The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-08-15
HENRY wAIIERsoN DECLINES.
The Gubernatorial Apple, He Says,
Tempted Him, But He Viii
Not Eat.

Huntsville Courfer-Journal, Auugst l4l
Since 40 much has been said on the
snbiect without authorization OF mine.
il seems proper that l should In some
nublic manner declare that | shall not
be candidate for Governor OF Ken
/ tucKy.
When the suggestion was originally
made | gave il entertainment ana
consideration. Ii was represented to
me that if / consented / might rely
upon substantial unanimity in the
nominating convention. and. although
| I am too old hand at the bellows to
take stock in any sCch nonsense. l
confess that the thought of uniting
the party in new departure on high.
broad lines of public policy, lifting
the State out of the ruts of faction
and restoring it to its former place at
at the head of the marching column
of National Democracy. was net with
ont IT'S allurement to one who has
always held office, ana officiallsm In
all ITS form, in aversion. There was
speclal attraction in the idea OF going
out among the Democrats OF Kentucky,
and from one end of the State to the
other of proclaiming the doctrines OF
| the Fathers of Democracy as the sole
hope of the future of the party OF
meeting all corners face to face In
the substantiation of truth, in the
denunciation of falsehood, and In
the defense of my own record. ana,
by direct appeal, addressed to the
good sense and good feeling, the nigh
er nature and the loftler aspiration OF
the people, to win vote of confidence
after a life time of arduous, dlsinter-
ested service. l did not doubt what
their verdict would be after they had
heard me. nor do | doubt this now.
| | think know the Democrats OF
Kentucky well. They are a cranky
lot; but am something of crank
myself. We have had our, ups and
downs. They will give me credit at
least for padding my own canoe.
Whether In the matter of 1896 they
were right, or was right all OF us
Maid the penalty. If they were right,
they whipped me. and as ON a GER
tain occasion old Sam Houston observ-
ed, "thev whipped me good. That
ought to satisfy them. Ii l was right,
and they whipped me wrongfully,
Heaven knows I forgive them.
Many things have happened since
then. Many things are likely to hap
nen before the end of the chapter.
In nv appointed sphere and place L
shall endeayor to lead, as | have al
WAYS led, with the fear of God before
me: answerable at all times only to
God and my own conscience
Preferment is not for me. Brought
to the point where l must look the
situation full in the eye | am appalled,
nv the conditions which the successful
candidate for Office must needs meet
and overcome; the rogues and cheats
he must court or cozen; the servlilty
he must affect, or practice, the obll-
cations incur; the personal sollclta-
tion. ignoble and humiliating; the
use of money more or less corrupt ana
corrupting; for, though he have an
overwhelming majority Of the people
at his back, there stands the machine,
first TO be captured and then to be
deployed, with all that this implies.
Although | have never had ma
chine am not stranger either to the
character or the efficacy of machine
methods. Nor do lack some points
of vantage in case | wanted to con-
str,1ct a machine for my own purpose:
But no unclean dollar has ever passed
nv hand either coming or going,
and | am too old to turn rascal;
Sometimes, I have declared that l
should like the people to write "Gov-
ernor of Kentucky on my tombstone.
But | should i'll rest in my grave II
there were the suspicion of stain upon
a letter of that honorable epitaph.
In one word, let me say, that the
ample tempted me; but that l did not
eat, and that | shall not eat.
From many parts of the State and
from some of the best men nave
received assurances of friendly sym
pathy and support. I thank them
one and all, and with all my heart
Nor am | without a certain sense or
indebtedness to those enemies VINO py
the fabrication of all sorts OF preten-
sions on my part have sought To de-
fame and injure me, but VINO nave
in reality much strengthened me Win
considerable people. In the long run,
lying rarely hurts anybody except
its authors. I stand upon my record
such as it is, and profoundly CRATE
full to my fellow citizens OF every way
of thinking for their confidence ana
favor. often in the face OF serious
differences of opinion, profoundly nope
full of the future of the party ana the
State-I shall continue to labor under
nv own roof tree, till my race is run,
free man, a Kentuckian, ana
Democrat. HENRY WATIERSON.
Louisville, August Ii, 19O2