Price Daniel Sr. is one of my favorite public servants. I believe I’ve made that statement before, and I’ve related several personal experiences that cemented that choice.
In my fairly encompassing knowledge of this man, I do not know of one single, solitary action by him that could be labeled dishonest.
And, I have written about several members of the family on occasion.
Of course, one famous member of the family tree is my #1 public figure hero, Sam Houston.
And, I have related the story of the Governor keeping some bigwigs waiting while he talked to this-then 20-year-old journalist about the newspaper business and about his grandfather having owned and published my hometown newspaper, The Teague Chronicle.
His son, Price Jr., lived a star-crossed life and met a tragic and untimely end.
Another son, Houston, is a successful attorney in the family’s home base of Liberty.
Daughter Jean Houston Murph is a community journalist, following the family’s other career bent – newspapering as opposed to law. Give me liberty AND newspapers! Can’t have liberty without newspapers.
Jean publishes the Citizens’ Advocate in Coppell, in the shadows of Dallas and the DFW Airport. She’s a chip off the other side of the “Old Block.”
But, back to the Governor.
His service to his state includes three terms in the Texas House of Representatives, Attorney General, United States Senator, of course Governor, and Texas Supreme Court justice, in that order. His service to Texas is unmatched.
He did get some blame for something he did not approve – our sales tax. Even though he refused to sign the initial bill imposing the tax, he did not veto it and, thus, was blamed for Texans having to pay it. To add insult to injury, the initial paying of a one-cent sales tax, that penny was called by many sidewalk philosophers: “a penny for Price.”
Frankly, I believe the Texas Legislature would have passed the tax with a two-thirds override of his veto, since a majority of that body felt they had exhausted other means of tax revenue to finance state government. The governor knew that to be a political reality and let the tax bill become law without his signature.
I have written about his son, Price Jr., and my short-term encounters with him and elective office, and, sadly, his tragic demise.
And, I have written at some length about his brother, Bill, a real character. Bill was a cowboy in the sense that he ranched, rode horses, roped cows and calves and was generally genuine and certifiable.
Bill and I used to visit at the Cleveland Advocate, where I was publisher, and in the evenings at the Texan Theater, which I managed for my newspaper partners who owned the movie house. Yep, I burned the candle at both ends.
Bill and I sat on the back row, ate popcorn (which he’d been forbidden by his doctors to do) and talked politics. The favorite politician for both of us was Price Daniel Sr. Bill sacrificed a promising political career for his younger brother, whom he adored, protected and defended.
Bill’s flamboyance was in almost direct contrast to the Governor’s cool head and dignified manner.
Both cared deeply about their fellow Texans.
Newspaper folks are very careful observers of the political scene and of the governing performance. Most are careful to maintain personal neutrality as we are often expected to put a public measuring stick to gubernatorial governance.
I’ve never known anyone, save a political opponent or the sidewalk philosophers who decried the sales tax, to speak ill of Price Daniel Sr.
I certainly won’t. He was my public service hero.
Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher of more than 50 years experience.
