The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-09-01
OLD GHOST
RESPONSIBLE
SANDERS SPRUNG STORY
An Old Political Sin Arose as a
shade a Plague the Hon. Al
ford Taylor and Defeat Him

1t has been supposed that certain
republican political manager of prom
inence in the state and nation, assisted,
aided and abetted by certain political
leaders of lesser light, accomplished
the defeat of the Hon. ALI Taylor for
the gubernatorial nomination in the
recent harmonious ~ republican con-
vention held at Nashville. The sup.
posing is correct so far as it goes, but
the truth, recently developed, is that
no man, or set of men, defeated Taylor
in his gubernatoriel ambitions. The
opponents of Taylor in the convention
were merely the instruments of an in
ante thing which might be called
Fate.
The thing, that ghost, that Fate, call
it what you will fancy, was in fact the
force bill.
When ALT Taylor went to congress
as an East Tennessee congressional
confrere with the Hon. H. Clay Evans
he probably thought that he was ex-
tremely fortunate in being thrown in
such distinguished company and ac-
corded so distinguished an honor. But
after all these many, many years, dur
ing which time men then prominent
in party councils, have grown gray
and some gone to their graves and the
political skies have so changed that
few now living are wise enough to
Taylor awal<es to the fact that it was a
misfortune that he ever went TO con-
gress, for he had never gone to congress
he would not have had the unlucky
change to vote with Fl. Clay Evans for
the Force bill; and finally, concluding
the sequence of events, if Taylor had
not voted for the force bill he would
be the republican nominee for COVER
nor today instead of Ben Hooper, of
Cooke county, the recent republican
find.
That Taylor's vote on the force bill
defeated him for the nomination is as
serted by republican@eader in East
Tennessee, who gave the details of the
matter TO The American and declared
that he knew what he was talking
about.
Sanders Exhmnes The Force Bill.
II must be understood that Taylor
was defeated in the convention. He
was defeated many days before the
convention met.
About the time his boom was soar
ing to an aeroplanic attitude there was
conference Of republican leaders, ac-
cording to The Americans informant,
and at this conference the majority Of
the leaders were for Taylor. Up TO
that time Executive Committee Chair
man Sanders had used nothing more
than diplomacy to get the leaders to
abandon Taylor ostensibly in favor of
Sharp, but in reality in favor of him
self, and finally in favor of Hooper, but
the Taylor men could not see it that
way and chung tenaciously to their fa-
vorite.
They argued that he was better
known throughout the state than
Hooper, that his experience in life
and in office had invested him with
greater executive ability and that his
frequent campaigns of the stump
would make him more powerful,
convincing and successful political ex-
horter, for all of which reasons and
for personal reasons not advanced, the
Taylor men declined to forsake their
favorite for any other men that might
be mentioned.
Then, at this aforesaid conference, &C
cording to the witness thereof who
testified to The American, the Hon.
Newell Sanders calmly arose and play
ed his trump card.
This was the tenor of his talk, if not
his language:
"Gentlemen: / desire to say that |
have nothing personal against Mr..
Taylor. admit all of the qualifica-
tions attributed 10 him as being ac-
tually possessed by him, and l know
know those qualifications would be eff
fective in campaign, but, gentleman,
you have forgotten one incident in his
career for WHICH he is not to be criii-
cised, but which, in my estimation,
would presage his defeat in November
if he were to receive the nomination.
Gentlemen, when Taylor was in con-
gress he voted for the force bill. Many
republicans and democrats who are
supporting him now have forgotten
that fact But, let me tell you, the
people who know it full well before
the election in November, and when