The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-06-18

the City of Memphis. 1t was the is.
sue in the Legislative contest. The
Democrats nominated a ticket favor
able to the charter change, and put
a plank in their platform favoring it,
and on this platform seven Repre-
sentatives were nominated and two
Senators.
An independent ticket then was put
out against the regular Democratic
ticket and it was defeated at the
polls Mr. Carmack is understood to
have supported the independent ticket
in that contest. The regular Demo
cratic ticket was elected, and all nine
OF them agreed on the bill that was
presented to the Legislature, and, in
addition, the floterial Senator from
Upton and Shelby, who resided in
Upton County, and the hoterial Rep
resentative from Fayette and Shelby,
who resided in Fayette County, both
agreed with the nine, making three
Senators and eight Representatives
unanimously in favor of the Memphis
charter bill.
1t was presented to the Legislature,
and what occurred? Instead of al.
lowing this measure to go through as
an act OF courtesy and as one of right
which the people of Memphis had the
right to expect, and which the Leg
islature had hundred times in other
cases accorded, and which would
have been accorded in this case ex-
cept for his extraordinary activity.
Senator Carmack set himself against
the regular organized Democracy of
Shelby County and against the wishes
Of the people, came from Washington
established headquarters at the Tu-
lane Hotel and waged a personal DO.
lltical warfare against a bill which
the people of Memphis approved and
every Senator and Representative
from the county and the hoterial dis
tricts.
Fifty-nine Democratic Legislators
voted for this bill Some of whom
are now supporting you, Mr.. Carmack
Are these men bid and vicious
men? Some of your warmest sup
porters gave it their support Are
they unworthy and wicked men?
AS citizen of Memphis, as well as
Governor, | believed that the prece-
dent of passing local bills should not
be broken; that no exception ought
to be made against the County of
Shelby; that it was entirely gratui-
tous upon Mr.. Carmack's part to come
to Nashville and establish headuuar-
tiers to attack this bill. | did all in
my power to secure it's passage, and
when it was passed the people OF
Memphis was thoroughly pleased.
signed the bill, and Mr.. Carmack can
give no valid reason why l should
not have signed it.
Mr. Carmack then charges that l
appointed my law partner and my
| brother-in-law as members of the
Board of Commissioners. This is
partially true, for did appoint E B.
LeMaster, my brother-in-law, not be-
cause he was such, but because he had
been member of the City Council
had large experience in municipal af-
fairs, and was recognized by the good
people of Memphis as being one OF
the best appointments that could DOS
slbly have been made. His character
and standing as man in the city of
Memphis are above the criticism of
Mr.. Carmack ! also appointed as
another member of the board S. S.
Nicely, a young man of the very high
est character, and a lawyer who has
the respect and confidence of the en-
tire people of Memphis, who had been
my fathers law partner. He and |
nave been associated but in name
only in the practice of law, the name
being kept up as matter purely of
sentiment. We never had a case
together, nor did we ever divide a
single fee We are not law partners,
and we were not law partners when
| appointed him as a member of this
Board
Mr.. Carmack neglects to say that l
appointed on this Board John T.
Walsh, who has been one of his de-
voted political friends, and who has
been openly for him and against me
in the present contest. He forgot to
tell the people that l also appointed
on this Board Mr.. Rice, another man
who was Mr.. Carmack's earnest sup
porter, and who is now supporting
him against me. He forgot to tell the
people that this commission form of
government and these commissioners
were pleasing to the large majority
of the best people of Memphis; but he
takes the decision Of the court and
uses that in order to convince the
people of Tennessee that | have COM
mitted some monstrous wrong against
their rights when this bill was ap.
proved, as I have stated by the en-
tire delegation and by large ma.
jority of the people Of Memphis
THE LIQUOR QUESTION.
My fellow-citizens, l repeat that it
IS both unfortunate and unfair that
the prohibition question should now
he raised in TnppnccnA