Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1910-08-18

N NASHVILLE, Tenn, Aug. 16.-The
Hon. Ben w. Hooper, the game young
attorney of Newport, Cooke county, is
the republican nominee for governor of
Tennessee. His nomination was
brought about this afternoon at about
4:30 O'Clock, after bowling cheering
convention had cast its vote, choosing
between the winner and the veteran
compaigner, the Hon. A. A. Taylor,
of Washington county.
Hooper won by a majority of nearly
100 votes
1t was an East Tennessee inning.
Both the aspirants to whom the repub-
lican contest had narrowed before the
convention met, are from that section.
The First congressional district in ef-
feet chose the candidate for governor.
The yohng blood of the convention
was aroused for the young Cooke coun-
ty attorney. The old line mountain
support of Brownlow was divided.
Neither candidate was factionalist.
Both have at times been friends of
Brownlow Hooper always until one
occasion when he was expected to join
the Oliver insurgents two years ago
and declined. Taylor has fought
Brownlow often, but as often has the
peace Offering been made and the two
warriors become friends The old re-
publican factionalism played no part
in the convention. Efforts to stir it
were futile. None would rally to the
call of the anti Sanders leaders, al
though it was sounded even from the
rostrum. Harry Anderson could not
stir the old feud; neither could Jesse
Rogers, though both tried with might
and main. An element of the conven-
tion, tainted with Pattersonisnl, made
much noise. Imagination that the
domipant element of the party was
hostile to Taylor made these Patterson
sympathizers play on the Taylorstring.
Had they kept silent the story of the
convention might have been different
Noise by this element solidified the
Hooper support and attracted to him
numerous counties suspicious of the
Taylor following, suspicion being
aroused solely by the personnel of ora
tors who mounted the hustings in sup
port of Taylor. 1t is but proper to
state that the nomination of either
Taylor or Hooper would have proven
acceptable to the party organization.
The convention acted voluntarily, as
any observer could easily see,, and
Hooper's victory was spontaneous.
Never before have the republicans of
Tennessee thus conducted conven-
tion. Heretofore the naming of cam
didate has been perfunctory, mere for
NAL ratification of the prior choice OF
a coterie of leaders. This time Hoop
or, by his independence of all leaders,
forced his claims even to the conven-
tion floor, and in recognition of his
strength the leaders in conference call
ed off a number of candidates who
were complicating the situation. 1t
was in the early hours OF Tuesday
Hooper declined to forsake fight in
which he believed he had an equal
chance The party leaders thereupon
began to size up his probable vote, and
then they began to treat with him. |
First Judge G.. Nc. Henderson came |
off, and most of his following went to
Hooper. Then Overal withdrew from
the contest and round hundred of his |
supportersbecame shouters for Hooper.
Sharp Joined the procession, and before
daylight it was easy to see that Hoop
er, the unknown, had, single-handed,
won the fight. All the noise was with
the Taylor following. In a number of
counties small portion of the dele
gates were committed to him. These
were noisy in proportion as they were
few in number, their boisterous cheer
ing for Taylor convincing many before
the ballot that Hooper had lost. But
the Hooper men, as it developed, were
not shaken by the effort to stampede
the convention. Even the sudden ap-
pearance of Taylor himself on the ros-
trum failedto have the expected effect.
With less of noise but with more seri-
ous purpose they voted and before the
roll call was half completed it was
known that Hooper had won.
It was a very unusual incident and
for a moment there were many Hooper
men who believed the Taylor enthusi-
asm would sweep the convention 1t
soon developed, however, that the
noise for Taylor was largely surface
expression and made by considerable
minority of the delegates. This fact