The Washington herald., 1908-06-22
Tennessee GubernatOrial
Contest Wakes Warm.
CARMACK AFTER "DRY" VOTE
Former Governor, n Local Option
Advocate, and ex-senator, Both
Which VIII Be Settled at Pri-
mnries to BE Held on June %.
By JAMES B. NEVIN.

Nashville. Tenn, June A.-Tennessee
has on hand at the present moment one
Of the most picturesque. as well as one
Of the most hotly contested. gubernatorial
campaigns ever known in this State. 1t
is a tight in which almost every human
emotion has been appealed to by the re-
.spective sides. and into which a maximum
Of bitterness has been injected.
Former United States Senator Edward
Ward Carmack-he who laid down his
sword before the present bald-headed Sen
ator. Bob Taylor. but a few short
moons ago-is pitted against former Con-
gresham and present Gov. Malcolm r.
Patterson.
II is a fight 10 the finish; a case Of give
and take. Both men are red-headed; both
ask no quarter. Tor incline 10 give Il.
Carmack IS a rushing whirlwinG in meth
Cd; he IS impetuous and violent; he is ag-
gressive always. Patterson IS repressive;
he never strikes until he knows exactly
what he is aiming at, and then he
smashes like pile driver.
Carmack has mounted the prohibition
band wagon. He appeals 20 the ultra
radical OF the dry persuasion. He
wants 20 lock up the barrooms from
Memphis 10 Chattanooga, and throw the
keys into the fiery furnace, that they may
be melted into shapeless uselessness. in
capable Of remodeling; that is 10 say, he
claims 10 feel that way about 1t. and the
/ presumption IS that he does sometimes.
anyhow.
Once for Local Option.
Carmack Is accused OF having been an
ardent local optionist' when that was
/ fashionable in political circles in the old
+ Volunteer State and in other sections Of
Dixie; and 1t IS said that he topped
that's the word his opponents use when
talking about him in this regard-at the
/ opportUne moment, and got with the
I "drys" for political revenue only. don't
4 know whether that IS true or not. and
/ only give it as something they say
down here. At all events. the sorrel-top
Senator is fighting a slashing campaign
and is putting up g contest that won't be
/ forgotten soon.
( Nevertheless, I believe Patterson has
/ the better Of the mix-up, and viii cap
I ture the prize. I may be mistaken in
this-I guessed right as 10 what Georgia
would do when I told The Washington
Herald that Joe" Brown would put il
I over Hoke Smith IN that State recently
/ for I am not as familiar with Tennessee
/ politics as I am with the Cracker state
variety. Every surface indication. how
ever, points 10 a Patterson victory. end
/ that CT rather generous proportions, as
/ those things go in Tennessee
Patterson for Local Option.
Patterson has the local option" end
Of the fight. and has handled It in mas
terly fashion. He claims that It is good.
/ old-fashioned Democratic doctrine. and
that IL is not 20 be improved upon More
over. II has been a plank in nearly every
Southern State Democratic platform FOR
/ years. He points 20 his first administra-
tion IS one marked by businesslil5e meth
DDS and square dealing. and no one seems
able 20 make much OF q counter-showinG
as TO that
Indeed, so far as a 'Tooker-on n
Vienna" IS able to sum up the situation.
there IS nothing much IN issue between
these two men except this one isolated
+ thing. prohibition VS.. local option q"
+ When you ask the average Tennesseean
/ what else he is mad about, he can't for
the life OF him. tell you The truth IS.
nc isn't mad about anything else OF con-
. sequence; he may have a vague and in
definite notion that something is wrong
here or yonder. but. in the main, Il IS
only The one issue mentioned that Inter-
cStS or eXciJes him.
Carmacls Likes the Senate.
There is one other thing that,I hear
mentioned every little biz hereabouts
that may have some bearing on the out
come, and that is this: A considerable
number OF Tonnesseeans appear 10 think
that Carmack really cares very Httla
about being governor Of Tennessee, but
that he would like nightly TO go back
to tne United States Senate. and IL he
can be elected governor now il would fit
in right nice with such plans as he
might have for capturing Senator Fra
z!er's toga VIXEN the present term Of serv-
fee Of that estimable gentleman shall
have ended. This, I understand is re-
sented by some people otherwise inclined
Carmackward. Just how much ice IL viii
cut in the wind-up I can't sag.
| II Patterson should be elected. and 7
believe he viii be- it is still not certain
that Senator Frazier viii be left un-
lmolcsted-I understand that the woods ara
full Of those who are anxious 10 assume
the burdens Of his high and honorable
station-but he certainly viii be able 20
rest easier at nights than he will be IN
case Carmack wins the gOvernorship.
The gubernatorial contest viii be set
tied in Dem0CratiC primary, as is Gus
tomary in the South. TO be held on Sat
urday. June p.