Juan N. Cortina and the Struggle for Justice in Texas

With a degree in law from the University of Michigan, class of '99, Canales practice law in Cameron County's seat at Brownsville. People elected him their representative to the state legislature for several terms, 1905 to 1912 and then 1917 to 1920. It was in the last term that Canales made his most memorable mark, thundering against the atrocities committed by the formerly untouchable Texas Rangers, who had rampaged the Valley during the so-called "bandit raids" of 1915 and 1916, depriving the citizenry - almost all Hispanics - of their dignity and human rights in the name of Ranger justice. Canales described the wanton depredations, one of the sorriest chapters in the region's history, a history that has never been fully told for fear of retribution. But J. T. Canales raised enough of a ruckus at the time to get the legislature to disband the old-style Rangers and then have them reconstituted along other lines, which, in many ways, became only slightly less controversial than the former ones. Throughout his long life, Canales remained an ardent crusader for Hispanic rights in the Valley. He sponsored state legislation to halt real estate frauds by land companies that were largely supported by big money from outside the Valley as they tried to monopolize the region's agricultural potential. He sponsored other laws aimed at corrupt country and district judges throughout South Texas. Folks appreciated his endeavors so much that they called Canales "judge," a huge symbol of respect for the man an indication of who they wanted to be their judge. --- excerpt from book's Introduction