Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-11-18
ANOTHER EDITOR KILLED

Nashville last week is another IL
lustration OF fact which We have
commented ubon in tbe COURIER
in the past. namely. that many mcn
take up q political or public life
with the idea that they can do
practically - they please and no
adverse comment must appear in
the public print.
II is false and untenable posi-
ton. and the sooner politicians and
public men who are so sensitive
that they cannot stand the sting of
editorial wit and sarcasm retire to
the shades of private life the better
ii will be for them and the general
public.
The editorial which caused Car
mack's killing was sarcastic ref
erence to Dune Cooper. an
ex-Confederate soldier, who is
highly esteemed for his war record,
and who has. of late years, been
mighty factor in Democratic poll
tics. In the course of his political
activity, only a short time ago, the
Patterson faction (which he headed.
and whose candidate was elected
Governor), assailed another fac
ton (headed by Ex-Governor John
/. Cox, of Bristol with the most
violent charges of corruption and
political crookedness. and claimed
for themselves the mantle of the
saints. Since the election OF Pat
tersOn it seems that Mr.. Cooper
has been instrumental in bringing
these two warning factions into a
peaceful agreement. Mr.. Car
mack's editorial comment was a
brilliantly sarcastic reference 10
Cooper IS the man who welded
the pewter spoon to the wooden
handle, made playmates of the
leopard and the lamb and boon
companions of the spider and the
fly"
The killing was done by Cooper's
son, while the father stood by with
drawn revolver, presumable to
finish the work if the son failed.
1t was a foul deed, and Tennes-
seeans everywhere will hang their
heads in shame if the guilty men
are allowed to escape the full
penalty of the law.
In the killing of Gonzales by
Tllman in South Carolina we had
another similar illustration: yet
Iillman IS free.
Ham" Patterson, Tennessee's
governor, was complimented, as
he deserved, for his activity
and energy in bringing to JUS
tice the perpetrators of the
ReelfOot Lake murders, and now
that he Is charged with having
guilty knowledge of the killing of
Carmack previous to its perpetra-
ton, we shall watch with deep
interest to see if he uses the same
executive agility in bringing to
justice the slayer of one OF his
political antagonists.
1t Is true that these undesirable
conditions do not prevail all over
Tennessee, and we are glad of &:
else Slack, of the Bristol Courier.
and Tatom, Of the Knoxville
Tribune, would have long since
been called e. their fathers; for the
former Is probably the only editor
IN that State who could emerge
from an editorial encounter with
Carmack with even honors, while
the latter runs Q close second IS to
tlnency of pen and purity of die
tion.
il has always beer q pleasure to
read - "poI-c = iotsrs" isDm
the pens 81 Crmack, Slac.. and
Tatom, andnow that the first-named
has passed to his reward and both
Slack and Tatom WELD their pens
for the Nashville American, we
shal! be no less eager to see what
they have written.
We hope to read in the reports
of the Cooper trial that the prose
cutting attorney dwelt at consider
able length upon the fact that
public men are at all times open
20 public criticism, and served
notice that every ounce of the
Jaws power will be invoked