The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 60, July 1956 - April, 1957 Page: 460

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

torney general, Jim Hogg, who had some complaints of his own-
including, "Elimination of radiators and urinal in Attorney-
General's office."11 As attorney general, it was incumbent upon
Hogg to protect the state's interest in any legal matter, and that
task, with respect to the capitol, called for courage and sagacity,
and since the leadership in opposition to acceptance devolved
upon him, Hogg was made to appear an obstructionist by the
very nature of the situation. Abner Taylor, the Farwells, Amos
Babcock, and their associates in the XIT venture were men of
national importance and were entirely unaccustomed to being
stymied by relatively obscure state officials. To be sure, from
their point of view, Hogg was a demagogue, pure and simple.
While motives of personal political ambition have been imputed
to Hogg,120 and while he may have accepted poor advice from
W. P. Hardeman, there is no evidence to indicate that Hogg's
motives in opposing acceptance of the capitol were any other
than the commendable desire to protect the state by requiring
absolute compliance with the contract before the building was
accepted.121
On September io, 1888, Hogg presented a resolution to the
Capitol Reception Board which traced the complications pre-
venting acceptance of the capitol. In order to avoid litigation, he
recommended that those persons in official position who favored
acceptance be offered an opportunity to resign. The proposed
resolution was unanimously tabled.122 On September 2o, the
Board heard the commissioners' reply to the objections raised by
Hogg. Their reply accounted satisfactorily for the purported
defects.'23
Since the building was complete, Commissioners Joseph Lee
and H. H. McLaurin considered that their jobs no longer existed
and resigned. Secretary John T. Dickerson also resigned, and be-
cause of ill health, Building Superintendent R. L. Walker re-
119lbid., 34.
120Nordyke, Cattle Empire, 19o.
121For an able defense of Hogg, see Robert C. Cotner, "Attorney General Hogg
and the Acceptance of the State Capitol: A Reappraisal," West Texas Historical
Association Year Book, XXV (1949), 50-73-
122Final Report of the Capitol Building Commissioners, September 25, .888, p. 32.
123Ibid., 36.

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