The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-01-08
VICTORY AT LAST.

nee: impervious to all attacks and los'
IN all sense OF shame, has been broken.
II was truly a God-given victory. II
proyes the truth of the poetic state
ment that the longest lane has turn
ing.
Indeed and in truth the darkest
hour is Just before the dawn.
Organization OF the Legislature by
the forces opposed to greed and graft
pressages a better day for Tennessee
II means an end Of the domination
OF the politics Of the State by the cor
rupt and depraved elements OF society.
This victory is but the beginning OF
the end of the sway Of those who have
Drostituted the powers of their ofhces
10 the basest of ends.
1t sounds a note OF victory TOT
decency; for the supremacy OF the
law: for advancement of the cause Of
public morals.
For more than two years Tennessee
has writhed and groaned in the re-
morseless grip of the most depraveo
and conscienceless gang of buccaneers
and political free-booters that ever
plundered free people.
Since Patterson's induction INTO
the office of Governor decency mas
been despised; oaths of once nave
heen ruthlessly violated and the most
sacred traditions and best sentiment
OF a proud people reviled and held in
contempt.
Tennessee had sunk to the lowest
depths of political degradation; its
citizens had drunk the cup OF bitter
ness to the very dregs and had sat In
sack cloth and deep humiliation while
the state of their birth was robbed
of it's fair name and it's laurel wreaths
Of honor and noble endeavor were
snatched from It's hitherto stainless
brow by those who despised 1t.
Public Office had ceased to be pub
lie trust; public pledges had long ago
ceased to bind those who made them;
party platforms had become byword
and a reproach.
But thank God, better day is
dawning. Patterson and all that Tor
which Patterson stands are to be
swept from Office and power.
once shattered political machine
is forever destroyed. Unlike the USE
full machines of commerce and trade
they cannot be repaired.
Patterson will go with his machine.
The liquor traffic is doomed.
The machine without the liquor traf-
dc is as powerless and impotent as the
works of man in the midst of the
furies of nature.
Patterson without his machine
would resemble a ship without sails
or rudder in the middle of the track
less Atlantic
For the first time in the history or
this proud commonwealth every de-
praved, selfish, corrupt, criminal and
vicious element of society within It's
borders has been marshalled under
the banner of one man.
For time the good people were
divided. BY means of fraud and de-
ceit and deception portion OF the
States best citizenship was brought
into alliance with all of its worse
and wickedest elements.
Naturally such a coalition, uncon-
genial, repulsive and unnatural as 1t
was. found comparatively easy victory
over the forces of the opposition.
But the scales are falling from the
eyes of those who have been by fraud
and falsehood led into the camps OF
the machine.
When the machine deliberately
planned and its chief organizer ex-
ecuted the foul crime of assassination
the God-fearing, liberty-loving. pa
triotic citizenship of the State was
shocked and many of those of honor
and conscience who had lent aid to
the machine recoiled, dazed and
righteously indignant at the enormity
OF the its crime.
The assassination of the noble and
knightly Carmack will be for Patter-
son what the Inflated Russian cam
paign was to Napoleon.
Let all take heart. Have courage
noble sons of Tennessee, We who have
never Bonded the knee to earthly
throne of power and whose proudest
boast is your love of liberty.
A great victory for popular govern
ment has been won. The chosen rep
resentatives of free people have an
swered in thunder tones the machines
demand that they abdicate all power
TO Patterson and surrender their con-
sciences to the keeping Of Dune Coop
II