ustxtxb_obs_1968_03_15_50_00002-00000_000.pdf

THE TEXAS OBSERVER A Journal of Free Voices The Texas Observer Publishing Co. A Window to the South 62nd YEARESTABLISHED 1906 Vol. LX, No. 5 March 15, 1968 ranks of the building trades, he could win the endorsement. Brown spoke to the IBEW Thursday afternoon, Gladden that evening, Brown Friday morning. Early Friday afternoon IBEW voted in caucus to stay with Gladden. Another caucus was held at 4 p.m. that day, evidently with no change in stance resulting. Saturday before the vote on endorsement Brown solicited the aid of four senators who have good labor voting records. Appearing at the IBEW caucus that day were State Sen. Don Kennard of Fort Worth, A. R. Mauzy of Dallas, and Charles Wilson of Lufkin, who urged that Gladden not be endorsed. Schwartz had, the day before, sponsored a coffee reception for Barnes at a fashionable restaurant. Among those on hand were State Rep Carl Parker, Port Arthur, Kennard, Wilson, and Mauzy. On hearing what Schwartz planned, State Rep. Ed Harris, Galveston, a liberal House colleague of Gladden’s, announced that he would hold a competing reception for Gladden at a Walgreen’s drug store, which, unlike the restaurant, is fully integrated. However, Gladden was unable to attend this affair since he became tied up in eleventh hour negotiations. THURSDAY AND Friday were given to caucuses, hearing emissaries of Brown or Gladden or those two men in Incorporating the State Observer and the East Texas Democrat, which in turn incorporated the State Week and Austin Forum-Advocate. We will serve no group or party but will hew hard to the truth as we find it and the right as we see it. We are dedicated to the whole truth, to human values above all interests, to the rights of man as the foundation of democracy; we will take orders from none but our own conscience, and never will we overlook or misrepresent the truth to serve the interests of the powerful or cater to the ignoble in the human spirit. Editor, Greg Olds. Associate Editor, Kaye Northcott. Editor-at-large, Ronnie Dugger. Business Manager, Sarah Payne. Associate Manager, C. R. Olofson. Contributing Editors, Winston Bode, Bill Brammer, Lee Clark, Sue Horn Estes, Larry Goodwyn, Harris Green, Bill Helmer, Dave Hickey, Franklin Jones, Lyman Jones, Larry L. King, Georgia Earnest Klipple, Al Melinger, Robert L. Montgomery, Willie Morris, James Presley, Charles Ramsdell, John Rogers, Mary Beth Rogers, Roger Shattuck, Robert Sherrill, Dan Strawn, Tom Sutherland, Charles Alan Wright. Contributing Photographer, Russell Lee. The editor has exclusive control over the editorial policies and contents of the Observer. None of the other people who are associated with the enterprise shares this responsibility with him. Writers are responsible for their own work, but not for anything they have not themselves written, and in publishing them the editor does not necessarily imply that he agrees with them, because this is a journal of free voices. person, and behind the scenes arm twisting and cajoling. Gladden at a Friday morning press conference asked that he and Barnes be permitted to debate before the convention, rather than speak separately. Brown later ruled this procedure contrary to the COPE constitution. Gladden told reporters: “If Barnes has made some private commitments to organized labor the delegates are entitled to know it. These delegates need to know where Barnes stands on such issues as the right to work law.” Gladden then read a clipping from the Amarillo Daily News of a few days before in which Barnes was quoted as saying, “… I strongly support the right to work laws. I passed a resolution last session of the legislature when Congress was in session considering right to work laws, asking all the Texas Congressmen to vote against repeal. I sent them all telegrams, went to Washington, and did not testify but was there to be called upon if my testimony was needed.” “These delegates need to know this,” Gladden went on, “and whether [Barnes] has privately committed to the contrary on this issue …. The people of Texas need to know this …. Ben Barnes, in view of his bad labor voting record, must have made some sort of commitment to get this labor support. “It seems to be the number one issue before this convention whether Hank Brown can keep me from getting labor’s endorsement,” Gladden went on. “During Unsigned articles are the editor’s. Subscription Representatives: A r ling t o n, George N. Green, 300 E. South College St., CR 70080; Austin, Mrs. Helen C. Spear, 2615 Pecos, HO 5-1805; Corpus Christi, Penny Dudley, 1224 1/2 Second St., TU 4-1460; Dallas, Mrs. Cordye Hall, 5835 Ellsworth, TA 1-1205; El Paso, Philip Himelstein, 331 Rainbow Circle, 584-3238; Ft. Worth, Dolores Jacobsen, 3025 Greene Ave., WA 4-9655; Houston, Mrs. Kitty Peacock, PO Box 13059, 523-0685; Lubbock, Doris Blaisdell, 2515 24th St.; Midland, Eva Dennis, 4306 Douglas, OX 4-2825; Snyder, Enid Turner, 2210 30th St., HI 3-9497 or HI 3-6061; San Antonio, Mrs. Mae B. Tuggle, 531 Elmhurst, TA 6-3583; Wichita Falls, Jerry Lewis, 2910 Speedway, 766-0409. The Observer is published by Texas Observer Co., Ltd., biweekly from Austin, Texas. Entered as second-class matter April 26, 1937, at the Post Office at Austin, Texas, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Second class postage paid at Austin, Texas. Delivered postage prepaid $6.00 a year; two years, $11.00; thred years, $15.00. Foreigr rates on request. Single copies 25c; prices for ten or more for students, or bulk orders, on request. Editorial and Business Offices: The Texas Observer, 504 West 24th St., Austin, Texas 78705. Telephone GR 7-0746. Editor’s residence phone, GR 8-2333. Houston office: 1005 S. Shepherd Drive, Houston, Texas 77019. Telephone 523-0685. Change of Address: Please give old and new address and allow three weeks. Form 3579 regarding undelivered copies: Send to Texas Observer, 504 W. 24th, Austin, Texas 78705. my legislative career I have been willing to walk clown the streets of my hometown with them and I would wish they would walk down the streets of Galveston with me.” The swing of the IBEW behind Gladden, and word of other smaller locals getting behind him \(such as a Pasadena oilresolute standing with Gladden of the machinists and the CWA all tended to make it appear that things were swinging Gladden’s way, despite Brown’s adamant stand. Then, Friday night, it appeared that Gladden had locked things up with a timely boost from Senator Yarborough. The senator spoke to a banquet with great enthusiasm about liberals’ chances in Texas this year, saying “this year you can win any election you want to win,” then turned his attention to issues that interest him in the US Senate and then to state politics. Discussing his races for governor in the 1950’s Yarborough suddenly said, “But what happened in 1956? Jerry Holleman [Brown’s predecessor as state AFL-CIO president] defeted to Price Daniel.” Holleman, who later became a consultant to management, was referred to once or twice more by Yarborough, who then said, “You took me on faith in those years of the 1950’s, I had no proven record of service. But if you’ve got a man of the legislature who’s served already, you know his record . . . and you don’t support him, let me tell you the lobbyists and others will be there next year telling you `So and so voted all those years for labor and when he ran they turned their backs on him.’ . . . Let the people know who stuck their necks out against the Shivers and Connally types that you’re gonna stand up for them, too. . . .” This was almost unanimously interpreted by those in the audience as the senator’s saying: “Endorse Gladden.” The audience, not having anticipated anything of this sort, became excited. “I broke the ‘sound barrier’ in Texas,” Yarborough went on, referring to his being the first postwar statewide candidate to speak out for liberal values, “and now those who are trying to get inlabor halls [to speak] across the state are those who have antilabor records. .. . “Tomorrow is March 2. It’s Texas Independence Day. . . . Sam Houston broke a military dictatorship in Texas. Let me tell you this is the year to break the [Establishment’s] yoke. Where Sam Houston had 783 persons with him you’ve got four million [registered voters]. It ought to be easy.” It then seemed that Roy Evans, the secretary-treasurer of the State AFL-CIO, all but acknowledged that the senator’s words had put the final touch of victory on Gladden’s campaign for endorsement. Evans is known to have supported endorsement for Gladden and to have differed at times with Brown on how the organization should be run. It evidently seemed to Evans that it had suddenly become time to close ranks; he said,