The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1906-02-15
THIS IS NO YEAR For BOSS RULE.
Mr.. Lee Brock Says That Rank and File
of Party Want Evans.
Nashville Banner.


in Tennessee this morning, Mr.. Lee
Brock, assistant United States district
attorney, said to O Banner reporter:
"The time has come for the republic
cans Of the state to take their own mat
tiers in hand and cease delegating their
powers and duties to few leaders who
cut and dry matters to their own salts
faction. So far, one candidate for the
nomination for governor at the hands
of the republicans has announced his
candidacy, the Hon. Asbury Wright,
of the county of Roane. No panegyric
on Mr.. Wright is needed at my hands.
That he is q citizen of the highest type,
lawyer Of commanding ability, and a
republican without guile, is known
throughout the state. The republican
party has many such splendidly equip
ped men in its ranks who would make
ideal governors OF this commonwealth.
But man must not only possess all
these attributes, but he must possess
the further requisite-the ability to
win.
Thousands Of republicans believe
that Mr.. Wright has been selected by
the leaders for purposes largely person
al to themselves, and whether true or
false, this will initiate against him be-
fore the people. Thousands believe
that he was selected and announced by
the two congressman in order that one
might be strengthened in his hold on
the state machine, and the other that
he might sidetrack a possible rival for
congressional honors. In my opinion,
this blasts his chances to win the race.
1t is we'll known that Mr.. Brownlow
tried for some months past to induce
Mr.. Wright to announce, and that this
fact finally induced Mr.. Hale to sup
port him also.
at would appear that Gov. Cox will
be renominated by the democracy, and
in that event all chance to elect Wright
would be wasted. The enclosed letter
from Mr.. Brownlow to the editor of his
(Brownlow's) personal organ speaks
for itself:
Committee ON Appropriations,
House of Representatives, Washing
ton, d. c., February "a, 1905.--Deal
Artie: The enclosed clippings speak fol-
themselves. / have tried to keep crit
icism of Hon. John /. Cox out of the
Herald and Tribune, and / want you
to do me the favor to see that not sc
much of such stuff gets into the paper
MIR. Cox is my personal friend and
don't want to be placed in the attitude
of criticlsing him. Everybody holds
me personally responsible for what ap
pears in the Herald and Tribune. Also
| the publication that Chancellor Hay mes
will probably be United States judge
is premature, and would be regarded
as coming from me. Be good enough
to keep a close watch on these matters
in the future and do not let them ap
pear. Yours truly,
(Signed) "W. P. BRowNLow.
"To Mr.. Artie Venable, Editor of thu
Herald and Tribune, Jonesboro, Tenn
"Tke nomination of Wright in tn
face of the above is suicidal; it is pc
Iitical blunder that nothing can retrieve
Is the party foolish enough to commi
such mistake? Let us hope not.
NEEDS OF THE PARTY.
"What we need at this juncture is
candidate selected by the rank and fiji
OF the party that has no mans cola
on him and that stands for no machin
methods. That man is the Hon. Il
Clay Evans. He is not in power, ha
no self-perpetuating Executive Com
mittee at his back. He possesses bot
a state and international fame. He j
known as no other Republican in Ten
nessee or the South is known; th
people of all parties recognize his grea
ability and splendid integrity and tn
purity of his life. ae has stood TO
high ideals in all ways and the peopl
are behind him regardless of politica
bosses or committees. He is maintain
| ing a dignifed silence while beinI
assailed in the press by p0litica
leaders.
mo man can be elected that sane
tions or stands for the present tyran
ical State Committee as it is made vi
by the Chairman of the State Conven
4 ton. No reflection is hereby meant o
cast on the present members of tn
State Executive Committee of tn
party, but the system is bossisn
reduced to it's last analyses. No hon
est Republican can defend it, ant
although Mr.. Wright made public il
the columns OF the Knoxville Journa
and Tribune his views on public ques
tons, not one word on this un-Repub
lican system was uttered by him. Thi
proves that, despite his desires an(
good intentions, he is not big enough
to condemn that which brought fac
tions into the party and which will
perpetuate factions as long as the sys
tenn exists. Mr.. Wright nor any othel
man can meet his Democratic oppo
nent on the stump without having t.
face the charge that he represents I
machine method OF over riding the vii
of the people worse than anything We
devised by Democracy. That splendid
young man from Winchester, who il
the peer of any of the party, could no
meet it successfully, nor can Mr.
Wright, Clay Evans or any other mai