True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young. Page: 174
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174 TRUE STORIES OF OLD
of course, but even with the enthusiastic support of the Irish
brigade he was elected by the skin of his teeth. His majority
was so small that it was scarcely worth the name. It would
be a most difficult task for any mathematician to figure out
just what Brady's majority would have been if Mr. Baker had
not thought of his Irishmen.
He could not have secured a better following or one more determined
to assert their "rights" than those Irishmen. They
could not be browbeaten or intimidated, and took pleasure in
bulldozing the negro voters, who showed good sense by keeping
out of their way as much as possible. That was one day
and one election on which Uncle Dick Wescott was in his ele.ment
and perfectly happy. He had things going his way from
start to finish. It took several days to get the imported Irish
voters out of town. There were special trains that left on
schedule time to take them back, but they stayed to enjoy the
fruits of their victory, and they had a good time, too.
The next time Mr. Baker forgot to bring the Irish brigade,
or thought he could win without their help, and he got left.
Colonel Brady beat him, but by only a small majority, as the
negro vote also was rather lacking and lukewarm, owing to the
vigilance of the white voters. The sheriff was after some of
the leaders for various crimes, and they were afraid to show
up in Houston.
I know all such statements as these sound queer to the present
generation of voters, but they must remember that it was a
case of fighting the devil with fire, and a death struggle for white
supremacy. The most honorable men recognized that it was
right to do any and every thing short of actual murder to carry
their point and they did not hesitate to do it.
Major Lowe used to tell of an election in Louisiana, when the
Democratic manager telegraphed to an eminent lawyer and fine
gentleman who lived in an out-of-the-way precinct, telling him
he must send in returns showing 450 Democratic majority. A
day or two after he got a letter in which the gentleman informed
the manager that he had done what he had been told to do, but
that it was a rather difficult task, as there were only thirty-five
votes in that precinct.
Now, it must not be forgotten that the Republicans were doing
exactly the same things and-that it was simply a question of
who could do the most of it.
HOW THE RABBIT-FOOT WORKED.
ROFESSOR PROCTOR in one of his essays draws attention
to the fact that there is as much superstition involved
in combating a superstition as there is in hanging to it.
He says that the man who holds that a ship that sails on a Friday
will have a prosperous voyage is Just as superstitious in one
direction as the man who claims that the ship will have bad
luek If it sails on a Friday. When one thinks of it Proctor is
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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/m1/174/?rotate=90: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.