True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young. Page: 173
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HOUSTON AND HOUSTONIANS 178
order. Instead of going to the place at once, he got drunk and
went there about midnight. He had gotten,an idea in his head
that he owned the place by that time, so when he descended on
the boarding place, he did so like a whirlwind and kicked up
such a row that the police were called in and they locked him
up. Poor fellow. He, too, is dead and gone. He died in Dallas
several years ago, keeping up his record and beating "Shorty"
to the grave.
A LIVELY ELECTION.
I HEAR that Houston is going to have an election next
summer and that already the pot is beginning to boil. It.
may boil until it runs over, but it can never reach one-tenth
the heat and animation that characterized our elections in reconstruction
days. Those were the hot times, sure enough, and no
mistake about it. .There was no Australian ballot, no registration,
nor any of the modern devices to check an unlimited exercise
of the franchise. A fellow could vote as many times as
he had nerve to do so; and if he took care to vote "right" when
the right crowd was around he could get away with it.
About the most strenuous election that was ever pulled off in
those strenuous days was the one held in 1873 or 1874, I forget
the exact date. Mr. William R. Baker was the Democratic
nominee for the State Senate, and Colonel John T. Brady was
supported by the Republicans, though avowedly running as an independent.
Early in the action it became evident that the candidates
who could get the most outside voters here would carry
the day. The Republicans sent out their agents with dragnets
and secured a large number of negroes from Fort Bend, Brazoria
and adjoining counties. Some of these came in a week or two.
before election day and hung around attending torchlight processions
and political meetings, but the bulk of the negroes
were held in reserve to show up the day before and on election
day.
The Democrats were apparently snowed under, for they gave
no indication of doing anything to overcome the black overflow.
It looked blue for "Billy" Baker and he apparently had no more
chance than a snowball in that unmentionable place. The night
before election the Democrats had a torchlight procession and
public speaking, but that was done apparently more for appearance
than anything else.
But Billy Baker, Who was president of the Houston and Texa
Central Railroad, had a card up his sleeve that as worth all
those the Republicans were playing so openly. On the morlTin
of the election trains began to arrive at the Central Depot fp stations
as far north as Denison, and every train had a full lodof
section men and other railroad employes who had come to
Houston to vote for "the boss." very one claimed Houston as
his hbme and every one voted for Baker, not ones but a many
times and under as many name s he could Baker was elected
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Young, Samuel Oliver. True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young., book, 1913; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth24646/m1/173/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.