The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-06-05
PENDLETON SCORES
GOV. PATTERSON
AUTHOR or PENDLEToN BILL
TELLS or EFFORTS TO KILL
MEASURE.

versity and T. F. Bonner addressed
most enthusiastic crowd that filed
every one of the chairs that had been
placed in Boodenpyrs skating rink
and was massed around the walls.
Senator Pendleton was the first speak
er. and he made his first public state
ment of the inside history OF the
massage of the Pendleton bill and the
measures resorted to by the governor
and his friends to kill it, and later TO
secure enough votes to sustain his
veto.
In referring to the bill he said: In
the first place l made the mistake OF
introducing the bill without consulting
the great political Am on capitol
hill Or his satellites and anyone that
knows legislative proceedings VIII
recognize that this was a grave breach.
was Immediately called to the ofice
of Gov. Patterson and he told me in
very fatherly way that | had made
: mistake and that the public was sat
listed with the law as it stood, and
, advised me to let the bill die in the
committee.
} II respectfully declined to follow MS
advice. but l found that the commit
tee was determined to let it die any
how. The chairman of the committee
: had all sorts of excuses for not bring
I ing the bill up for consideration ana
finally / exercised my right of calling
+ bill out of the committee after they
I had failed to act on it and after
: lapse of time.
4 .Tbus the bill was placed on the
}, calendar of the senate for consldera
l. ton without a recommendation iron
T; the committee one way or the other
The governor again called me to Ms
office and told me that he considered
the hill breach of the democratic
platform and of his pledge to the PEG
II ple and asked me to amend 1t so ina
it would apply to the cities of ten O
10 twelve thousand but would leave Nasn
% Vile Chattanooga, Memphis, Knox
Vile and Jackson out.
i Would Veto Bill.
u. 81 again declined and he then tol'
er mo that if the bill was passed n
would have the courage of his convlc
lions and would veto it. was So COZ
WINGED that he would veto 1t from VIVA
n he said that as soon as the bill wa
nassed the next day I polled the ser
. ate to see how the vote would stan
on ovarruling or sustaining his veto
found that / had enough and five 0
D. six to spare to pass it over his veto.
is az knew that if he vetoed II
would pass it anyhow, every poiitics
n friend of the governors knew 1t, an
D; the only way the governor could Kee
p from knowing it was to shut both ear
b. both ewes, and his mouth, and get o
of capitol hill. Then there came
l fight to delay the signing of the oil
Under the law of the state If the go
ernor does not sign bill within &c
tain number of days, it becomes lay
hit If there is a recess of the leglsi
al tire in the meantime that time doc
NOT count. 1t is also the usual pra
65 tice tn adjourn from Friday over
Monday and on Tuesday resolutiC
40 was introduced into the house 10 tai
recess of a month. The tempe
er ance leaders did not suspect anytnln
as, ana the resolution was passed.
ch. came to the senate and | saw IL
rs ,nediatelv that it was designed to gil
the governor month in which
d., make friends enough to sustain Il
veto and in the senate we refused
)er ooncur in the resolution, but amend
Il 50 that the months recess Deg'
IN Friday week instead of on Frlda
ms, We sent 1t back to the house ana
nlained the meaning of the origin
resolution, and the temperance III
in the house concurred in the amen
ment and the resolution was pass
~, nc amended. This forced the gov'
n, nor to sign the bill or have 1t becor
law anyway. On Friday the Ia
ND dav of grace he sent it back to t
senate with his signature.
ooc "Then he called it vicious legis
en-. ton and the most vicious that W
before the legislature. Now he ca
it wise and takes great credit TO nj
self for signing it."
To