Finish of Fergusonism

Democrats of Texas last week held their run-off primary to nominate a governor. The candidates: Ross Shaw ("Big Fat Boy") Sterling, wealthy publisher of the Houston Post Dispatch (circulation: 69,000), chairman of the State Highway Commission; and Mrs. Miriam A. ("Ma") Ferguson, onetime (1925-1927) governor. No. 1 Sterling stumpster: Governor Dan Moody. No. 1 Ferguson stumpster: Husband James E. ("Farmer Jim") Ferguson, removed by impeachment from the governorship in 1917. The issues: "Fergusonism"; "Common People" v. "Millionaires." Never before had Texas been through such a bitter personal campaign as followed the first primary a month ago when Mrs. Ferguson led eleven candidates but lacked a majority vote (TIME, Aug. 4). Husband Ferguson drew enormous crowds, set them wild with denunciation of Messrs. Moody and Sterling. Newspapers were given libel law waivers by Candidate Sterling to print anything Stumpster Ferguson said against him, but Mrs. Ferguson would not grant the Press the reciprocal privilege. Her husband, appealing to the "common folks at the fork of the creek," mocked and jibed at Candidate Sterling's handsome Bay Shore house, declared it had no less than 27 bathrooms.* accused his wife's opponent of "having lost the common touch." Boldly he admitted he would run the state government over Mrs. Ferguson's shoulder. He shouted: "Get two governors for the price of one. . . . I'll be right there with Mamma to pick up the chips and bring in the water when you elect her." He promised to "go easy" on bootleggers, repeated his wife's pledge to pardon 2,000 convicts in the State Penitentiary. He warned "Pinhead" Moody to "go back to smoking cigarets and crocheting." Crowds yelled "POUR it on, Jim" when he would declare: 'There're two candidates in this race. One is a woman with brains and no money. The other is a man with money and no brains."

Distressed by the campaign's character, Candidate Sterling, no public speaker, kept in the background, let others do his stumping. He did try to explain the baths in his home: "It's true I built a house down on the bay. ... I had them build a bath for my children's room and there was one for my wife and me, and one for my wife's sister, and we built two guest rooms. ... I don't think there's anything so awful about having a home with bathrooms. ... I hope every citizen of Texas can have a bathroom."

Walter Ferguson, Sterling supporter, declared his brother Jim was "no more interested in the common people than a hog in rock pile." On primary day some 900,000 Texas Democrats, deeply stirred by the campaign, went to the polls, cast a record vote which nominated Candidate Sterling by a majority of almost 100,000. The entire big-city press of Texas agreed with him when he claimed his victory was a "triumph of good government" and the end of "Fergusonism." Nominee Sterling, sure of election, will have perfunctory opposition in November from Dr. Charles Butte, Republican gubernatorial nominee. Born poor on a southeast Texas farm, Nominee Sterling could not read or write until he was 21. From freight boat boy, he rose to keeping country store at Humble, struck oil there, organized Humble Oil Co. f(known as "Lucky Humble" because of its many gushers), sold out to Standard Oil of New Jersey for $12,000.000. Real estate and building in Houston have made him today one of Texas' richest citizens. As Highway Commission chairman he defied the big oil companies, got a 4-c- state gasoline tax to build roads. Big, solid, substantial, respectable, he has the support of the Democracy's "best element."

*It has 23 rooms, 8 baths.

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