The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-18
Charges Against Governor
Patterson Are Principal
Issues In State Fight
JUDICIARY ELECTION TO
Be HELD IN AUGUST
No Candidate For Governor Is Yet An
nOunced Against Patterson and
All Parties Await Outcome
of August Elections

Memphis, July 17.-In every town and
village, in every county in Tennessee.
from Johnson on the east boundary to
Shelby on the Mississippi river, the
state political situation has aroused the
most intense feeling. Regular demo-
Gratis and insurgent democrats and re-
the struggle which comes in August.
when elections for the state judiciary
and county officers are held.
Up to the present time no candidate
has been announced against Gov. Mall
colin r. Patterson, either by the insur-
gent democrats or the republican forces
nor is 1t likely that one will be named
by the latter party until after the Au-
gust election In east Tennessee, the
republican stronghold, there are sew
eral prospective candidates, but none
has actually been placed in the field,
and Governor Patterson is now devoi-
ing his campaign primarily to the sup
port of judiciary candidates nominated
at the regular democratic primary held
in June.
This Judiciary election is for judges
of the state supreme court and tie
court of civil appeals. The present
members of each court are seeking re-
election. Some of them are aligned
with the administration forces, while
the others are supported by the insur-!
gent democracy of the state. 1t is this
contest which Is now attracting wide
attention and which is causing such In
tense feeling.
Attacks On Patterson
Three of the supreme court judges
declined to enter the democratic pri-
mary, alleging that Governor Patterson
and his administration had attempted
to coerce the judiciary. Their partisans
called a convention and these three
were nominated for reelection along
With the other anti administration cam
didates. The remaining two supreme
court justices entered the primary and
lined up with the administration party,
thus securing denomination. Three 9TH
ers were named in the primary to run
against the three so-called boiling JUS
tices. The same state of affairs exists
In the contest for the judgeships OF the
court of civil appeals. The republicans
declined to name a judiciary ticket and
that party is now divided in it's sup
port of the the regular" and anti-ad-
m1nfstration democratic tickets.
Charles T. Gates, the stat attorney
general. is nominally the campa ign
manager for the insurgent faction. lie
has directed. In his speeches throughout
the state, bitter attacks against Gov
ernor Patterson and his administra ton
The pardoning of Duncan B. Cooper for
the Staying of the late United states
Senator e. w. Carmack has been made
an issue in the present campaign, and
Governor Patterson has been bitterly
arraigned for his action in Issuing tho
pardon.
Gates II Denounced
On the other hand Governor Pntter-
son has denounced Attorney General
Gates and has charged him with using
his official position in the conduct of
private lawsuits before the supreme
court. The attacks and counter at
of the situation is daily becoming more
acute
Both sides are claiming certain vic
tory. while the republicans Of the state
are standing quietly in the background,
apparently awaiting the psychological
moment to launch their ship of state In
the hope that the democratic party VIII
be so badly split as practically to In
sure the election of their candidates
and the addition of Tennessee to the re-
publican column. The election for gov
ernor and other state officers will be
held In November.
The prohibition question which was
practically the sole issue In the Iast
gubernatorial contest, has apparently
been lost sight of In the present cam
paign. 1t Is an acknowledged fact that
in the large cities of the state, namely.
Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga.
little or no attempt has been made to
enforce the statewide prohibition law.
and the administration forces have
openly declared that IL they are vtcto-
rious in the August election stems will,
be taken to have the law1repealed ut the
next session OF the legislature,