The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-11-02
Statement FROM
GOV. JOHN |. COX
SAYS FAYETTE COUNTY COMMITS,
sroNERs HADN'T QUALIFIED.
ANSWERS TREASON CHARGE.

Before returning 10 bTlSUOl wed
nesday night, Gov. Cox gave out the
following statement
To the People of Tennessee:
have been denounced as a traitor and
renegade because | have appointed
now Election Commissioners in Fay
otte County During the August cleo
tion it was called to my attention that
the records in this office showed that
more less half of the Election Com
missioners in the various counties had
qualified. Immediately after the
August election | addressed a COM
municatiOn to Hon. Charles T. Gates,
Attorney General for the State. and
asked him. what was necessary upon
the part of the Election Commission
ers to duly qualify to discharge the
duties of their office, and If it were
incumbent upon them to notify this
office when such action had been
taken. that the Governor of the State
might know when the election officers
were duly qualified. In his answer he
informed me that there was no law
recurring the Election Commissioners
to notify this Office when they had
qualified. But in his letter he de-
fined the duty of the Election Com.
missioners in properly qualifying.
gave to the press a statement that
quite a number OF Election Commits
sioners had not qualified but in all
such cases would reappoint the old
Commissioners except where there
was objection to their reappointment.
In such cases would appoint new
officials,
Charge OF Traitor.
Why all this charge of traitor to
Democracy against me? So far as l
have been able to see, the Commerce
ial Appeal and other papers assaulting
me for this act have not said aught
against the good character of these
men, They have always been loyal
Democrats so far as I know, and are
honest men. If an honest election is
to be held in Fayette County what
shall it matter to the Democracy of
Tennessee, outside of few individ-
uals in that county who may feel per-
sonally aggrieved, who shall hold the
election? Is it not strange that in
all their denunciation of me they can
not say a word against the character
and honesty of the men that l have
appointed to hold the election?
The race question is raised. / APP
peal to the Democracy of that Sec
ton to know if DR.. Yancey has not
done as much as any man in Fayette
County for the supremacy of the white
man. | am for the supremacy of the
white man and have ever been How
ever am not the least alarmed about
negro domination or supremacy in
Tennessee. The possibility of such
condition is past in Tennessee. |
had intended to reserve my views
upon this question until after this
election, but as | am drawn into it.
desire now to give expression to my
sentiments. I shall favor a Constitu-
tional Convention, and shall seek to
have put in that instrument the funda-
mental law of Tennessee. a provision
forever barring erom the right to
vote the ignorant and vicious negro
in Tennessee. believe such course
will meet the approval of the people
Of Tennessee. They are honest and
fair fighters; they believe in going
straight to any question. They will
prefer to settle the question of race
supremacy and negro domination-po-
litcal rights to the negro-by the
fundamental law of our State rather
than by stufipg ballot boxes and COM
hitting fraud in elections.
Has Been Denounced.
For two months the information
has been continually coming to me.
that | was to be denounced before the
November election. Leading news
paper reporters have told me that
they have been approached upon this
question and have informed me that
! was to be denounced, but the exact
way in which / was to be attacked
was not yet determined upon and
given out. 1t seems that the appoint
ment of Election Commissioners In
Fayette County has been seized upon
as most popular way to assault and
denounce me. | have record dur
ing all my political life for honest
elections. shall not depart from 1t
in this contest through fear of de-
nunciation. | have done and shall
continue to do what | believe to be
my duty. / have said and still say
if any one will show to me where
have appointed dishonest men who
will not hold honest elections. | will
remove them and appoint men who
will. 4
i have had other information that
| did not propose to give out to the
public before the November election,
but as the question of traitor has
been made so prominent in this cam
paign by the Commercial Appeal and
other patriots, | shall now give to the
public some information bearing upon
treachery in the campaign. The re-
cent effort to get an independent Dem
ocrat to run against me In my Sena-
torial district has been given to the
public. | have gone to my home and
verified the truthfulness of this re-
port by the best men in that section,
and in addition to what has been
given to the press, learn that part
OF the scheme was to have me de-
nounced from the stump The follow
ing is a statement from Hon. w. E.
Latture, the present Representative
OF the Second Floterial District, and
who has been in the Legislature from
that section at least three times in
the past twelve years. He is a man
OF honor and intoprify. and one of