Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas Page: 663 of 894
762 p., [172] leaves of plates : ill., ports. ; 30 cm.View a full description of this book.
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564
INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
Attorney for the Thirteenth Judicial District, composed
of Limestone, Freestone and Navarro counties,
was created and he was elected to the position.
Two years later he was re-elected to the office. In
1888 he was elected District Judge and was reelected
in 1892 and is now occupying the bench.
His term will expire in November, 1896. This year
(1896) he has not offered himself as a candidate
for judicial honors or for any public position, and,
after a service of sixteen years in office, will retire
to private life and resume the practice of his profession.
In all his official career, which has been
altogether connected with the administration of the
law, his endeavor has been to do justice without
fear or favor. As a successful prosecutor, his record
stands unsurpassed and as judge his re-election to
a second term without opposition, either inside or
outside of the Democratic party, attests how well
he has discharged his duties.
Judge Hardy has never failed to take a decided
stand on all political issues and hence has a multitude
of strong friends. While uncompromising in
his political action, he has been uniformly courteous
and fair in his treatment of those who have been
opposed to him and as a consequence has enjoyed
their respect and confidence.
When the idea of a railroad commission, with
confiscating powers, grew into a fever, he opposed
it and, though on the bench, attended the Democratic
primaries to vote against the adoption of the
extreme views advocated by Governor Hogg and
others; but, after the State Democratic convention
had regularly nominated a State ticket, bowed to
the will of the party.
In 1894, when no Democrat in Texas seemed
willing to run for office and defend the national
Democratic administration, Judge Hardy, in April,
wrote a letter announcing himself as a candidate
for Congress from the Sixth Congressional District
and in a series of speeches, defended the financial
policy of Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Carlisle with
all the fervor of deep conviction and all the
ability he possessed. The discharge of his duties
as District Judge rendered it impossible for him
to make a complete canvass. In fact, he scarcely
made any canvass except in Ellis and Navarro counties,
and these two counties, both holding Democratic
primary elections, cast the majority of theirvotes for sound money (Cleveland) candidates.
Judge Hardy does not assume all the credit for this
result, because in that somewhat memorable cam.
paign, while three candidates in the field advocated
free-silver, Mr. W. Poindexter, of Cleburne, who
was announced later, was an exponent of sound
money teachings and in Ellis, Johnson, Hill and
Bosque counties made a vigorous canvass. The
sound money fight for Congress was lost, mainly
for the reason that Dallas was given to a free silverite
because he was a home man, and without a
canvass or primary, but the counties of the district.
brought up a handsome sound money majority in
the State Democratic Convention in August, 1894.
In May, 1895, Judge Hardy attended a conference
of sound money men, called to meet at Waco to
face the gathering free silver movement. The meeting
was called by Judge Alexander, Judge George
Clark, Gen. Felix Robertson, Dr. Moore and other
Democrats of Waco. Judge Hardy was called on
to preside and a series of resolutions were adopted,
which constituted the opening note of the sound
money forces in the battle now on for an " honest
dollar." Since that meeting a pretty thorough
organization of the sound money Democrats of
Texas has been perfected with Judge Rufus Hardy
as chairman of their executive committee. A memorable
State meeting was held at Galveston in February,
and another at Dallas on San Jacinto day
(April 21), and, altogether the year 1896 bids fair
to be long remembered in Texas politics.
As a public speaker, Judge Hardy is clear, logical
and eloquent, thoroughly exhausts the subjects
that he discusses, and carries conviction to the
hearts and minds of his auditors, where that is possible.
His career as a prosecuting attorney was
marked by exceptional success and his name became
a terror to evil-doers. During his long service upon
the district bench he has made a record of which he
and his constituents have good reason to be proud.
Faithful to his convictions upon the great financial
question, as well as upon all others, both in
public and private life, he does not believe in compromise
and will never give his consent to the sacrifice
of principle to expediency. He has given his
support to every worthy enterprise inaugurated for
the development of the section in which he resides
and the State at large.
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Brown, John Henry. Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas, book, 1880~; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth6725/m1/663/: accessed May 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.