Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 27, 1972 Page: 1 of 16
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Second in a series.
Starr County political machine
employs usual tactics of oppression
EDITOR'S NOTE—Commis-
sioner J.M. Longoria published
many articles on his views back
in 1936. Among some of the ar-
ticles published in the South
Texas Citizen was the following
article on machine politics in
that era and the oppression that
people had to live under. Today
J.M. Longoria has held the post
of County Commissioner from
precinct 3 for over 24 years.
When asked by the Herald if he
intended to run again he re-
plied that he would do what the
party asked him to do. The arti-
cle that follows is not published
to redlcule anyone but is pub-
lished merely to show the dif-
ference between the Longoria
of 1936 and 1972. .. .
Three strongholds of county
political machines still remain
in South Texas. They are in
Webb, Duval and Zapata coun-
ties. In order to keep the rank
and file of the various counties
under control, it is the common
practice for the machine to use
its gun-toting, law-enforcing
agencies to intimidate and re-
duce to serfdom its subjects.
Through publicity, largely
through the influence of The
South Texas Citizen, this prac-
tice has been discontinued in
Webb County. However, in Du-
val and Starr counties arr ?sts,
jail sentences, pistol butts and
blackjacks are the ag.encies
through which the politicians of
the various counties remain in
control.
A recent example of such
practice comes to light in Starr
county. J. M. Longoria, a lead-
er in the opposition movement
against the political machine,
has been subjected to the usual
third degree of "ie Guerra pol-
tical mac, The following
article written by Longoria un-
der the title, "Let us not Be-
cloud the Truth" explains the
Starr county situation:
The purpose of these lines is
to offset certain insinuations
which our political enemies
made public with the aim of
assailing the honorability of the
leaders of the Free Voters
Party.
I was raised under the in-
fluence of the lofty ideals of
emancipation which my father
professed and wlio^ crystalli-
zation he did not live to see. At
an early age the flame of love
for the people was kindled in my
heart, and later it progressed
into burning fire nourished by
the inclinations and golden
dreams of the man who in life
was known as Tristan Longoria.
The storms of abuses of the
deputy sheriff and of some
constables; the curbing of the
law to protect the criminal, and
punish the innocent and in cas-
es, the victim; the curtailing of
the right of the different pre-
cincts to elect their own school
trustees, justices of the peace,
and constables; fraud in elec-
tions; espionage and bandol-
erism; disorder and tramp-
lings; scandals and assaults;
abuses and graft; lackofoppor-
tunity for our youth; bad means
of communicaticn; poor school-
ing advantages; the ruinous
state of the people; the low e-
conomlc, political, social and
Intellectual level of the masses;
the horrible crimes in which no
due responsibilities are fixed,
and the unworthy officers have
kept latent in my breast the
voracious fire that demands to
extinguish itself, the abundant
and precious liquid of redemp-
tion.
That is why, politicians of the
opposition, the leaders of the
Free Voters Party have never
dragged me into their ranks.
On June 6, I came to Browns-
ville, where I am still at pre-
sent. Incidentally, on the day
of my departure, another order
of arrest was issued against
me. On the 5th of this month, I
went back to Starr County to
sign my bond on the second
complaint for "libel," that is,
for publishing the "Starr
County Democrat," which in-
cidentally is applauded by the
broadminded, but for obvious
reasons is antagonized by the
Guerras. At the time of my
first departure, Mr. Amado
Vera, Jr. advised the deputy
sheriff as to where he could find
me, as he had promised to let
me know when my case should
come up.
No, politicians, it is clearly
seen that I am not here "with
a brier on my tail," as you
have so vulgarly, maliciously,
and cowardly said; for even
though my stay here might have
spared me from the abuses to
which the Guerras resort so
often, and to have made it
possible for me to attend to my
health, nevertheless, I have
been always subject to the call
from Starr County to clear my-
self from the mentioned charg-
es. No, politicians, even though
a man is justified in running
away from bandits when the
latter are on his heels, he will
not be compelled to run away
from justice, because when the
law is conscientiously applied,
it always protect^ the law-abid-
ing citizen.
No, politicians, the way in
which the leaders of the Free
Voters Party have betrayed me,
is not known. Consequently, I
should appreciate it deeply if
you should make it public, so
that I may awaken from my
lethargy, and cease collaborat-
ing with such "vile" men as
you call them.
Yes, democrats, whose attri-
bute associated with you re-
minds me of the passages in
"Dona Perfecta," which make
allusion to a cave of bandits that
was known as "the home of
gentlemen" and of some other
ironies. We might be crazy and
vile men, but if we are called
thus because we are struggling
for the redemption of the peo-
ple, we want to die raving man-
iacs.
Why should we becloud the
truth; a great many of the
Guerra henchmen know that
they are fighting for a cause
that is a disgrace to the Demo-
cratic Party and which mort-
gages the future of our children
and grandchildren. This re-
minds me of a man who boasts
of the fact that he considers
himself a great leader of the
Guerrism and who not long ago,
was their bitter enemy and who
on one occasion wrote to me,
saying that there was a certain
element in Starr County so
destitute of personal pride that
they would lick the lash with
which they were whipped. Un-
questionably the Guerras an-
notated the said lash with honey,
because the man in question is
everlastingly licking it. Be
careful, Mr. Henchman, the
flavor Is exceedingly rich and
you are liable to get sick and
tire of it.
In conclusion we want to im-
press the citizenry of the dif-
ferent communities with the
fact that those that knowingly
devote themselves to work in
behalf of the interior and in-
transigent tyranny, are traitors
who believing that they can ben-
efit themselves, mortgage their
children's future, and sacrifice
all the blessings of a good
government to satisfy their
low-down inclinations. Woe to
these poor wretches, who drag
themselves like worms to lick
the foot of he who crushes them.
We are not surprised at their
attitude because all the causes
in behalf of humanity have had
their traitors, starting with the
treachery of Judas for Christ.
The arduous and cruel strug-
gle does not frighten us, be-
cause we have the conviction
that the great causes merit the
offering of sacrifice and be-
cause we know that the noblest
causes demand the great sac-
rifices, precisely because vic-
tory without struggle would be
unworthy and insipid. Great and
noble causes: great and abne-
gated sacrifices: honey-tasting
victories.
Learn to love the truth and
you will be free and you will
conquer even the glories of
Heaven. Study, meditate, dis-
cern and investigate and God
will reward you.
Eternal glory to TRUTH!
(Signed) J. M. LONGORIA.
Mrs. Guerra
dies in
Houston
Mrs. CorineWilkersonGuer-
ra, wife of Roma Mayor J. C.
Guerra died early Wednesday
morning in a Houston hospital
after a brief illness.
Mrs. Guerra is survived by
her husband, one son, John and
her mother, Mrs. RubyWilker-
son.
Mrs. Guerra was 51. Funeral
arrangements will be conducted
by Ceballos Funeral Home of
Rio Grande City today (Thurs-
day) at 5 p.m.
Filing
invalid
State and county party offi-
cials had to go back to the
drawing board today to find new
ways of financing local primar-
ies in the wake of a ruling by a
three-judge federal panel that
the law setting filing fees at up
to four per cent of a candidate's
salary is "invalid and void."
Rick Johnston, a candidate
for justice of the peace in Pet.
7, who would have been required
to pay out $3,456 on his $21,600
see FEES page C
RIO
GRANDE
K
SERVING STARR COUNTY FOR 50 YEARS
Rio Grande City, Texas
TEN CENTS
Vol. XX
No. 4
Thursday
January 27, 1972
In this issue:
see CHAMBER pictures page 12
see HONOR ROLL page 2
see LOCAL specials through issue
Narro announces for
school trustee post
Dr. Ramiro Narro has an-
nounced that he will seek a post
on the Rio Grande City Inde-
pendent School Board of Trust-
ees.
Two posts are now up for
election and they are now held
by Arthur E. Piper, who has
announced that he will not seek
re-election and by Erika Ro-
driguez who is undecided on
whether she will seek another
term.
Narro, a native of McAllen
has lived in Rio Grande City
since 1964 when he opened Nar-
ro Medical Center and began
his medical practice. Narro is
married to a local girl, the
former Maria Celeste Gutier-
rez and the couple has four
children, Celeste Lamar, Ra~
miro Jr., Yvonne Marie and
Darlo Eden.
Dr. Narro holds a medical
degree from the University of
Texas Southwestern Medical
School and also holds a degree
in pharmacy from the Univer-
sity of Texas. He has practiced
medicine for nine years. He is
also a veteran of the Korean
conflict. Narro was decorated
by Sigman Reed of the Republic
of Korea. Reed was the presi-
dent of the country during the
conflict, Narro received the
award for his medical services
to the armed forces during the
conflict.
Among some of Narro'slocal
and civic organizations he lists
the Rotary Club, of which he was
a past president, a director of
the OEO, Knights of Columbus,
Quarterback Club, two years
director of the local Chamber,
Texas Medical Association, A-
merican Medical Association,
Hidalgo-Starr Counties Medi-
cal Society, American Academy
of General Practice, Texas A-
cademy of General Practice and
the Rio Grande Valley Academy
of General Practice.
"I want to serve on the school
board because I feel that the only
way to help your community is
to get involved in its needs,"
Narro said.
'In a way I want to thank the
community with my service on
the board for being good to me
during my practice here in
Starr County and particularly
here in Rio Grande City," he
added.
Gabert will seek
attorneys office
Alex W. Gabert, 38 year old
attorney has announced that he
will seek the post of Starr
County Attorney in the primar-
ies if the incumbent John Pope
III does not seek re-election.
Gabert, a native of RioGran-
de City is married to the
former Emma Lopez. The
couple have two children Judy
Kay, 4 years old and Brenda
l ee, one and a half years. 'Die
family lives in the Ringgold
addition of Rio Grande City.
Gabert is presently the pre-
sident of the Rio Grande City
Independent School District
school hoard of trustees.
Gabert was assistant county
attorney, served an appointed
term as county attorney and is
presently the county's right of
way officer. As right of ways
officer Gabert has acquired the
easements for many of the
county's road projects and pro-
jects presently under construc-
tion by the Soil Conservation
District.
"I feel that I can serve as
county attorney but I will not
see GABERT pg 6
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Trejo, Raul. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 27, 1972, newspaper, January 27, 1972; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth194340/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.