The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1905-09-07

be taught the useful lesson that they
are the creatures of the people and not
their masters.
Questions relating to taxation and
revenues; amendments to the criminal
law looking to a certain and more
speedy enforcement of justice; the
cause of education; the necessity of
state reform institution which will sep
arate juvenile offenders from the hard
ened men of the prison; greater gener-
osity on the part of the state to the
helpless Confederate soldiers, which
will tighten the burden of their infrm-
tiles and declining years; the necessity
to formulate some general plan by
which good roads throughout the state
may be secured to the people, are all
important and will receive my earnest
and careful thought.
ONERSHADOWlNG ISSUE.
However grave these and other ques-
tions may be, think the overshadow-
ing issue in this campaign must be the
one upon which all good government
depends, and that is whether the peo-
pie of Tennessee shall rule themselves
or continue to be ruled by merciless
machine, which has subverted their
will and ruthlessly disregarded their
rights.
/ shall take the cause of the people
against those who have assumed to be
their masters, and, as q first measure
of relief, advocate the necessity, which
must be apparent to all, of pure cleo
lions throughout the state, under which
alone it is possible to correct abuses.
POINT OF PERIL.
7 In Tennessee we have reached the
point of peril when the will of the PEG.
pie is no longer expressed by the voice
of the majority, but it is the will of the
machine.
We can not afford to let the young
, men of the state grow up in an atmos-
phere of fraud, or be taught that chic
| anery and cunning are better qualities
than candor and straightforwardness.
The party established by Jefferson can
,, not be true to the idea of its creation
r and harbor fraud, or ally itself with
r corruption.
, l believe the majority of the people
of Tennessee desire honest elections
and would have them if they could con-
troll, but the power to control their
|, elections has been taken from them.
: To take the party out of the vortex Of
factional disturbance which RACES in
almost every county in the state; to
elevate it above the sordid influence OF
selfish interest; to make it a power foI
good in the development of Tennessee
-industrially and morally-to rid it Of
. the political parasites and barnacles
which adheres to it oulyto weaken and
impede it's progress, is the supreme
duty of the hour.
WHEN LAW PASSED.
- When law was passed giving to the
Governor the power to appoint election
commissioner for the various counties
of the state, many thought it was q
necessary plan to prevent fraud in the
;. Republican counties of East Tennessee,
y and justified it for this reason.
q Such may have been the purpose Of
|. the trainers Of the law, and little may
: they have thought of its possibilities
for evil, but there were others, and ]
think even then a majority of the
@ people had grave apprehensions thai
q too much power was being placed il
the hands of one man, and that it wa,
being placed in the hands of one man
=, and that it was dangerous innovation
; in Democratic government.
The results have fully justified thes,
; apprehensions.
Is REPUBLICAN RECORD.
i The Republicans cannot consistent,
z attack the law, for their own record, il
70 Tennessee and elsewhere in the South
ern States, of force, fraud and disfran
l. chisement, together with their unscru
e lous attempt to dominate white me-
10 with negro votes, is still remembere
j. and will not soon be forgotten.
e But the Democratic party can und
- the wrong it has committed, and
f. ought to do it in the name of iustic
and an outra ged people. It's old his
r toric position was against coercion q
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