The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-15
THE TAYLoRs OF TENNESSEE.
FAMILY AFFAIRS DIDN'T ENTER
THEIR RACE FOR GOV ERNOR.

Was Untrue, Anyway.
The appearance of the Taylor brothers
of Tennessee-ex-Goy. Bob and ex-
Congressman Alf.-at the Savannah thea
ter last night was an event that viii long
be remembered by those who were fortu-
nate enough to hear their Original and in
imitable Yankee Doodle and Dixie"
Their race one against the other for
governor of Tennessee was an event of
interest in the political history OF that
state that will be long remembered. A
representative of the Morning News call
ed on them at the De Soto yesterday, and
asked them about it. Neither the demo-
cratic ex-governor nor the republican ex-
congressman was inclined to discuss poll
tics, but they did not mind talking in
general way about that famous race.
Ex-Gov. Robert L. Taylor is the talker
of the two. He can relate incidents and
recollections of by-gone days by the hour,
and one would never tire of hearing them,
while every now and then the ex-con-
gresham, Hon. A. A. Taylor, will inter
ject a humorous remark, or make pleas
ant hit at his brother, which makes the
conversation good-natured and amusing
one. Both are interesting men. and the
stories they tell of Tennessee life are
the story of their race briefly, with a few
interpretations by the defeated candidate.
IN 1856 he said, by a combination of
peculiar circumstances, the conventions
nominated ALI. on the republican ticket
for governor and me on the democratic
ticket. 1t was a clear. square-cut, eye-to-
eye end foot-to-foot campaign. The ques-
ton of family didn't enter into it. /
didn't discuss his past record and he
No he didn't dare do it, said the ex-
congressman.
of mine continued Gov. Taylor. In
fact he vas afraid to say anything about
''You will please take notice" said the
republican eN-congressman, that al
though the democrats carried the state
by about $1,000 votes the year before, he
beat me by only 1900"
AT the next election, though, l got 20
900 more votes than when l ran against
YOU said the ex-governor. We'll the
long and short of it was / beat him There
We're lots OF old fellows who didn't vote
for either of us, because they were friends
of both. but | don't know of a single re-
| democratic vote that he got. l made my
majority large enough to keep the legis-
lature from meeting and deciding the
question. Then his district took him up
and put him in congress-"
How about the tiddling? the ex-gov-
ernor was asked.
| for Kidding in the campaign of 1876, when
| ran for congress, and ALI already had
ms reputation on that line. We didn't
/ fiddle any on the stump, however, and the
stories to that effect were all poetry or
! newspaper imagination. We did enter
tain our friends in parlors sometimes,
/ however,
After closing the blinds and locking the
/ doors" interpolated the eX-cOngressman.
How about the recent election in Ten
/ nessee?' he was asked.
/ w ell, he replied, our candidate was
| elected all right, but the legislature
counted him out and wouldn't let him
We can't afford to say much about
| politics now, however" said the ex-gov-
ernor. But l will state that the cleo
tons in Tennessee are as fair as they
| are anywhere in the world. 1 have
never bought vote and l never knew
of one being bought for me. But a man
| on the platform has got to be as care
! full as a minister of the gospel"
The Taylors were taken out for a drive
around the city in the afternoon by AL
| derman Watson and ex-Alderman
| O,Brien. When they returned an old
| friend, a Tennesseean, called on them,
| and they Spent an hour or two in talking
| over the bright side of old times.
The entertainment given by the
| Taylors is unique, and is as enjoyable as
it is odd 1t isn't a lecture, it isn't a Sc
| ries of character sketches, it isn't a rem
| dition of folklore stories and songs in
| southern dialect, it isn't a mere play of
of these charmingly. There is music,
| mirth, pathos poetry, folklore, and fun
blended INTO Wen rounded whole that in
| structs while it amuses, and entertains
/ while it eleVateS.
Mr. A. A. Taylor assumes the first part
of the programme. His theme is Yankee
/ Doodle, and from it he evolves a noble
/ drama of liberty. He rapidly sketches the
history of the American republic. The
subjugatiOn of the wilderness, the strug-
gle with the throes of the evolution of
| government are treated with liberal and
| graceful touch Washington is the hero OF
| the patriotic and largely allegorical play.
He is enthroned as the archangel of lib
erty and environed with realm of virgin
beauty and eXhaustless resources. What
follows is an epilogue, an after-piece OF
wonders and prophesies. Yankee Doodle
from being young national giant just
awakening to a realization of his power
becomes the typical unit of this strength
the yankee as we see and know him. With
this change comes leap from the sub
lime to the ridiculous and the audience is
CONFUSED at the concert OF a boomer army
returning victorious from the wars to lift
for moment the mind of the going mar
above pots, pans and the baby. Mr.. Tay-
lor is a finished orator, and his eloquent
tributes to the great men of the republic
who had risen from the ranks of labor
to the most commanding eminence, were
warmly applauded. The liberty of speech
thought and labor, he maintained, was
the spirit of Yankee Doodle" and thai
spirit had created the grandest structure
on earth in the government under which
Ex-Gov. Bob" Taylor is the defender
and eulogist of Dixie. He says Mason and
| DiXion's line may not exist in law, but il
does in fact and in sentiment, and thai
it ought to exist. and ever will. 1T is
the dividing line between cold bread anc
hot biscuit" 1t is there in sentiment
and will remain as long as Yankee Doodle
says You hadn't ought to do it." and
/ Dixie responds, Il done done it," The
war aceentuated this line by placing Yam,
| kee Doodle on the pension roll and Dixie
on crutches. He would despise the nortn
ern man who would not think his rocky
| hills the best the sun ever shone upoIi
1 he would have no respect for the western.
er who did not think his plains the pref
| test and his mines the richest of the
world; but he would always fove Dixie thf
best because it was his home and because
God made it the best. The crown of his
talk is his picture of southern life :
! Cuartette of male voices composed ri
Messrs. Nichol, Sawrie, Taylor and West
give beauty to the picture by interpolatins
such songs as old Kentucky Home.
''Razors Flying in the Air. and othei
melodies of southern character At ont
] point the speaker sketches the last OF az
family's slaves, an old negro man whe
/ had outlVed his master and grown to. love
I his masters children as his own In :