Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-17
A NOVEL CAMPAIGN.
Aft Taylor Tells Of a Famous
Political Tour.
HE AND HIS ZIG BROTHER STUMP

How It Happened That They Oppossd
Each Other on the Same Platform, ana
Bob Became Governor of Tennessee
Set the State on Fire.
ut was not in response to the
wishes Of either Of US that we ran
for governor of Tennessee on oppo-
sition tickets. or that we appeared
together in joint debate ~ years
ago." said Hon. Aft Taylor in CONVEX
sation with an ARGUS representative
st the Harper house Saturday. at
all came about in the most peculiar
way conceivable. and. in fact, was
fox the most part a matter over
which neither of US had any control.
, Down in the southern portion of Ten
nessee there are counties where re-
publican doctrines up to that time
had never been enunciatcd from the
stump. Being republican myself,
| went down into that country and
asked to be heard in support Of my
convictions. said that one polit-
ical party had as much right to be
considered as the other, and that st
least one representing the republican
party should be given a respectful
hearing. They accorded me this
much. and / spoke my political con-
victions-and furthermore 1 made
an impression. In fact, succeeded
in making so many converts to my
way Of thinking that the next year
much against my will they nomi-
mated me for governor of Tennessee.
accepted the nomination with some
reluctance, but once in the contest l
entered in the campaign with all the
vigor and determination that l pos
sessed. ! went out before the peo-
! pie, and before the time came TO
make the democratic nomination l
had things coming my way. To Of
! set this situation the democrats NOM
mated my brother, Bob, who up to
that time had no more idea OF run
ming for governor of Tennessee than
| had previously had. In fact did
not think he would accept. He had
been in congress from our district
and was at that time serving as pen
sion commissioner at our home,
Johnson City, under President Cleve-
lands first administration. But Bob
accepted and so we had it.
Why They stumped Together.
elf we were both creatures of cir
| cumstapces in our canvass for gov
ernor. we were if anything less pre-
pared to 60 forth and speak against
each other from the same platform.
But in Tennessee the state central
committees of the respective parties
arrange for all meetings, and the
candidates must obey Instructions.
A series OF joint debates were ar
ranged between us and we started.
At our first meeting we addressed
5000 people, the next 10, o0o, etc. +,
and so we appeared together in every
county in the state. until just before
election on the bluffs overlooking the
river at Memphis we spoke to 25 900
people. AS for ourselves We enjoyed
the campaign immensely. and o:
course only the best of good feeling
prevailed. Bob was elected, but l
succeeded in cutting the democratic
majority down from As, 600 TO $4,000
votes.
AFTER that was sent to congress
from nv own district and served
three times in succession, retiring
from politics in the last session.
Our father, whom the prohibitionists
nominated for governor the year we
ran. had years ago represented the
same district in the lower house and
was one of the first admitted from
Tennessee in the old days of recon-
struction."