Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-07-21
THE DEAD SENATOR'S SUCCESSOR,

iVopOhoiDliiNJ va houiih6 mo ouCCcebOT
rests upon the Governor of the State.
Even before the dead Caesar of Ten.
nessee politics was laid away from
mortal sight, the succession was thor.
oughly discussed and since his obse.
ques it has become the burning cues.
tom
All the great meu and great news.
papers have had their say and ii is IL
turn now.
In the first place the honor belongs
to East Tennessee, and to fortify this
position we want no better witness
than the Governor himself.
The Bristol Courier, a paper that
would make no such a statement were
it not true, says in a recent issue:
But we do know that in 1880, when
Robt. l.. Taylor was q member of Con.
gress from the First Tennessee District,
he wrote letters reciting that East Ten
nessee had not been represented in the
United States Senate since the DAYS of
Andrew johnson, and that he was a
candidate for the Senate as we'll as as.
pirant to restore the ancient glory OF
East Tennessee craftsmanship"
Now, we are quite sure that East
Tennessee has had no representative in
the Senate, since Robert L. Taylor
wrote these letters, and the lapse of
seventeen years, in which East Tennes.
see has still been unrecognized, makes
the Governors position in regard to
her claim all the more tenable.
1t is natural to believe that the Gov.
ernor from personal considerations will
be loath to appoint any one of the Mid.
die or West Tennessee men mentioned
in connection with the vacant Sena.
torship. They have always fought
him like so many blood thirsty tigers.
Could they have controlled ''the BOYS
in the trenches, "they would have long
ago relegated him to the obscurity of
private life. With them his political
aspirations have been the subject of
outspoken ridicule and excessive Jest.
They have regarded his claim to states
manship as the most disgusting pre-.
sumption. They displayed their ami
mus toward him notably in the con.
ventlon, when he stood for renomina.
ton and made q val upon him, which
for tenacious persistence and vindic-
tive rancour and bitterness has no
counterpart in our political annals.
They would have overwhelmed him in
that convention had his friends shown
the least signs of detection or fear be-
fore the sweep OF their implacable hos
tility.
In selecting the Senator, it is quite
natural, other things being equal, that
the,Governor should think most kindly
and favorably OF those who have al
ways been his friends, who have stood
by him in all his ups and downs with
u%nchanging confidence and ~unfaltering
loyalty, and who have materially as.
sisted him in forcing those circum-
stances and opportunities that brought
him prominently before the public and
started him on a career as successful
as it has tsen-unique.
Andrew Jackson was a hero, a pa.
triot and a statesman whose memory is
revered by every American. He did
not think it ignoble or dishonoring to
prefer his patrons and friends in the
distribution of political favors rather
than those who opposed him, and to
this good day his honesty and integrity
have never been impeached by the bit
terest critic on this account.
We take it that Governor Taylor him.
self has virtually settled the question
between the three divisions of the State
in favor of East Tennessee, and 80 the
matter is regarded by his Democratic
friends of this section. This sentiment
is tersely and forcibly voiced by the
Bristol Courier in an editorial already
alluded to.
Among the East Tenuesseans men
toned by this Democratic paper in con.
nection with the Senatorial succession
is Judges. j. Kirkpatrick, of this place,
saying that "he will measure up to the
manliness and craftsmanship supposed
to be inherent in a Senator
The fight is not ours. In the very
nature of things, politically speaking
at best, we have no influence with the
appointing power and what we may
say will have no effect in determining
the result. But we make no rash re.
mark in observing that in force of
character, integrity, judicial fairness
and solid intellectual equipment-the
qualities which should alone be con-
sidered-Judge kirkpatrick is the peer
Va ONViJ ihdh WIN buo DCtu uGutlUuGu
in connection with the vacant Senator.
ship. No man knows this fact better
than Governor Taylor himself.
We do not know that Judge Kirk
patrick will permit his name to 60 be.
fore the appointing power, but as the
Courier suggests it indirectly. we feel
ourselves free to make cur own com.
ment.
The Judge has " held what may
properly be considered a political
office, though for years he has occupied
a high place in the councils of his party,
and been regarded as a party leader by
both rank and file. He was q member
of the Constitutional Convention of 10