National Reports

EUBANKS, BICKNELL

NATIONAL REPORTS Gonzalez Seeks Texas Governorship By Bicknell Eubanks Dallas The strumming of Mexican guitars will vie with traditional hillbilly bands in the Texas political campaign this...

...In its post-session analysis of the Texas Legislature, the state's labor leadership ranked him far ahead of any other local political figure...
...An especially tense situation exists in Houston, which has a large Negro population...
...Gonzalez is unqualifiedly opposed to racial segregation in public high schools...
...He will get support from liberal "Anglo" voters tired of the domination of Texas politics by conservatives, from labor, and from Negroes...
...Senator Ralph Yarborough, who will be opposed for re-election by an arch-conservative, millionaire William Blakley...
...The appearance on the political scene of an outright foe of segregation comes on the eve of expected integration moves in the state's two largest cities, Houston and Dallas...
...Most serious is the traditional "Anglo" antagonism toward anyone with a Mexican name...
...When he appeared in Austin to file for the Democratic gubernatorial primary, he was accompanied by four Mexican guitar players...
...He pointed out, however, that his great-grandfather had fought with the northern revolutionaries in Mexico against Santa Ana even as the Texans tried to hold the Alamo against hopeless odds...
...Although there is no official connection between the Gonzalez and Yarborough candidacies, the Senator should benefit from the expected large turnout of Negro and Latin voters...
...The combo then provided suitable background music while Gonzalez explained to newsmen that he had gone into the race at the last minute because no liberal was challenging the conservatives and segregationists...
...It has been estimated that there are about 1.5 million in Texas, but it is impossible to estimate how many of these have registered to vote...
...NATIONAL REPORTS Gonzalez Seeks Texas Governorship By Bicknell Eubanks Dallas The strumming of Mexican guitars will vie with traditional hillbilly bands in the Texas political campaign this summer...
...W. Lee ("Pappy") O'Daniel, a former Governor and U.S...
...They are expected to swing strongly behind Gonzalez because of his fight against segregation...
...The big mystery, however, will be the strength which Gonzalez can get from Mexican-American voters...
...It was O'Daniel who first recognized the value of the hillbilly band and accompanying entertainment for drawing campaign crowds...
...Senator, is also in the race...
...Despite the twin handicaps of his name and his liberalism, Gonzalez is going to be a serious threat to Governor Daniel...
...Major tests between segregationists and integrationists are expected to result...
...Until he was unseated by Yarborough in last year's special election, Blakley served briefly as an interim Senator by appointment from then-Governor Allan Shivers...
...Record numbers of Negroes are reported to have registered in the big cities...
...As he paid his fee, they played The Eyes of Texas and several Mexican songs...
...A Dallas oilman and rancher, he is also an insurance, real estate and airlines executive...
...Win or lose, State Senator Henry Gonzalez of San Antonio is expected to stimulate Texas liberals...
...my family is Mexican...
...But Senator Gonzalez will have an attraction which may prove even more effective because of its freshness and color—a Latin guitar combo in Mexican attire...
...Gonzalez will no doubt direct his political attack primarily at incumbent Governor Price Daniel, who is seeking a second term...
...For the first time, a Texan of Mexican descent is trying to get himself elected Governor...
...He will no doubt utilize this method again this year...
...Gonzalez should be a big help to U.S...
...Federal Judges Ben Connally and William Atwell have not set a target date for integrating the school systems, but it is expected that the two cities will take the first steps next fall...
...He waged a one-man filibuster during the last legislative session in a vain attempt to turn back relentless moves by East Texas and Dallas County legislators to fix Texas more solidly in the Old South mosaic of racial antagonisms...
...Gonzalez told newsmen that some people had said he was of Spanish descent, "but that's cutting it pretty thin...
...Gonzalez has no illusions about the hurdles he has to overcome...

Vol. 41 • June 1958 • No. 23


 
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