The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1908-04-16
THE CURSE OF THE PARTY.
The Growth of the Republican Parts
In the South IL Prevented by the
Greed and Selhshness Of Federal
OfIiceholders-Wha Mr.. Oliver
of Tennessee, Says-The Cortel.
you Conspiracy.
Washington Post.

| =" dSHIHSlOH TOSL-
| w. J. Oliver, the Knoxville con.
tractor, who Is a candidate for Re.
publican national committeeman
from Tennessee, arrived in Washing.
ton last night from New York.
1t has been said Mr. Oliver may
lead the oposition against Taft from
the South In the National Conven-
| ton.
When seen last nigh Mr.. Oliver
did not deny that he had been ap-
preached in this connection, but he
added, significantly, 1t is not his Gus
tom to run with the fox and bark
with the hounds"
II am not a politician" said Mr.
Oliver, Il am ii business man and
contractor, but / have been drawn
into the political fight in Tennessee
through peculiar conditions, and |
am in the contest to stay.
Genesis of the Strife.
Tennessee has been run by Fed
eral office-holders for so long that
things have become intolerable
Sanders and Evans and their follow
ers have dominated the party by the
use of Federal patronage, and the
rank and file Of Republicans have
had to submit to their dictation.
Hale defeated Austin for the
Congressional nomination four years
ago by methods that, to say the least,
were unworthy of a good Republi-
can, and as | am Mr.. Austin's friend
it was natural that l should resent
it. Upon my suggestion Mr.. Austin
resigned his post as consul at Glas-
gov to become a candidate against
Hale for the Republican Congress
sional nomination this year, and this
has involved other political ques-
tions.
Tried to Throw State to COrtelyOu.
Il became a candidate for nation
al committeeman. When Taft was
on the water, in the course of his
tour around~the world, certain Fed
eral office holders went to Tennessee
and effected On organization, the OBJ
ject of which was to obtain the Ten
nessee delegation for Secretary Cor
telyou. The Sanders-Evans-Hale
holders, and were ready at that time
to turn the State over to Cortelyou,
or any one else besides Taft. There
upon, l organized thirty-five clubs in
Tennessee, defraying all the expenses
myself, and began regular cam
paign, from general headquarters at
Knoxville, for Taft and against San
ders and company.
Il knew we had a lot of dirty lin
en- to wash, and l preferred to have
it done within the State. I made
suggestions to the Sanders-Evans
people that we could settle the fight
in the primaries and counties, with
out taking it to the State Conven-
ton, but they would not listen to
such a proposition.
Fight Begins in Earnest.
'Then the fight began. We beat
Sanders and his faction in large
majority of the counties, and San
ders, the State chairman, had his
seat in the State Convention in con-
test. When it came to the meeting
of the State Convention, we beat the
opposition at their own game. They
had planned to exclude us, not even
to give our regularly elected dele
gates their seats in the convention,
but they were barking up the wrong
tree.
''The story of how we won the day
at Nashville is now old. Our con-
vention was regular in every way. 1t
was called to order by w. J. Davis,
a member of the State Committee,
whose seat as delegate to the State
Convention was not in contest. We
opened and closed the convention
and did it regularly, elecing dele
gates to the National Convention,
and doing the other business we
we're there for. The next day San
ders and his men held a convention
and elected delegates, etc., but our
dele gates are regular and should,
and I believe will, be seated at Chi
cago.
Approached by Allies.
"Yes," admitted Mr.. Oliver, 81
have been approached by the allies
with a suggestion to lead them in
the South. But I am no welcher; I
am>not a liar. Taft knows where
stand. The situation in Tennessee
is unfortunate, but it exists. / can
not trail with men who are ready
and willing to change color any day,
merely because they are controlled
body and soul by their desire TO hold
Federal office. The sooner the State
of Tennessee is delivered from such
crowd the better it will be for the
State and the Republican party.
eff I am elected national commit
teeman guarantee to organize a
campaign in Tennessee that will give
the electoral vote of that State to the
Republican nominee for President.
''There will never be a Republi-
can party in the South until the Fed
eral ofice-holders of that section are
made to obey the law and keep out
of active politics"