The Duval County Freedom Party: Part Four

 POSTED BY: CARDENAS.AE@GMAIL.COM JUNE 30, 2018

 

Getting the goods on Parr

 

Archer Parr

 

The investigations began to bear fruit resulting in the indictment of George Parr who, in typical fashion, resigned his post as sheriff and appointed his nephew Archer Parr to the office. The Freedom Party again had their hopes of electoral success raised. In 1954, Benavides resident J.L. McDonald announced he was running for sheriff on the Freedom Party ticket. Donato Serna, the party’s standard-bearer in the previous election expressed hope for “a great deal more success” than in 1952.

 

George B. Parr

 

Shortly after this announcement the two Parrs engaged in a scuffle with a couple of Texas Rangers at the Jim Wells County Courthouse. George Parr spent less than 10 minutes in jail after a court hearing and the court released him on a $1,500 bond posted by Oscar Carrillo and J.B. Garza. George Parr was in the Jim Wells County Courthouse responding to an accusation from a Freedom Party leader Manuel Marroquin that Parr had accosted him with a gun and threatened to kill him.

 

Incidents like these certainly gave the Freedom Party fuel to continue in their quest. Soon other investigations were begun, including one against the Benavides school district. Support from some in the media, such as favorable editorials also raised their hopes. Gov. Shivers praised the press saying, “The press has done a commendable job and a great public service in reporting the Duval County situation.”

 

Parr still had his supporters

But not everyone in Duval County was catching the Freedom Party fever. A group of women in Duval County formed an organization to support the “Old Party.”

 

“George Parr is one of the leaders of the old Party and therefore…we support him,” Mrs. F.H. Canales told a women’s meeting in Alice. “The majority of voters here are supporters of the Old Party.”

 

Others at the meeting denounced “outside interference.”

 

The list of members of the Old Party women supporters, called the OPLWV, was veritable who’s who of Duval County society. Among them were Lela Alaniz, former wife of Nago Alaniz, Barbara Gonzalez, Emma Barton, Odilia Garcia Wright, Beatrice Saenz Ramirez, Inez Heras Saenz, Mrs. Reyes Ramos, Mrs. Watson from Freer, Mrs. E. S. Garcia, Mrs. Amando Garcia, Jr., Mrs. Edmundo B. Garcia, Mrs. Emede Garcia, Mrs. Pedro Trevino, Mrs. Gabriel Chapa, Mrs. Charles Stansell, Bernarda Jaime, Mrs. Armando Barrera, Mrs. J. Richards, Mrs. Nago Alaniz, Mrs. Manuel Amaya, Pajita Garcia, Mrs. Antonio Tobin Sr., Mrs. Ricardo Tobin, Juanita Perez, and Mamie Corrigan.

 

The Freedom Party too had a women’s support group. In an April 12, 1954 letter to Homer Garrison, the leaders of “The United Mothers and Wives of Duval County” asked for a Texas Ranger to be assigned permanently in Duval County because they feared “unbridled retaliation” when the Old Party men realized that “all is lost.”

 

Mrs. J.J. Trevino as President and Mrs. J. H. Rutledge as secretary signed the letter. The group had been organized “to protect” their children “from any effort to instill in them a fear of individuals, to make them servants of the machine or system, or to make them afraid to speak, think, or vote according to their conscience.”

 

While many balls were being juggled in courtrooms, the newspapers, amongst women’s groups, etc. the proof in the pudding was at the polls.

 

(Next week we continue with Part Five.)

 

    

4 COMMENTSON "THE DUVAL COUNTY FREEDOM PARTY: PART FOUR"

Stella Hernandez | July 2, 2018 at 9:21 am | Reply (Edit)

The Parr clan history you share is fascinating. Thanks for posting. I can’t imagine why Hollywood would not be interested in a movie…lol

 

alfredo@mcmbooks.com | July 2, 2018 at 10:08 am | Reply (Edit)

Thank you Stella.

 

David Garza | June 30, 2018 at 9:18 pm | Reply (Edit)

Really cool. My dad Chalo Garza was Freedom Party…in 1977…Freedom Party arose again. Uresti County Judge…Chalo and Aida City commission/school board…

 

alfredo@mcmbooks.com | July 2, 2018 at 10:09 am | Reply (Edit)

Thanks, David. All three great people!