The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-12-24
CONGRESSMAN CARMACK
Gives the Herald an Interview on the
Senatorial Situation.

Gives the Herald an Interview on the
Senatorial Situation.
Hon. E. w. Carmack reached Co
Iumbia yesterday from Nashville,
where he has been in charge of
Senator Turkeys campaign for cleo
tion to the United States Senate.
And the HERALD, always on the
alert for the latest political news
from the seat of war, sent reporter
in search of him for an interview.
The newspaper man found him full
of the subject, and-as he always
is-perfectly willing to talk to the
people. He said that the opposing
forces had only been engaged in a
preliminary skirmish, and that the
real battle had not yet begun. 1--WE
feel confident of victory" he said,
because we have a good cause, a
good man and right on our side"
| When asked in regard to the extra
session, Mr.. Carmack said that
there had been a great deal of mis-
! apprehension on this question, as it
had been industriously circulated
that it was agitated for purely
political purposes. 1.-THE fact is"
said be, "that no one thought of the
election of Senator when the effort
was first made to have the legisla-
ture called together. For a long
time the thickly settled suburbs of
Memphis, which have no sewers and
no sanitary regulations, have been
regarded as deadly menace to the
health of the city. When the yell
low fever appeared last fall the i'm
portance of having these suburbs
properly severed before next sum-
mer was brought sharply to the
front by the health officers and
physicians of Memphis. At first it
was supposed that the suburbs
could vote themselves into the cor
poration, but an insuperable diff
ficulty at once arose. The city is re-
stricted in it's charter to the collec-
ton of the gross sum of 100000, and
is already collecting close up TO that
limit. If the suburbs were taken in
under the present charter no more
money could be collected than is
now collected, and there would be
no fund for sewering these suburbs.
1t was seen that further legislation
was absolutely necessary in order
to move a step. 1t was not until all
this had been discussed that the
suggestion was made that if the
legislature assembled Senator
would have to be elected. 1t was
not raised in Mr. Turkeys interest,
but by his friends who feared to
have him thrust into a contest before
he had an opportunity to demon
strate his ability as a statesman.
Mr.. Turley himself would have
preferred to postpone the Senatorial
election until the regular session
but he said to all his friends that he
would rather be defeated than to
allow his personal ambition to
stand in the way of a work of such
vital Importance to the people of
Memphis. Instead of being ac-
tuated by personal ambition, his
course has been in the highest de-
gree unselfish, patriotic and brave.
That is the character of the man.
He would never hesitate one mo-
ment to sacrifice every personal in
terest or ambition to bis sense of
duty, and, say it deliberately, !
believe he is the nOblest character ]
have ever known"
II believe" said Mr.. Carmack
that there are the strongest politi-
cal reasons for the election of Tur-
lev. He is the choice of West Ten.
nessee, and it is only just that the
West should be allowed to fill out
the uneXpired term of Senator
Harris. Middle Tennessee, o.
course, has the majority in Demo
cratic caucus, but it will be neither
generous nor good party policy tC
use this power to gObble all the hon
ors and offices. This has already
been done to a very considerable ex
tent. Middle Tennessee has takeI
l the Treasurer and Secretary o
State and the Speakers both of the
, House and Senate. East Tennessee,
: has the Governor and Comptroller
> The West has been allowed to keel
nothing but one Senator, and now /
is proposed to take that away. w,
are not to be allowed even the poo
privilege of filling out the uneX
= pired term of West Tennessee
S Senator with a West Tennessee
{ man. 1 don't believe the Demo
Q Gratis of Middle Tennessee will be s.
unfair Or so shOrtsighted. TIL
Democrats of the West have to f1gh
hard for their maiorities and en-
4 dure much persecution for tn
5 party's sake. Human nature is hu
$ man nature, and the defeat of MI
a Turley would cause profound dis
? enlargement and dissatisfaction
: among West Tennessee Democrats
1t will be equivalent to saying t
s them that Middle Tennessee, having
e the power in caucus, intends to ap
e prOpriate all the Offices. 1t is ofte
e said that we should disregard sec