The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1907-07-25
Kind Words.

undervalued it's position as a
guide and mentor of the reading pub
lie, and placed too low an estimate up
on the men whom circumstance and
pupular favor have called to Office, and
believing with the poet that "kind
words are more than coronets," the
Chattanooga Times the other day made
this suggestion:
1t might not be bad idea il Tennes-
scans would quit knocking" annd find
something to praise in their State, their
cities and their public men. II we were
to Judge from Tennessee's literature on
the subject, of which there is little, we
have had few big men; our traditions
and our achievments are commonplace
and we are all simply trying to beat
each other in business or politics. Ten
,fessee is as rich as Georgia in senti-
medt and we ought to be able to get as
much pleasure and comfort out of it as
our rich neighbors, although up to this
time we have not done SO.
There is too substantial basis for
the criticism; and it comes very near
including all of us, daily and weekly,
religious and secular, influential and
inconsequential. Probably it always
has been so in Tennessee. We are q
pugnacious people, whether scrapping
with the goose quill or the rife. Each
leader has his factioual followers on the
tripod, These leaders can do nothing
that is accounted wrong by the edi-
torial advocates, and nothing right to
listen to the journalistic detractors. OF
course snch policy is unjust, unfair
and frequentlya at total variance with
the facts.
Ithas seemed to the writer, who has
had pretty familiar acquaintance with
the press of the State for the last quar-
of a century, that virulence, malig-
nance and lop.sidsdness have been
more rampant for the past eighteen
months than for any similar period OF
time within his recollection. And this
has been characteristic of all parties
to the bitter political controversies
that have agitated the populace. Nei-
ther side has had any monopoly of the
willingness or the ability to say mean,
spiteful things that were strained if not
untrue as to their general purport.
The factional followers of 4he losers
in the recent Senatorial and Guberna.
torial contests in the Democratic party
have accepted defeat most ungraciously
and sought to honor and exalt theil
idols by depreciating those whom O
majority of the people nnmistakably
preferred. senator Taylor has beer
bemeoned and belittled as if he haG
dnoe something disgraceful IN captur
ing the highest certificate Of character
and capability within the gift of th'
people. Gov. Patterson has been Sian
dered and maligned, has been depre
catively discussed as no other Gov
ernor since Brownlow. And yet hi
greatest sin seems to have been hi
: success, as he said in his campaign
speeches. Instead OF being treated a
the wise, patriotic apd-am bilious Gov
ernor OF great State, he is portrayed
as the creature OF thugs and gamblers
and whisky dealers, and a majority o
the Demscratic press of the State is en-
gagged in this work of detraction
What they can expect to accomplish !
more than we can conceive By max
ing his friends ont to have been in th
minority and to have been bullies an
knaves only proves that the majority
composed of arrant towards. So tina
by asserting something that's not tru
in regard to his friends the opposition
) only emphasizes the pusilanimity Of hi
opponents. That is what their argu
J ment logically resolves itself into.
: 1t were easy enough to fill a half pag
with clippings now on our desk to sho'
U the centemptible level to which paper
: pretending to be respectable will d.
: scend. A few illustrations will saffict
Take this one from the Dresden Entel
' prise:
= Things are getting in very dii
: graceful condition in Tennessee and
Il is high time halt were called. Hal
Patterson is mean enough not only
, burst the Democratic party, but th
State of Tennessee also. The peopI
J. are sick and tired of him and his doul
Q le-dealing method.
e The Hardeman Free Press says thu
n "the State Capitol must be purged {
:. the pardoning mill will not be in tf
l. hands of the Grand Cyclops of I'll
g Gamblers Protective Union"
J. Another bright example Of the prev
l. lent style, one that shines and smell
l. like rotten mackerelin the moonligh
If is furnished by the Troy News Banner
to wit:
is Senator Frazier is unpopular, Sen
J. tor Taylor is mental and phYsic
wreck and Carmack 'is liable at ar
hour to be called from the plow to u
~ highest and noblest service Of his Stat
l. If such criticism can in any way 60
/ tribute to the happiness, the homo
10 and the we'll being of Democracy, let
70 continue. If rhe friends of Patttersc
IN and Frazier and Taylor are expected
: cringe and lick the feet ofthose vi
ST belabor them, why let the merry W
a. continue. The Republicans are in j
OF position to take advantage of it, {
ne they are divided and torn in like ma
ner, and are equally as acrimonious.