The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-08-28
THE PARAMOUNT ISSUE.

Next year will be political year il
Tennessee Delegates to a Nationa
Con vention must De chosen.
Governor Is to be nominated ant
elected. Congressman ana a state legls
lature are to bs chosen; and this legi,
lature will have the making of ,
United States Senator.
That would seem enough to keep the
politicians pretty busy and the PEOPLE
entertained; but that is not all The
real thing in Tennessee next year, the
issue which in a measure VIII dwarf
or determine other issues, will be the
fight between the temperance and the
saloon people, led respectively by the
Liquor Dealers League and the Anti
Saloon League of Tennessee. There
you will see battle royal, and game
worth your money.
Governor Frazier started in with
clear skies and under most auspiclous
circumstances but his administration
30 far has been most disappointing
one. He is regarded as a trimmer.
and q trimmer never pleases ANYBODY.
He allowed the Adams law to become
a law, which greatly offended the
whiskey wing of the party; then he
allowed himself to be quoted, and his
administration influence to be thrown
against any further temperance legis-
iatiop and that offended the temper
ance people. Neither side want him.
therefore. as their leader, ana strong
effort will be made to defeat him.
The senatorial race between Senator
Bate and Ex-Governor McMillin will
be hot one and will be fought to
finish. And these gentlemen and
their adnerents will try to make their
race the main qualification OF candi-
dates for the legislature. And that
would suit the average politician all
right. But it will not suit the people.
They have learned-and some times to
their sorrow-that 1t does not matter
30 much to them who hold the offices.
And, unless We mistake the sigus OF
the times, they will refuse to be side
tracked from the main issue, 30
franght with meaning to them, to an
Issue effecting merely the ambitions
and personal interests of few.
The whlskey men have already issued
their manifesto to the Democratic
party, by saying that they will not
support any party that endorses the
Adams law. In fact they said SO last
winter, when Columbia was try
ing to have the Adams law ex
tended. About the time the Hon.
Frank Thompson, Right Hand Man
to the Governor, Chairman OF the
State Executive Committee, Etc, ana
a great zeal more I'D his own estlma-
tion) conceived the highly original
idea ana began the parrot talk that
Temperance legislation had gone far
enough" And, mirabile dictu' you
could hear it all over Nashville, that
1.-THE administration was opposed TO
further legislation on the temperance
question" And one member OF his
cabinet was quoted as saying that, the
Governor having signed the Adams
bill, had the opportunity Of mis- life to
make friends with the whiskey people
by vetolng the Columbia bill.
So it was that early in the game
that the wnIskey men began to
threaten. And they are not vain
threats either. They will go with the
party next year that favors them most.
And they lana their opponents Will
help them do it, will make their bust
Tess interests the paramount issue In
Tennessee politics next year.
1t is never too early for people to
know these things, and that is why we
are telling you now. You want to
know what you are doing next year,
before you promise your political sup
port to anybody for anything. You
want to vote for measures, not men.
You want to vote your principles, and
you don't want to make any mistake
about it; and in order to do that you
must keep your eyes and ears very wide
open, for the Office seekers Will confuse
the Issue if they can, and the whiskey
men will ride you il you don't look
out.