Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-09-11
CLEAN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS.

The candidates for Governor of Ten
nessee are brothers, though represent
ing opposite factions of the political fam
lily, and as such a thing has never been
known before in American politics, the
battle between the two men will be the
best test of the leanings of the people of
that State, possible to conceive or apply.
The Courier Journal hits off the case in
the following manner:
The people of Tennessee are to be con-
graduated on their present prospect of es-
Gaping IN some measure the character of
personal politics which so often disgraces
heated campaigns. The Gubernatorial
standard bearers of the two parties being
brothers, the Republican candidate cannot
well call his opponent a slab-sided son of a
saw-log without rejecting at the same time
on his own origin, while the Democratic
candidate will be restrained, for the same
reason, from hurting the charge against his
antagonist that his grandfather stole set
ting hen from her nest.
This has touch of humor in it, it is
true, but it also conveys a lesson which
should be studied by every man who
enters politics as profession. 1t will
he remembered by our readers how
bitter and personal was the war between
Bacon and Gordon in Georgia, even to
the verge of pistols to settle it, and now
that it has been decided, how foolish and
unmanly the whole thing looks. Both
of the latter gentlemen are thorough
going lawyers, with the best OF reputa-
tons in all walks Of life, and but for the
chance of both seeking the same political
bauble, would doubtless be the best OF
friends. They became involved in a
wordy war, and all the State was worked |
up into frenzy as the friends of either |
obtained small advantage, until the |
race looked more like that OF two bullies for /
'poils than that of two gentlemen for an
honorable position, which was open to any
gentleman in the State for a competitive
rial. The beastly and indecent talk
)andied about the country in the last
presidential campaign was such as to
'ring down upon the people, the merited
corn OF other nations, and to-day, out
ide of politics, in the home life, many
earts are aching in consequence. All
hese outrageous proceedings could
'e dropped just as fully between
ny two gentlemen, as they are
ropped between the Taylor brothers in
'ennesee, and political battles could be
ought on the broad plane of gentility, !
18th untold effect for good on the people, '
only the candidates and their
riends would strenuously object to per-
'nalisms, and turn their backs on men S
no proposed such blackguard means.
olitical meanness can go no lower than q
reached in the last national campaign,
Id let us hope that this happy choice
the two brothers in Tennessee may be
e harbinger of better days in politics,
I'd the death knell of unseemly and un- I
ristian abuses as they have existed for
ars. 1t has been so, that the bravest Il
an in the land has Stunned political l l.
ce, only because some opponent would a
I've into his private life and bring y
tn as a magnifed scandal, some n n
ent which he could not ex- 70
ain to the world, and which was the a.
red property of his family circle. This 81 81
'uld cease, and men who are judged al
ing and competent to hold Office, by a
al tests, should be allowed to make the W
ut solely on their present merits, and
man who would delve into the private
lirs of a candidate should be held to
the common enemy OF both parties, Pi
be forever ostracized from fellowship wi WI
h public men. WI
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