ustxtxb_obs_1966_09_30_50_00009-00000_000.pdf

Tower, Bush said, had written “a wellreasoned record of fighting for what Texans believe in, a record of standing up under the pressure.” Former House Speaker Sam Rayburn used to say, ” ‘If you want to get along, go along,’ ” Bush recalled, adding, “but John Tower does not have to go along. He’s not dependent on the Great Society for his committee assignments. He supports the Administration when he thinks it’s right and he’s free enough and courageous enough” ‘to fight it when he thinks it’s wrong. He ‘does not fight change, but wants it within the framework of law, and he knows there must be dissent and does not “unjustifiably question” the motives of dissenters, Bush said. TOWER STRODE RAPIDLY into the convention hall from the back, holding his wife Lou by the hand as she paced ‘along beside him. This set off an eightminute demonstration, complete with parading up and down the aisles, band music, “Vivas” and “Ogs.” Tower said that \(despite the “pink elehe would go back to Washington that night to vote for Senator Everett Dirksen’s prayer amendment, which Tower said would “amend an unwise Supreme Court decision.” The day before the convention, he said, “we killed the 1966 civil rights bill.” Both these statements were greeted with enthusiastic applause. “The Republican Party has a long history of championing civil rights and the rights of individuals and of opposing prejudice and bigotry and discrimination,” he said, “but we ‘also have championed the rights of the individual to own and dispose of property as he chooses.” In a part of his speech prepared in advance for release to the Ares, Tower was going to be saying that his contest with Atty. Gen. Waggoner Carr was not a party vs. party matter. Now, ad libbing, he told the Republican convention he is proud of his party. “I think you know I’m not going to he able to pass out any federal jobs to you, rural postmasterships, anything like that, but you’re here anyway, and appreciate that.” Reading from the brief prepared text, he _said that Carr is failing in his attempt to divide Texans “on a basis ‘of party vs. party.” Tower said he had made only one promise in 1961, to act and vote in Washington in accordance with the wishes of a majority of Texans and to represent all Texans. “It ‘is my opinion,” he said, “that political parties ‘oughta be regarded as vehicles ‘by which and through which the people of our Republic are able to nominate and to place competent men in public office . . . It is not the purpose of a political party to provide the strong man to afford the coattails for weaker men to ‘be elected to office.” Once a man is elected, Tower said, “he should then take up the duties of the office on a non-partisan basis . . . ” The junior senator said he didn’t know how many people had said to him, “I’m a Democrat, but I believe principle is more important and I’m voting for you.” Tower underscored earlier remark’s by state GOP chairman Peter O’Donnell alleging that Carr wants to run for governor. The senator said that “it is rumored” that Carr “may use the Senate seat to run for governor two or four years hence.” Tower is ‘opposed, he continued by “the power structure.” Concerned by the drift of power ‘toward “the executive branch” and by ‘the enactment of programs “that appeal to the cupidity and weakness of our citizenry,” he said a senator should ‘be able to act with independence of “any politician, period.” Tower introduced his wife, who said, “I believe so wholeheartedly in what he’s doing. He really is a wonderful ‘man. He’s a Wonderful father. He’s the best husband ‘there ever could ‘be, and I’ll just tell the whole world I love ‘him a whole lot.” At a press conference after his ‘speech, Tower said yes, it’s true, ‘as Carr has charg ed, that Tower voted more money than the President asked for some programs”the school lunch program, HemisFair, the development of the Nike X system . . . If my opponent wants to cut [school] aid to impacted areas and the school lunch program, let him say so.” Told the Houston liberals had walked out of the Democrats’ convention in Austin, Tower said, “The Republican Party is open to anybody ‘to participate. The doors of my campaign ‘office are open to everybody, regardless of political affiliation.” Discussing the Houston walkout in Austin again later, he grinned and said, “I’m real sorry ‘about that.” THE GOP FINANCE chairman, John Bennett of San Antonio, president of a local bank, says the Republicans are now the party of the little people because the largest number of their contributions come from donors of small sums. He said that 20,000 people have invested in the Tower campaign. The party’s statewide candidates spoke in the afternoon, but at times it seemed that fewer than half of the delegates were paying attention. T. E. Kennerly, running for governor against John Connally, condemned recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions “which have coddled the criminal’s,” and he declared, “We should have respect for our courts, and I’ll say in parentheses that we oughta have courts that we can respect.” Robb Stewart, running against Crawford Martin for attorney general, condemned the Great Society in the course of his defense of the cause of “less government.” Dibrell, opposing Preston Smith for ‘lieutenant governor, said the Republicans must welcome into their party “representatives of all groups” if there is to be a two-party Texas. Later he explained that he meant that the Republican primary should be dominated by conservatives, but that then, before the general election, appeals for support should be made to all groups. R.D. Democrats Feign Unity and Harmony Austin Whether the voices muffled here last week will be heard more distinctly Novem ber 8 is the question that lingers after the state Democratic convention. Will the Harris County walkout hurt Waggoner Carr? Governor John Connally professes to think not. Carr, for his part, notes that the Houstonians “were not supporting me, anyway.” He believes they came to Austin to stage a walkout. Despite the protest, the 1966 “governor’s convention,” so-called never more aptly, was a mechanic’s dream a soundly engineered, finely tuned, well-oiled model which cruised nicely, missed no strokes, and hit the curves smoothly. No annoying rattles, no discordant pings. After some minor adjustments under the ‘hood \(achieved disGreg Olds the road and purred sonorously along to adjournment. But the mechanic’s bill may be sent to Carr. Many Texas liberals came to Austin already leaning away from Carr’s candidacy for John Tower’s Senate seat. There is evidence that ‘the Harris County delegation ing to be rejected ‘in their demands ‘that they be seated and be permitted to name their county’s eight State Democratic Executive Committee members. It is true that eight liberals from Houston would have commanded attention in the body that runs the state party’s ‘affairs, but they would not have changed the conservative nature of the committee. The mood of the Hous tonians and other tidbits of data suggest that the Harris County delegates were therefore ‘interested less in seats on the S.D.E.C. than in ‘participating in a scene, thus spurring further disenchantment with Carr, whose victory the Houstonians would see as a blow to the two-party system. THE CARR DINNER the night before the convention was nothing less than a triumph. In contrast to the rather dismal start the attorney general’s campaign suffered in Lubbock earlier this month, the Austin gala featured a crowd double that anticipatedand at $25 a head, proceeds of which will go to the Carr campaign fund. The candidate was boosted by an all-star lineup of state Democrats, who lined the stage in a solid front of support for the candidate they ‘offer as a valued member of an September 30, 1966 9