History Buffs: Does Anyone Know when...

[Vogon_Glory]

I've a question for history buffs. When did the Texas Republican Party institute their "Lilly White" party primaries that excluded non-white candidates and/or voters? I think that it was back in the 1890's.

I know that the Democratic Party used to have a shameful past as far as racial injustice goes, but I don't believe that Texas Republicans (Most of which are ex-Dixiecrats anyway) deserve to bask in the reflected glory of their 1960's less-reactionary GOP predecessors who joined LBJ and progressive Democrats in passing civil rights legislation.

I think that we ought to needled the Senile Elephant Party about its grubby past for sheer cussedness' sake.

[VPStoltz]

1. I think it was during the time leading up to the Civil War.

Texas was a slave state. Bush I voted against the Civil Rights act correct? And wasn't Cheney against open schooling, etc. The few Repugs who sided with the Dems only did it because of some advantage they would get.

[acmejack]

2. See this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=180x1944

[Gingergal]

3. Here are some resources for you .

A recent book:
The battle for the black ballot : Smith v. Allwright and the defeat of the Texas all-white primary / Charles L. Zelden
Publisher:Lawrence, Ka. : University Press of Kansas, c2004
Try inter library loan if your library does not have it.
2. From Handbook of Texas Online
<http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/WW/wdw1.html>
Hope this helps.
Remember that the Democratic Party was the self proclaimed party of the white man. But our party redeemed itself from its pro slavery and pro segregationist past with the passage of the civil rights bills of 1964 and 1965 pushed by LBJ. The Dixiecrats left the party and became Republicans. They began to follow the Southern strategy. The reform party of Lincoln became the reactionary party of racists and segregationists. Lincoln would be a Democrat today if he were alive.