The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-01-09
A Man Of Action.

A Man Of Action.
Gov. Patterson is a good friend to
the newspapers in that he is news
maker, because he is man of. action,
Latent or unused power is q mere as
sumption that no one heeds or takes
into account until it manifests itself,
while the man of action. the man who
does things, attracts attention and
wins admiration. There is a fascina-
ton about the man OF action just as
there is fascination about machinery
in motion, that cannot be resisted. Ev-
eryone deplores stiffness and despises
stagnation and no one is satisfied in
this busy, busting world unless there
is something doing.
Since his Inauguration Gov. Patter-
son has been conspicuously active in
the public interest. For year or &c
before his Inauguration he was con
spicuously busy in his own interest,
but that is another story. He has dis
patched "office business" with a celer-
ity that is unusual, and he has given
his personal attention to the institu.
tons of the state as no governor has
ever done.
There is more work in the governors
Office ct this time than ever before, be
cause the business of the state is grow
ing and increasing in all its branches
and this puts more work ON the chic
executive. The question of pardonI
alone is big one and is sufficient t.
keep one man busy all the time. Thos,
who fancy too many pardons are being
granted would be surprised to see how
many are denied. Yet all of them
and many of them contain court re
cords Of hundreds of pages, must b.
read and examined into and this con
sumes time and labor.
Gov. Patterson has personally visit
ed the eleemosynary and penal institu
tions Of the state and examined then
in every detail. The hospitals for tn
insane, the penitentiaries, the indus
trial schools, the coal mines have beef
visited by him, the system of manage
ment examined and clear understand
ing of the whole situation obtained.
Besides this he has given persona
attention to the condition and treat
ment of the inmates and has mitigatet
the unjust severity of sentences wher
ever he found them. As attorney gen
eral for Shelby county for years h
saw how difficult it is to penish evil
doors who command wealth and infu
ence and how easy it is to railroad a
unfortunate to the penitent iary who i
without money or friends. He knows
too, that after conviction the friends G
the influential culprit clamor for exec
utive clemency, sometimes maxim
bold to demand a pardon as the pric
of their political support, while tn
friendless and penniless are swallowe'
up by the prison walls and forgotte
of men and, apparently, of God. Thes
unfortunates Gov. Patterson has foun
time to consider and befriend whe
punishment seemed to him to be e1
cessive. The task was thankless on
and in some quarters unpopular; bu
the governor had the industry to inyet
tigate and the courage to exercise Glen
ency where clemency was deserved.
Tennessee has had many good an,
noble governors, but none who had s
much work to do as has Gov. Pattel
son, for the reason heretofore stated
and none who has worked harder, az
complished more or discharged the dU
ties of the high Office with greater f
deity, greater energy, greater indus
try or greater ability than he.
The people admire man of actio
and they are watching his course wit
a pleased interest. They approve an
applaud his earnestnoss as we'll as h
distinguished talents for governing
Commereial-Appeal.