The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-04-01
SENATOR w. B. BATE.
His Services To His State In War
And In Peace.

ter, Brown and others-Gentlemen:
In regard to your telegram of to-day,
L beg to say that, however fattering
the honor you suggest, and to
which L am not insensible, there is
a duty that rises above it. A son
of Tennessee and a Southern soldier,
l would feel dishonored in this
hour of trial to quit the field. No,
sirs, while an armed foe treads our
soil, and l can fire a shot or draw a
blade, l will take no civic honor.
| had rather, amid her misfortunes,
be the defender than the Governor
of Tennessee. Let me exhort to
harmony. Respectfully,
"W. B. BATE"
With his desperate wounds still
unhealed, unable to move about ex-
cept on %crutchesy William B. Bate
sent the above reply from the Con-
federate camp at Wartrace to the
convention which virtually offered
him the office Of Governor.
These words we're not spoken in
idleness, nor was that spirit that
gave them utterance broken to the
end of those days that "tried mems
SOULS" even after other severe
wounds had been received at
Hoover's Gap and at Atlanta. nor
after the marches and battles from
Atlanta to Nashville and from
Nashville to the end at Bentonville.
Many a man, and true man at that,
would gladly, under the Ircum-
stances, have accepted the call of
his State to the high and more Sc
cure office of Governor, and been
held blameless.
Nineteen years later the people,
under other trying circumstances,
again called upon William B. Bate
to take the office of Governor.
Now the conditions had changed.
Gen. Bate had accepted the arbitra-
ment of war, and was pursuing the
practice of his profession, in which
his success was very great. He had
earned sufficient money with which
to pay off $50, 900 of ante-war
security debts, and his income was
much greater than the salary at
tached to the Office of Governor.
Yet he accepted the nomination
when his chances of election were
extremely doubtful. Indeed many
of those who were considered the
best judges were of the opinion that
the probabilities were altogether
against him, and against any other
man who should make the race.
Democratic prospects were at the
lowest ebb In the State at which
they have ever stood since 1869.
1t is clear that neither at this time,
nor in 1868, did Gen. Bate reach a
decision to promote his own COM
fort. Everyone must remember
what a nightmare the State debt
question was during the whole pei
riod from 1870 to1883, how it ar
rayed neighbor against neighbor,
smOthered almost every other issue
and paralyzed the State, until finally
it split the Democratic party IN
twain, and in 1880 elected a Re
publican Governor and State Of
In 1882 the split had
shown no signs whatever of mend
while the debt itself was grow
1t was at this time that the
party turned to Gen.
Bate, who did not seek the office,
and appealed to him as a strong and
suitable mar to lead them. He &C.
cepted, out of a pure sense of pub
lie spirit, and such vas the ability
displayed by him IN his debates on
the stump, and such the confidence
he inspired, that the people every
where crowded together to hear
him, and he was elected by 81, 900
majority.
This was the manner of William
Bates introduction to public
position after the war; and it was
he middle period, as it were, of a
inc of successes unequaled since the
line of Andrew Jackson in this :
State. Before that he had been at
different times, a soldier in the
Mexican war, a member of the Leg
stature, District Attorney General, {
Private, Captain, Major, Colonel, :
3rigadier- General and Major-Gen {
raj, successfully in the Confeder- :
tie army, and for seventeen years a
most successful lawyer; while since =
$50, he has been Governor for y
our years and United States Sen
tor seventeen years, and no SEM
lance of a faint has attached to l
i'm in any of these positions at any y
ime. d
But we were speaking of him es-
ecially in his relations to the Of =
ce of Governor. Here it may be I
emarked that a good object, only :
artially accomplished, may be long :.
emembered with admiration for I
ne endeavor and regret for such
allure as may be incident TO it, I
'hilst one, perfectly accomplished, Z
lay Don be forgotten as no :
demanding attention. Let :
Senator Bates successes, though ',
omplete, be among those that are q
'rgotten. He brought order out =,
fiscal chaos, perfect credit to his y
tate, and lasting harmony to the :,
emocratic party. Had he not 81
one these things so we'll there -
light not now be so much reason /,
II recalling them to memorY. His u