The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-10-22
AT NASHVILLE IN
RINGING SPEECH.
ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN,
Is What the Nashville American
Thinks of G. n. Tillman,
"State-Wider"(s)

The American presents this morning
a verbatim report of the opening speech
of his campaign, delivered last night at
the Vendome Theater, by Gov. Malcolm
r. Patterson, democratic candidate to
succeed himself.
On the dates following their delivery
The American published the speeches
delivered by the republican nominee
for the office of governor, Hon. G. N.
Tillman.
The people will have chance to read
what both gentlemen have to say, and
after reading they can then intelligent
ly form their own conclusions.
In the opinion of The American and,
we believe, of all dispassionate men
who can judge a deliverance on its
merits without partisan prejudice, a
comparison of the speeches of the re-
spective candidates amounts merely to
a contrast, and contrasting them is
justifiable only on the grounds that
contrast is the dramatic factor of illus
tration.
Mr.. Tillman's speeches have been
discussed in these columns and pro-
nounced namby- -pamby and aneamic.
He blows hot and cold. He is all
things to all men, He is neither fish,
flesh nor good red herring. His abject
timorousness and halting diffidence are
little less than pathetic in a public
man, and especially in public man in
Tennessee, where the people have been
taught, by experience and tradition, to
expect franlness and courageous utter
ance on the rostrum, and where men
do not espouse cause that can not be
advocated or defended with definite
and even defiant pronouncement. No
man in Tennessee has ever won the ap-
probation of the people who attempted
to ride with the hare and run with the
hounds. He must show his colors. He
must be one thing or the other,
We desire to draw no invidious dis
tinctions, personally, between the dis
tinguished gentlemen. The reason Of
Mr.. Tillman's weakness and fabbiness
is that the cause he represents is weak
unto flabbiness.
4 How strangely and strikingly differ.
ent is the speech and tone and bearing
of Gov. Patterson. Courteous to chiv.
alric degree, he has no concessions tc
make and no favors to ask. He enters
the conflict determined to win or lose
and he seeks and gives no quarters. Hi'
quest is righteous victory, and hepur
!, sues it with the zeal of a Crusader an(
, the remorseless contempt for opposition
, of Napoleon.
/ Undoubtedly there is much in tn,
man, else he could never have scored S,
/ many successive victories against sucl
overwhelming odds. He could not hav
: maintained his equanimity while beinI
E hectored and pecked at by intransige
ant harpies between battles when h
should have been resting. Undoubted
} ly his is All intellectual and moral big
? ness possessed by few men in this ma
tion at the present day. Undoubtedl,
, his gifts are great and humorous an,
he is richly endowed by nature. Blu
there is also much behind him. HI
? stands for and bodies forth what is bes
| and highest in organized society il
Tennessee. He represents and stand
. for what is inbred in our people wha
' is indigenous and to the manner borr
AS democrat he represents nothin
imported or exotic nothing borrowe
Q or of doubtful birth. He represents tn
:, fruitage of the mature thought and th
noble efforts and sacrifices of those VIII
brought Tennessee into being, VIII