The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-08-27
GEORGE N. TlLLMAN
Could Not Deceive the
Nashville American.
NOMINEE NUMBER TWO
Does Not Seriously Cher
ish the Dclusion That
He Can be Elected

Mr.. George N. Tillman, one of the
republican nominees for governor, &C
cepted the nomination after declaring
repeatedly he did not want it and under
no circumstances would he accept it.
He protested that he was private clti-
zen and should be exempt from news
PAPER remarks about him as though he
were a candidate. In spite of his posi-
tive utterances to the contrary, he ac-
cepted the nomination-and was glad
to get it. BE did not deceive The
American. He protested too much.
We know the symptoms and have too
often observed the arts and willy ways
of the politician or the citizen who is
ambitious for preferment and who
swearing he will ne'er consent, con-
sents.
Not for moment did George Newton
deceive The American. Nor will he de-
ceive or mislead il tduring the campaign,
though he will employ all the tricks
and schemes aud arguments and pleas
of the willy lawyer and artful politician.
From the first he has been Influenced
by pleasing notes of hattery and false
claims as to his running qualities, aud,
while he would have accepted anyway,
the Turing prospect of reward in defeat
by Federal office, so dear to the Till
man tribe, made him eager for the
nomination. Though the sweet voice
of fattery has doubtless inspired him
with some hope, he probably does not
seriously cherish the delusion that he
will or can be elected, because he is an
intelligent man and has lawyer s cal
culat!ng mind.
In 1896 Mr.. Tillman was the republi
can nominee for governor against Bob
Taylor, the democratic nominee. The
democratic vote was: Bryan 1866, 2G8,
Mckinley 148, 713, Taylor 1856, ,22S, Till
man 140,374. Taylor's vote was about
10000 short of Bryan's, because Minis,
the populist candidate for governor,
received II, ,076 votes. Thus while Bry-
ans plurality was II, 945, Taylor's was
only 1854. Tillman received only 601
more votes than Mckinley received
The vote that year was unusually large
for each party.
In 1894 Peter Turney received 104, 1856
and II. Clay Evans 105, 1O4, on the face
of the returns, being plurality for
Evans of 749. This was result of
democratic overcontidence and apathy.
For ten years and more after that elec-
tion it was a prediction and boast that
Evans was the strongest republican in
the state and that with anything like
harmony in his party he could be easily
elected governor. He was not nomi.
mated because Brownlow was in con
troll Two years ago the Evanites cap
tured the convention and nominated
their invincible man Evans. The re-
publican vote was proportionately at
large as usual Brownlow supported
him loyalty and his district gave Evans
amajority of 19,0jS or q vote of 6, ,46:
for Patterson and 2l,520 for Evans
This was larger republican majority
than usual; yet Mr.. Evans, the invinci
BILE, the strong man, the man whose
wrongs the whole people were eager Il
right, received only 94,S04 votes al
against his vote of 105, 104 in 1894, o.
S,0G2 less than his democratic opponen
and 12, 300 less than his own vote il
1894.
In 1896, when the largest vote eve
recorded for either party in the histor,
OF the state was cast, Tillman received
1854 less than his opponent. Eve
since then, as in the case of Evans, i
has been the fatuous boast and claim o
republicans that Tillman is an unusual
ly strong man and if nominated coulC
be elected. They have claimed ant
claim that many democrats would vot
for him. They made the same clain
for Evans. Tillman is less objectiona
BILE than Evans, but this does not meal
that he is not Objectionable to ever
democrat worthy of the name. Evan
was born in a republican region unde
republican influences. Tillman wa
born in Tennessee, democratic com
munity, and knows what republicanisr
in the south has been, what it ha
meant and what it means. He show
an anxiety to plead the statute of lin
itations on his record and the infanou
record of his party, which is a O. nfes
sion of guilt. He can offer nc excus
for being republican. While he ma
reasonably plead with those of his kin
to vote for him he certainly can not Of
fer any reason for democrats voting fo
him that is half so sensible and logica
as the reason why democrats shoul
vote for democrat.
Before he can appeal to democrat
to support him in his ambition for ofic