Evening star., 1909-04-24
"YELLOW" IS FADING
OChs Interests to Tame the
Nashville American.
SIZZLING WORDS UNSAFE
Writing Stuff a Real Dangerous Job
in Tennessee.
LOTS OF EDITORS KILLED
Prohibition. and Politics Make
Mighty Dangerous Combination
Down in Sunny Dixie.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star aud II
Chicago Record Herald


good newspaper. and one has recently ap-
younger brother Of Adolph s. Ochs. pub
Usher of the New York Times. and George
W. Ochs publisher OF the Philadelphia
Ledger. in partnership with Thomas r.
Preston, a Chattanooga banker. has re-
Gently purchased the Nashville American.
one OF the oldest newspapers in the south.
Milton B. Ochs made his mark at Chat
tanooga and comes into wider
field of usefulness with the pres
tige of success There is however.
greater responsibility upon him here than
the mere publication Of the news of the
day, and there is a confidence that he
will introduce and maintain a new system
of ethics in Tennessee journalism. AS
the editor of the Marshall CTenn.) Ga
zette says: we hope there will be de-
cided improvement in the Americans past
methods and manner of conducting the
paper as regards public questions and
public men, for which there is ample
room. The American has been entirely
too personal and vindictive. There is
also plenty of room for improvement in
the manner Of treating and dealing with
the great moral questions in which the
good people of the entire state feel so
great an interest. and which so vitality
|
"Yellows'' Make Tragedy.
This room for Improvement is not
confined to Nashville, but the comments
1 have quoted are especially apro-
pos because a change of management Of
fers an opportunity for change of policy
under the shadow of the Cooper-Carmack
tragedy. which was the direct result of
the partisan and personal style Of jour-
nalism referred to.
Col Cooper and his son have been con-
victed of murder in the second degree.
and have been released on bonds of S2J,-
900 each pending a new trial, which may
or may not occur. Those who sympa-
thize with them believe that their en-
counter with Carmack was accidental,
and that Robin Cooper fired because he
believed his fathers life was in danger;
that if Carmack had not been armed he
would not have been harmed; the motion
of his hands toward his hip pocket. they
contend. was an unmistakable signal for
young Cooper to shoot.
This is the theory of the tragedy ac-
cepted by the business element Of Ten
nessee. and in the language of the street
they contend that Carmack 'only got
what was coming to him His entire po-
litical and editorial career was charac-
teriZed with the habitual use of vitriol
and vituperation, and several gentlemen
assured me that it was a wonder he had
traordinary talent for invective, for sting
ing phrases and satire. He was always in
controversy and tore the regulations of
good men to tatters without the slightest
remorse. He had recently taken up the
cause of prohibition, and was it's ablest
| and most active advocate in Tennessee.
He was the acknowledged leader of the
prohibition movement. which attracted
adherentS from every political faction and
religious denomination, and for that rea-
religions nf
the state regard him as a martyr and
Will dedicate a monument to his memory.
They hold the saloon responsible for his
murder, and the dictionary does not con-
tain words enough to express their indg-
| nation at the verdict of the jury which
refused to send Duncan e. Cooper and his
son to the gallows. There is scarcely a
church outside the larger cities Of Ten
| nessee in which that verdict has not been
denounced in righteous Indignation as a
perversiOn of the law and a denial of
justice. and 1t is attributed to the per-
| nicious influence of the saloons.
Politics and Prohibition.
No previous agitation has ever pro-
voked such animosities as prohibition,
not as a principle. but as political issue,
and as has been the case in other south
| seekers have taken advantage of the
| witt. great shrewdness and sue
| cess. No wave of public sentiment has
ever washed up into place and power so
many cheap politicians and at the same
time there has been the most extraordi-
nary exhibition of public confidence. Every
man who proclaimed himself prohibi-
ZIONIST no matter what his past affilia-
| tions or practices may have been. has
suddenly become public idol. The most
conscientious and scrupulous of citizens.
without a moments hesitation. have fol-
lowed to the polls men without conscience
or scruple solely because they made
speeches denOuncing distilleries and sa-
looms. But when the reaction sets in and
the tidal wave recedes people will re-
cover their reason. and the impOsters who
have taken advantage of the occasion will
return to their proper levels in the body
polite.
1t is one of the mysteries OF Providence
that religious and moral issues are per-
| mtted to be the causes of murder. as
saSSinatiOn sacrifices ami suffering and
| that people who proclaim themselves
Christians and who are organized 10 work
for Christ and the salvation of the world
| should display such animosity and con-
tentiousness as is often seen.
Situation in the State.
In his salutatory editorial upon taking
possession Of the Nashville American Mr.
Ochs declared that SO much of the time
| of the people of Tennessee is being taken
up in political contention there is little
left for considering the many importan
matters that are essential to the pros
perity of the state: land he might have
mentionedaalso the bitter contentious over
religious md moral issues. We spend
too much time over men,, he said, land
not enough over those things which
should bring wealth and happiness
The situation today in Tennessee is
tense. the editorial proceeds. 1T is not
altogether due to the ambitions of men
and their followers. Vital principles of
marked difference of opinion as to poll
cies. Brought down to its final analysis.
however, it Is more a class Of political
ambitions tifan anything else.
I'VE ought to get away from this sort
of factionalism. We ought to consider
the interests, of our state as paramount
to the ambitions of men. Tennesseeans
have never been accused of a lack of
common sense. Today we realize-at
least those do who stop to think-that
these factional struggles cannot be kept
up. that there must be an end that there
must be stiliing of the troubled political
waters.
Why not begin to better conditions
now? Why not devote our energies to a
healing of the sores? None of us need
surrender our opinions. Let us, how
ever. grant to every man the right of
opinion, that liberty of conscience and
| action guaranteed by the great charter
We believe those who forced upon us
laws that are unjust and undemocratic
also believe that I'm due time the people
Will right the wrong =