Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-03-24

| view the unhappy differences that
have armed these valiant souls
against each other, it is for no pur-
pose of renewing the strife, but rath-
er of emphasizing by contrast, the
| felicity of the present situation. 1t
will serve also, to bring out in bold
| relief the gracious spirit which en-
ables Governor Patterson to condos
cend to men of low estate, lift up
where he has trampled down and
lay a pOultice of warm words upon
i the reputation he has SO fearfully
bruised. 1t will teach also those who
most unjustly have regarded Gov
ernor Cox as a man of proud and
naughty spirit, that he is in fact, a
man of modest stiffness and humil
| ity,' one who can forget injuries the
most grievOus, forgive insults the
most fragrant, endure every assault
upon his honor and good name with
out resentment, and in general,
| humble himself that he may be ex-
allied.
1T will be remembered that Gov
ernor Patterson protested to have
only one great motive in seeking the
office of governor-the wholly patri
otto and unselfish desire to purge
the state of the shame and infamy
brought upon it by Cox and the
Cox machine. He openly declared
that he would rather some other
than he had the task and the honor,
but his soul would not consent that
such a man as Cox should be the
governor of Tennessee. He charged
that Cox had degraded and debauch-
ed the politics of the state; he rep
resented him as the plant tool OF
the saloon and the corporations; he
charged that he was democrat only
in name, republican in fact; he
called him a traitor to the demo
cratic party Not only that, he
viciously assailed his personal honor,
his pecuniary integrity and from
every stump in Tennessee, he pic
. tured him in the bitterest words in
his vocabulary as common CRATER.
And the whole crew joined their
voices in one universal chorus of
amnation-'crook', CRATER, corrupt
politician, cheap John demagogue'
such were the words that flew
thick and fast from the mouths of
Duncan B. Cooper and all the leaders
in the great movement to reform
and purge and purify the state, to
destroy the power of the political
, machine and restore power to the
people of Tennessee. The whole
campaign was conducted with a view
not only to defeat Governor Cox,
; but to load him with infamy and
drive him out of the politics of Ten
nessee. So far was this carried. that
after Governor Patterson had been
nominated for governor and Cox had
been nominated for the state senate,
Major Cooper jOurneyed to Bristol
for the purpose of getting out an
independent candidate against him.
These facts will serve to glorify
the recent past of peace. 1t shows
how. far Governor Patterson had to
stoop, how much Governor Cox had
to forgive and matches an infinite
condescension with an infinite hui
mility. OF course, there are other
details When Governor Cox was
summoned to Nashville, some weeks
ago, it was not simply for the pur-
pose of falling on somebody's neck
or of having somebody falling upon his.
There are honors and dignities and
; offices and substantial rewards to.be
MISUNDERSTANDING that go to heal
the hurt that honor feels'-and these
things were talked of and consid-
ered
But no doubt, the main thing was
that Governor Cox agreed to join
himself with Dan Murray, Dune
Cooper and Spared Hill and aid
them in their battle for the holy
cause of local self government"
BY local self government, Car
mack meant the fight against pro-
hibition The liquor interests led by
the governor, declared in favor of
local option and of letting each com
munity settle the saloon question for
itself
Colone, cooper upon reading this
editorial, sent the famous message
to Carmack: If my name appears in
the Tennessean again, one of us
must die" The warning was deliv-
cred. to Senator Carmack by ex-State
Treasurer Craig. Carmack said that
Colonel Cooper's threat had made a