The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-11-15
,rief synopsis of his speech follows /:


brief synopsis of his speech follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen-One morn
ing, some six or eight weeks ago, |
when / drove into your city, | was
met by some of Columbia's very best |
citizens, and was told that large and |
representative body of men had met the |
night before and nominated a ticket |
for Mayor and Aldermen; and they
asked me if | would give my support |
to their nominees. / asked wha had
been selected, and was presented with
these names: For Mayor, George W.
Nichols applause for aldermen. first
ward, e. e. McLemore and Eugene
Ritter lapplause) second ward DR..
plause) third ward g. A. Parker and
Elijah Neeley applause fourth ward,
Ira Brown and Wallace Ussery zap
plause). | then and there unhesitat-
ingly answered: yes, gentlemen,
will support that ticket with all my
heart. The names of these men are a
sufficient pledge that the interests of
our city will be well taken care Of
mo other ticket was then in the
field, and it was hot until several
weeks after, that another, headed by
Mr.. Yoest for Mayor, was announced.
Then / asked myself the question, Why
is the Yoest ticket in the field2 Is it
because the men on this ticket are bet
ter than those on the otherl | do not
presume the gentlemen themselves will
say so. 1t is not and cannot be because
the gentlemen on the Yoest ticket are
more Intelligent or better qualified
than the others. Then why, | ask, are
they runningE And, my fellow citi-
zens, let me impress upon you right
here, that the answer to that question
settles the whole matter
Mr.. Hatcher then read from the
platform of the Yoest party: "We
favor an economical administration of
the city's affairs He said that was
time honored stereotyped declara,
tion used by all Office seekers to catch
votes. 1t is the cardinal and funda-
mental Cry of all the N n who have
ever wrecked and ruined municipali-
ties, large and small. 81 do not mean
to say, he continued, that they are
not sincere in their declaration, but |
know they are no more determined
than George Nichols and his ticket are
to give the city an economical admin
istration
Quoting again from the Yoest plat
form Mr.. Hatcher read: "We favor
the restriction of the liquor traffic in
more just and impartial manner.
More just and impartial than
what?" asked Mr.. Hatcher. why,
more just and impartial than the $3.50
law. You know, and | know, and
they know, that the reason the Yoest
ticket is running is to defeat that law.
| have it from my friend MIR. H. P.
Figuers that Alex Titcomb made the
statement in his presence, that he, Tit
comb, was running alone for the pur-
pose of repeating the $3.50 law. He
said it was hurting his business that
he dion sell as many drugs on Satur-
day night as before, and that the ne
groes all went to Mt Pleasant, where
they could get whiskey.
Another gentleman-Wlll fowler
! who is taking very active part in
supporting the Yoest ticket, told me
that the 8 80 O o'clock law would be re-
. pealed if they were elected. He told
me that a few days ago in the presence
of Mr.. Yoest himself, and Mr. Yoest
did not deny it. That, gentlemen
seems to me to be conclusive ON that
point and now SAX you what guaran
tee have we that if the 8 80 law is re
pealed we will not have the all-ni ghr
: open saloonH
Mr.. A. A. Hodge who is present
| told me this very night, that Mr.
Yoest, when he was Mayor four year
, ago, earnestly advocated to him the re
peal of the 10 o clock law. And Mr.
McClanahan another alderman in tina
same Board, and who is also presen
: tonight, tells me that on one occasion
while the repeal of the 10 o'clock Law
was under discussion by the Board
and while Mr. Yoest was Mayor, tina
l he Mr.. McClanahan) said, Gentle
men. we were elected at least on tn
implied if not the expressed pledg
> that we would not disturb that law
and if we do repeal it, we will vot
ourselves liars.
''What sane man in Columbia be
lieves that the Yoest ticket would b
g making the race without they knew
7 they were receiving the support of tn
saloon men and gamblers? Then, gen
Q tlemen, there is presented to us al
{ ! lSSuO Uudl 10 PAL dulOuub W Iub Q 20
. O'Clock law or the 10 o'cl OK law. N
stream can rise higher than its source
. and if the Yoest ticket is elected b.
that element, then that element wi
dominate in the control of the city
g affairs. You may have an s 80 law
: but unless you have men in office i
n sympathy with that law, it will be
n dead letter. | say to you, gentlemen
J.. you are on the eve of contest whic
, says, Shall your city be dominated b
: the whiskey element, or shall it not1
The speaker read another plank frol
l. the Yoest platform: I'VE favor MOI
II sidewalks and better streets. - "Ah,
he said IF you throw wide open til
S, saloons, you will need more sidewalB
/. and better streets. Laughter. Th
:. men they will send home reelin
Y drunk, stumbling about in the street
:. and cutters. will have need of them.
= They say further. We favor a NOR,
friendly and cOnciliatory course Il
wards railroads Why do railroad
y have to be treatd in more 'concili;
% tory manner than any other eOrpori
II ton or businessg 1t is nothing but ri gl
IS that they should be treated fairly an
I. justly-but we should see that the
= treat us the same way
- Mr.. Hatcher said that in election
where great reform issues were pen,
ing, il was sometimes hard to arou.
IS the moral element; but when on,
y aroused. no barrier could stop then