
term political bed fox*ever verifies
the truthfulness of the adage that
“politics makes strange bedfel-
lows.”—Celina Record,
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Bryant, Russell W. The Howe Messenger (Howe, Tex.), Vol. 17, No. 13, Ed. 1 Friday, April 19, 1940, newspaper, April 19, 1940; Howe, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth848066/m1/4/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .