The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-08-04
A BIT OF POLlT-
ICAL HISTORY

fOAL F1LS On
Some of Gov. Taylor's friends Insis
that the party owes Mr.. Taylor tn
SenatorshIp because ne has always
been IN front of it's battles and neve
got what he wanted-and especially
because he "served the party il
1896 This has been repeated so OTTER
that many people do not know how
utterly unfounded it Is.
Let us, in all good temper. give a
few facts. In the campaign OF 1894.
when the fight was between Turney
and Clay Evans Gov. Taylor took little
part. He was busy in the lecture
field. ma King money. and would not sus-
pend to help the party.
Strange as 1t may seem, this was
the chief reason why the party LEADERS
took him in 1896. The silver question
had been acute for several years, and
nobody knew what was going to be
the position of the National Demosra-
cy. Other public men had taken posi-
tions on one side of the question or
the other. 1t would have been embaI
Iassing to a silver man II the National
Convention had adopted gold plat
form. or to gold man if it had adopt
ed silver platform.
OF all the available public men in
the State. Gov. Taylor alone had
taken no position on the money ques-
tion. The party leaders put hmm for
ward, therefore, because he could
stand on any platform that might be
made.
He didn't "save the paTty'-the
party saved him. He won by a very
narrow margin and ran behind the
ticket all over the State.
His friends have greatly exaggerated
the sacrifices" he made by abandon
ing the lecture field. but he himself in |
a public statement, PINT the amount of
his pecuniary sacrifices ut five
thousand dollars But he didn't quit
the lecture platform. he Kept on lee
curing for money all the tune he was
bis salary as Governor.
They cay he was promised the
If he would rum for Cover
,or. Suppose be was? Whose fault was
t that the promise was not redeem
,dy
Here are some facts many of Gov.
raylox's friends have forgotten. His
trends urged him to run. and he at
irst consented They established. head
quarters IN Nashville, hired a cleIi-
al force. even carrying ON the work Of
organization. when suddenly, without
Gov. Taylor decided, that he .
lidn't want to go to the Senate, and ,
rom the race. To all OF
lis friends his withdrawal was like a
lap of thunder from a clear sky. lie /,
ecided that he preferred the. proiits of :
he lecture field to the service of pub
ic office. Whose fault was 1t? ,
He had an opportunity again in 1900.
Nobody kept him from it except him
elf. He publicly declared that he had .
o political ambition, and wanted no !
ifice He personally urged Carmack .
0 make the ace. Ii Taylor had decid-
d to run, it is more than probable Q
hat Carmack would not have ran.
or in the year 1900 Carmack hesitated a
ute awhile between the Senate and the Q
Governor s chair, as friends over the o
tate we're urging and advising him, {
ONE one way, some another; and Taylor {
as one of those who helped him to de- t
ide, by declaring for him in favor of
ne senate. D
Whose fault was IT thenf Is anybody {
D blame tor Taylor not being elected b
} the Senate, when he publicly de-
Jared that he didn t want to be, and \
-ouldn' have it? II
He had an opportunity to run IN a
904, at the time of the Bate McMillIn fl
Ontest 1t was known to many that q
en. Bate did not exnect 20 ''in again, n