The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-12-01
NO MORE FUNNY BUSINESS

making son remarks about his candl-
date which struck us as not being ex-
eessively complimentary to that o's-
tinguisbed gentleman. This "frien
saws many people have an loea that
Gov. TAYLOR can only deal in rhetoric
and word painting but that they ale
very much mistaken; that contrary TO
the general impression Gov. Taylor is
able to deal seriously with serious
questions of craftsmanship, AMI that
he will demonstrate this when he
makes his opening speech his
friend prophecies that the people
will be very much surprised when
thew hear the Governor dealing ser
iously and argumentatively and in
uignlfiecl way with grave public ques'
tions.
Governor Taylor has been thirty
years before the public as a public
sneaker. He has three times canvassed
his Congressional district as a candl'
date for Congress. He has three times
oanvassed the State as candidate for
Governor. He has twice canvassed
the state as electoT for the State at
Large. and the last time in 1892. ne
was also candidate for the Senate
against Senator Bate. No man has
ever had better opportunities to dis
play the real qualities OF bis mind and
impress them upon the people than
Governor Taylor has had. Why Is 1t
then, as mis- ''friend" contesses, that
the people expect nothing of him ex-
cept rhetoriU and jokes? The plain
answer is that he has never given them
anything else. He has never risen
above the spectacular style OF cam
paion he adopted IN his first contest
with Pettibone. Every man who has
heard him in debate with a strong
antagonist like his brother Alf and
Sam Hawkins realized at the time
that Governor Taylor made very poor
showing from the standpoint of argu-
ment and that he has never exhibited
q real grasp of great public questions.
Even when he was candidate for
the Senate he went over the State with
q string OF funny anecdotes; he sung
songs upon the stump, and for the rest
he dealt In platitudes and such; ready
made arguments as could be lifted
bodily from the democratic campaign
book. Whoever heard anybody repeat
anything from a speech of Gov. Tay-
lor's except joke or anecdoteY This
accounts for the fact, as stated by
Gov. Taylor's ''tiiend," that the
people do not expect from him al
thoughtful presentation of public ques.
tions. II they are surprised" by such
a presentation at this time 1t will be
because they never heard the like from
Governor Taylor before.
We are of course glad to know that
Governor Taylor is going to rise above
the Uncle Rastus and coon song level
Of public discussion. and II is distinct
triumph tor Senator Carmack that
Gov. Taylor's friends have Impressed
upon him the necessity for changing
his style of campaign speech maKIng.
From the beginning of this contest we
have been nearing from Governor Tay-
lor's friends, and from some of them
who are always supposed to speak with
intimate knowledge of the Governors
intentions, that he intended to make
his speech making in this campaign
the most magnificent triumph of coon
sorg and postum story in all his career.
Again and again we have been told of
how the Governor would disslpate the
effect of Senator Carmack's logic and
Arguments by singing funny song or
telling funny story that would so
convu SO the audience with lauR hter |
that tn icy would forget all about the
serious phases Of ths discussion. Wei
neve: heard any intimation to the con-
trary of this plan of campaign until
after Senator CaIm ,ck' 8 speech at the |
Vendome. 1t was the triumph of that |
speech that it lifted the minds of the |
people SO high above the level of the
funny campaign that Gov Taylor's
astute advisers have realized the ne
cessity of shooting the coon song and
goat story. And So the prophet of
Love, Laughter and Song, under
the sober tutelage of Hon. Benton Nc
Millin. bis guide, philosopher and
friend, will make his first appearance
rs heavy wright statesman. The
tariff will no longer remind him of
the billy goat who had already voted.
The money question will not recall
the side-spIittIng incident of Rastus
and the Bear. Our understanding of |
the trust problem will not be clarified
by the illuminating anecdote of the
drunken man and the monkey. The |
comedian of thirty years Will shake
the sock and don the buskin of the |
tragic melodrama