The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1910-09-15
WHAT is THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY IN TENNESSEE?

PARTY IN TENNESSEE?
The moral victory in Tennessee is
easily grasped. BY virtue of circum-
stances and machine politics all the
evil influences in the state OF Ten
nessee became summed up in the ad-
ministration of Governor Patterson.
Political exigencies. brought about by
night riding. the murder OF Edward
Carmack by the Coopers and state
wide prohibition, necessitated Cover
nor Patterson's not only condonipg |
but actively assisting lawlessness and
law violators. The attempt TO in
timidate and coerce the supreme |
court was the browning infamy of his
career, and forced 10 the side of
Righteousness in sef-defense political |
leaders as able as any Patterson
could command. Under advice. ii is
charged by Patterson himself, of the !
president of the United States. the
Republicans of Tennessee refrained
from nominating candidates for the
supreme bench. and then named for
governor a man. who was sausfac-
tory to the leaders OF the lndepend-
lent movement.
All this is as simple as A. B. c.;
but some people cannot understand
why. after Patterson had Withdrawn
from the race, the Independents
should not even consider a PROPOSE
ton for harmony and the nomination
of new candidate by the Democratic
party. The reason is involved in the
question, what Is the Democratic
party in Tennessee? Is II the party
Organization as summed up in the
various committees with the state
executive committee at the head? Or
is 1t the majority of the voters of the
party?
Here Is question that goes to
the very foundation OF popular rights
in a country governed by parties. II
the committee is the party, then the
action of the Independents, who
clearly represented the oyerwhelm-
ing majority of the voters of the
party. was revolutionary. II the ma
jority rules in a party and can over
ride the action of the STATE commit
tee or ignore II. then the Democratic
party is the party. which yesterday
endorsed Hooper for governor and
nominated Enloe for railroad COM
missioner.
When Patterson withdrew. the ex-
ecutive committee, which controlled
the primary at which ne was nomi-
mated, and in which only 10000
Democrats all over the state partici-
pated, made overtures looking to
harmony in the party. Now. their
idea of harmony was the peaceable
assembling of all Democrats in an
other primary or convention under
their direction. Two things stood in
the way. They composed the Patter-
son machine. and the leaders. who
had headed the movement for an an
dependent judiciary and coalition
with the Republicans, realized that
the first step in the direction Of such
harmony would be their own politi-
cal humiliation. Then the attitude
of those papers. which had supported
the independent judiciary ticket and
advised harmony, spoke in favor of
moderating the statewide liquor law
thus antagonizing the prohibition
element dominant in the rural dis
tricts, where the independent move
ment found its strength.
These independent leaders had
carefully considered the consequences
before they headed the revolt They
knew that their only salvation Law in
a complete reorganization Of the
Democratic party, and this could he
brought about in no way other than
by some revolutionary procedure
, whereby the present executive com
mittee might be superseded by new
one. So they deliberately decided
that the most feasible plan would be
to elect Republican governor this
year, with a legislature OF their own
choosing. taking advantage of the
popular convention to name a new
committee. This they did. and now
> they declare that the Democratic
party of Tennessee Is represented by
, the state executive committee select
! ed by the convention Of yesterday.
The old committee claims II Is the
[ Democratic party. and the recOgni-
r ton of the one or the other deter
z mines. what is the Democratic party
Z In Tennessee. II IL nice question,
a but It should not take the papers like