The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1907-11-28


visible to the naked eye. He went back
to Nashville before the election.
When Mr.. Carmack was candidate
for reelection to the senate, he made
much of the contention that he was en-
tied to second term. Yet he now de-
clares himself candidate for governor
and asks the people to violate real
tradition. 1t has been the custom in
Tennessee to give the democratic gov
ernor elected by the people second
nomination; and, of course, it will be
asked whether Patterson has been
faithless to his party platform or in his
administration in such way as to rem
der itimproper to honor him with re-
nomination.
We do not deny that Gov. Patterson
has occasioned a good many personal
disappointments, and that he alienated
some Of his staunchest friends; but it
would be hard to name any instance
where he has been faithless to political
pledges. He made his campaign for
the democratic nomination, on a plat
form favoring honest elections and a
removal of the iniquitous back assess,
ment system. He announced that if
elected he would favor the extension of
the Adams law wherever the peopl o
wanted it. There was no railroad issue
then before the people; bat it was
known that the sympathies of the rail-
roads were mostly with his opponent
Gov. Patterson endeavored to the
best Of his ability.to get through tn e
legislature change in the election law
that would virtually destroy the gov
ernor's machine, but he failed. Butin
this county he proved his sincerity by
giving us three election commissioners
who have held honest elections to which
no faint or scandle was attached. The
recent election was fair and it was
in marked contrast with the scandalous
election of two years ago. The cleo
ton commissioners then serving were
named by Mr.. Carmack. The legisla'
ture declined to reform the back as.
sessment system through no fault Of
the governor.
Did the governor violate the platform
OF his party on the temperance CUES
ton? He did. But he violated it IL
favor of the temperance champions
The democratic platform declared il
favor OF the extension of the Adams
law only with the consent of the com
munity affected. Senator Pendleton's
bill extended the domain Of the Adam.
law without regard to the consent Of
the people, making it impossible fol
any city in Tennessee to get a new
charter without abolishing the saloons,
The governor strained a point aud sign
ed the Pendleton bill though it was il
conflict with the democratic platform.
Gen. Patterson's record Id; congress-
shows thathe voted for all the import
ant temperance measures submitted
while he was there, and his record al
governor shows that he gave the tenn
perance legislation his support. He
vetoed the anti-iug bill, not because il
was a temperance measure but because
it was Q fool measure. He vetoed the
LaFollette bill because the people OF
that town voted by an overwhelming
majority to retain their charter, and It'll
abolition was proposed by legislator
who was not even citizen of the coun.
ty in which LaFollotte is situated
Personally Patterson is just as temper
ate as Carmack, and neither of them
has practiced total abstinence.
On the railroad question, we do mol
see that Patterson has done anything
against the interests Of his party or Of
the state. The railroad issue was hard
ly mentioned in the last campaign and
it was no part of the democratic plat
form. So far as we know no bill was
introduced in the legislature, bearing
on this question. We are free to say
that we trust there will be no such is
sue in our politics.
Mr.. Carmsck has, we believe, declar
ed in favor of prohibition and will
probably start an anti-railroad crusade
We can see no reason for either o.
these things. The people of any city
in Tennessee can abolish the saloons
whenever they want to and prohibition
could only be introduced in the stat,
by an amendment TO the constitution
that it would take some time to pass
A bitter fight On the railroads here
without rhyme or reason, would @r.
tainly have the effect OF Gripping tn,
splendid prosperity of the state.
Mr.. Carmack has announced himself
at the wrong time. His candidac,
means bitter and unnecessary fgh
in the democratic party, and there ar,
thousands OF democrats in TENNESSEE
who will vote for q republican befor
they will for him. II the recent cleo
ton IN Memphis was victory for Gar
mack and prohibition, as many of on
state exchanges constrne it, then W,
have had the singular spectacle of nine
tenths of the saloon keepers Of Mem
phis voting to put the saloons out O
business. Commercial Appeal.
Southern Man for President.