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55 J im Ferguson began his first term with a bounty of enthusiasm. A retrospective look at his career could scarcely christen 1915 anything less than his finest hour. At the January 19 inauguration, he appeared confident and capable showcasing his talent for pleasing an audience. Like a consummate wordsmith, he delivered an uplifting and well-received inaugural speech in which he emphasized and re-emphasized a sense of profound responsibility and a need for co-operation in securing those things that represented the people’s will. “You and I upon whose shoulders has fallen the mantle of the Democratic Fathers, must wear the insignia of power, with credit to ourselves and with honor to the age in which we live,” he told the group. Lieutenant Governor William Hobby followed with his own compelling words of optimism. The two leaders were similarly positioned on key issues. With a relationship that was entirely amicable, they launched an administration filled with promise.1 The momentum of his victory gave Governor Ferguson a great boost to his early days in office; he reveled in the popularity and the power that were his. A decline in popularity of his predecessor, Colquitt, at the end of his term served to further bolster Ferguson’s appeal. The prohibitionists knew that on the state level they were, for a short while at least, stalled except for opportunities to push for local option elections in the hope of a “dry” vote. The farmers looked to their new savior in Austin with hope, and the governor knew that he could ill afford to forsake the force that had elected him.2 Governor Ferguson used his power of appointment liberally, revealing early a discernible pattern of reward and punishment for those who were Ferguson supporters and those who were not. Not surprisingly, campaign manager and friend John McKay received his long-awaited appointment as Secretary of State. Even McKay’s wife received a seat on the board of the state library and historical commission and the couple’s son, Leslie, received a clerkship in the state offices of the Chapter 6 It Is Good to Be King 56 In the Governor’s Shadow banking division. Dentist Alexander Dienst, considered a dark horse for the position , was the recipient of a federal appointment as Temple’s postmaster. An endorsement from Ferguson and Congressman R. L. Henry facilitated Dienst’s selection to that post, a contest in which he beat a dozen hopefuls. To fill three open positions on the Board of Regents of the University of Texas, Ferguson selected Dr. George McReynolds of Temple, Dr. S. J. Jones of Salado, and a man he did not know but who came with high recommendations, Rabbi Maurice Faber of Tyler.3 Other men in established state positions who had not supported Ferguson’s bid for election soon found themselves unemployed. One such unfortunate was an accomplished black educator and administrator named Edward Blackshear. Since 1897, the well-qualified Blackshear had been the principal of Prairie View Normal and Industrial College and the school had flourished under his leadership. A prohibitionist , Blackshear had supported Thomas Ball in the 1914 race, an act that soon cost him his job. In mid-1915, Ferguson’s plan to oust Blackshear succeeded despite protests from many who spoke on behalf of his accomplishments and his abiding love for the college. Ferguson facilitated Blackshear’s removal by packing the board with men who would do his bidding, and under extreme pressure the distinguished gentleman resigned. Ferguson had no qualms about stating one of his motives for replacing Blackshear. In his argument for removal, Ferguson stated, “A Negro, has no business whatever taking part in the political affairs of the Democratic party, the white man’s party.” The ease of the displacement of his perceived enemy and the method he used to obtain that goal, likely further bolstered Ferguson’s belief that his authority was extensive.4 Within a few months of taking office, Ferguson demonstrated repeatedly his predisposition for a flagrant use of “spoils politics.” His desire to dismiss Dr. F. S. White, superintendent of San Antonio’s Southwestern Insane Asylum, met with heated resistance. In particular, W. C. Rigsby, a member of the board of managers for the asylum, protested the dismissal of Dr. White, a man he felt had done an exemplary job. Seeing no legitimate reason for White’s dismissal, many suspected that Governor Ferguson was eager to release him because he had promised the job...

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