The Irish standard., 1886-10-23
HE TWO z A.YLORS.
a Funny dubernatorial Canvass
Between Two Brothers.
Playing Duets Together After tho Public
Speaking and Sleeping in the Samo
Room-The Most Remarkable
Campaign on Record.
Chattanooga Tcnn.) Cor. N. Y, world.]

|
most remarkable. Nothing like it was
country. Two brothers, Robert and AL
fred Taylor, are rival candidates for the
Governorship. They are making the can
vass together. sBob,n as he is universally
| called, is the candidate of the Democracy,
and Alf is the stapdard-bearer of the Re
publcans. Usually political contest in
Tennessee is a series of personal jnvective
long drawn out and often the issues OF The
canvass are lost sight Of The campaign
this fall, however, has all the points OF
very fine comedy. If it could be repro
duced on the stage with one-quarter OF the
realism Of the original contest it would be
bound to have a long run. The brothers
are on the best of terms, and are constant
ly chatting and joking each other, to the
amusement OF the crowds that follow them
wherever they go. They belong to one of
the best families in Tennessee, and both
have natural gift Of oratory. Dur
ing the last few days Alf's voice has failed
him and, realizing that Bob was gaining
ground ON tho stump in consequence, he
hit upon a plan to checlSma hl1n. The
| idea was suggested by an experience OF
Colonel Dick Menefee, of Kentucky, in Il
Congressional race many years ago.
Colonel Menefee had served one term in
Congress, and having had taste Of Wash
! ington political life his heart craved for
! more ELe was very popular man i'll his
district, part of which lay in the mount
ain regions, and was confident Of success.
His rival, Judge Hogan. was veyy shrewd
man, however, and when, early in the last
days Of the canvass Menafee visited the
| mountains on horseback, he found that all
Of his old friends in that region were
| pledged TO vote for Hogan. He could not
understand it, but he saw that unless he
could do something to stem the tide his de-
feat was certain. He soon learned that the
secret Of Judge Hogan's popularity was
| that he played the violin at parties. Men
efee was for o. time at his wits end, but
one night he found a large company gath
cred in q country school-house with his
rival playing away as hard as he knew
how. Calling one of the most influential
men in the room to one side, Menefee said
quietly: "Judge Hogan plays very we'll. {"
eyes" was tue roply; tive like man who
is not above coming around and furnish
ing music for us.'
II notice that the Judge plays with his
|
was 1efthanded}. why" said the int1u-
ential citizen, what do you mean:''
Nothing much" replied Menefee, indif
ferently; only he always uses his right
hand when he is in Lexington" This story
went over the district very rapidly. The
well-&nown jealousy existing between the
city and the country helped it along, and
Judge Hogan was overwhelmingly de-
feated.
All Taylor has been playing s. sly game
on bis brother. Fe has Left two or three
| political meetings early on account OF his
weak voice and furnished dance music for
parties Both Ct the two brothers are fai1
musicians and know now to handle g vlo-
| lin. Bob go1 onto his brothers. dodge Tery
soon, however, and retaliates by visiting
! half Of the houses along their route: kiss
ing the babies and promising them all
birthday presents whom they grew up
These side issues: SO to speak began to tell
! on the constitutio OF the brothers. and a
compromise has been arranged. Bob is to
stop kissing the babies unless ALI is pres
! enJ AID can come in for his share OF the
glory, and also agrees not TO speak quite
/ SO loud or long until his voice gers into
| better condition,
But, as the violin has been introduced
into the canvass, they find that they can
not put it out. Everywhere they go they
are compelled tC take their violins with
! them and play "a shake-down after the
regular meeting Of the night is over. The
| brothers duet: played at the Read House
here, was very amusing sight The par
! Tors were crowded, and the two brothers
sat close together, surrounded by their adj
herents sDixie," 81 "Star-iSpangied Ban
ncr" "Old Kentucky Home " and se.ec-
tons from the " Mkado," were rendered
in fine style. 1t was impossible, amid the
shouts OF laughter and applause, 20 say
| which was the better man with the bow.
At Cleveland, Tenn, lest week, the
! brothers addressed the largest meeting Of
the campaign. The applause was about
evenly divided between the brothers, and
each received several handsome bouquets
Back at the hote! that night there was a
| general reception. Partisans Of each side
| iostled one another III tho crowd and
both candidates shook hands with Demo
; crats and Republicans alike. Bob and
( Alf produced tue violins, aud the recep-
ton closed with a grand Breakdown and
| waltz
There is some talk here Of nominating
Rev llr. Taylor, father of Bob and ALT
/ on She Prohibition ticket, and Mrs. Tay
lor the mother, On the woman suffrage
| platform. In that event, matters would
become complicated, indeed.
Several days ago at Athens another
feature was introduced into this canvass
which promises to become q regular card
Some one alluded to it as the War of the
| Roses and the expression was promptly
caught up by the crowd 1t furnished the
proper campaign insignia at once the
red rose becan1e the badge Of the Repub-
icans and the white rose the emblem Of
| Democracy. 1t spread like wildfre, and
within forty eight hours these historic
| decorations were worn in rosetts from one
end Of the State to the other. The ladies,
too, are flying the colors of their choice.
An incident the other night, while the
brothers were at Bridgeport, illustrates
the spirit of the canvass from the matron's
standpoint They performed as usual and
| then went arm in arm to the same bed. As
they came down to breakfast the next
morning the hotel proprietor's wife, a
smiling old ady Of sixty, approached them
! with bunch Of the rival roses in each
hand and said: Colonel Bob and Colonel
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