The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1910-09-03
AN ABE PATRICK IN POLITICS.

Governor Patterson, of Ten
|nessee. has become the Abe Patrick
of politics. Already convicted, and
sentenced. and his execution day APP
preaching, he processes to desire an
appeal, and failing that, to argue
the case over again.
Abe Patrick by experimenting
with his own case has become one
of the most adroit criminal lawyers
in the country, and IL he were set
free he would make a reputation for
himself. Governor Patterson, like
wise, has been maneuvering vigor-
ously in his restricted position as
nominee OF a minority of the Demo
cratic party, and he. too. might show
la few advanced ideas in practical
politics. IL he could get out Of his
lpredicament long enough to demon
, Istrate them. o.
} We are not insensible to Governor
lPatterson's claims to political emil
nence. and we accord him full credit
flor knowledge OF all the trade tricks
and subterfuges of successful
manipulation of the party machinery
in state with a dependable major
fly. His mistake was in assuming
partisan credulity to be a fixed
law like that of gravitation.
He had never failed to see
the party vote ratify the conduct of
the triumphant faction, and he
thought he never would. Possibly.
had it not been for the incident of
the Carmack murder, gross use OF
the pardoning power, and the attack
on the supreme court, followed by
exposure of his attempt to corrupt
that court, his faith in the loyalty of
his party might have been justified
once more. But his last wanton
offense affrighted the people. They
saw him as a monster. threatening
their very liberties. and they struck
back and effectively.
Even then, notwithstanding the
unmistakable verdict of the judicial
election, Patterson seemed to hope
that the old spirit of Democracy
would come back" that the pic
ture OF rooster would hypnotic
the raIbble. He had the COM
mittee and he had the officers of
the primary: so he proposed a new
primary, at which he would again
run for governor. He did not seem
to understand that the people were
opposed to him. not 10 the Demo-
cratic party. not even to a machine.
and he trusted in the simplicity and
Ignorance of the party rank and
file-was he not warranted by past
performances in depending on It'll
to regard this as fair proposition
and to condemn the Independent or
|ganization, which declined to con
slider II.
In this he failed. Then he
thought of another plan to appeal to
that stalwart party spirit. If he could
get this Republican. who was oppos-
ing him with the endorsement OF the
independent Democrats. on the
stump with him, he, Patterson,
would stand there the personifca-
tion of Simon-pure Democracy and
his opponent would be a Republican
ihdb NdS SoOu Poih'iN1 AT itdoi
as good politics as the restricted cir
cumstances allowed; but II lacked
the elements of logic to make II
effective. There IL nothing for Pat
terson and his opponent TO debate,
unless Patterson chooses to justify
machine politics, league with
murders and night riding, ballot box
istuffing, abuse of the pardonlng
power. coalition with the pro-
prietors of Tennessee blind tigers
and coercion of the supreme court.
IL is too late for Patterson to at
tempt to defend his administration.
That Is already condemned by the
jury of the people In the judicial
primary; he is already sentenced by
the dictum of the independent organ
ization, and his sentence will be exc
cuted the first Tuesday after the
first Monday in November.