The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-09-01
ARE THOSE WHO
VOTE REGULAR
OR DEMOCRAT
You Can Be One Or the Other
Bot You Can't Be Both---You
Most Take Your Choice.

The ready assent given by the chair
man of the independent state commit
tee, in advance of any proposition, tc
any method that will insure the defeat
of Governor Patterson is striking char
acteristic of his faction.
The leaders of that element can not
endure Governor Patterson because he
first refused TO countenance or tolerate
them. They are willing to destroy the
party if by that his defeat may be ac
complished.
Our sole interest is in the welfare and
success of the party. One man, to ouI
notion, if he has the party nomination
legitimately, is as deserving of support
as another. No principle can be cal.
ried out and no reform accomplished
except through and by party organiza-
lion. In Tennessee the democratic
party represents every line of progress,
every form and every commerdable
purpose of its great and intelligent
people. The republican party, on the
other hand, obviously has had no pur-
pose except to forestall and hinder. 1t
is more generally prominent Force
Bills and against old Confederate Vet
rams than for anything in particular.
It's mission is negative. Mr.. Hooper
always voted NO except when there
vas move to tax or Cypress the farm
RS, preachers and mechanics. The re.
publican party has no excuse for its
Existence in the South except TO fur
fish Federal officeholders. No rel u5-
lean engages in politics except for the
vantage point it ENSURES him to feed
up3n the crumbs 10 fall from the Rich
Nan 8 table at Washington.
The democratic party is a party of
Principle. 1t has given us every re-
form the state has ever known. 1t has
restrained and supposed every evil
hat can be lcgislated out of the body
polite. Ii is the party of and by the
,eople, and TO be Of the people, the
)eople must rule Governor Patterson
IS the choice of majority of demo-
rats for re election, and every demo-
rat in the state owes him allegiance
ie ause he is The choice of maj lrity.
What excuse shalt a man give who de-
,erts democracy because Governor Pat
erson is selected to lead the fight? Is
here man in the party who is great
r than the party? What right has
Mr.. Lea or Mr. Gates or Mr.. Anybody
Else to say that he will not be recon-
,iled unless Governor Patterson quits
the race? Is either of the gentlemen
Of more importance than a2majority Of
democrats? Are they endowed with
rights superior to those of any other
)rdinaey individual
They can be democrats or they can
republicans, they can not be both.
These men who cherish the delusion
that they are political leaders, believe
they are the object Of some monstrous
wrong because they are not permitted
to pick over and select the offices most
becoming to their peculiar fitness. If
there is any reason why any democrat,
who votes the ticket from principle,
should follow after these men who only
seek political preferment No demo-
crat should be imbued with the idea
that every disgruntled and disappoint-
ed ofliceseeker is a leader just because
he bolts.
There is another aspect not usually
dwelt upon, but not overlooked by
either side. The democratic party of
the future will be the democrats who
voted thestraight ticket in August and
vote it in November and whether the
party loses or whether it wins in the
coming election there will be no mis-
take as to who belongs to the party
and who does not. The glory of
party is in the valor of its members
rather than the tactics of its enemy,
and those who remain true and fight
the good fight will escape the odium
that attaches to the names of those
who have proved unfaithful. NASH
Vile American.