The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-16
IS TIRE AN AGREEMENT

become the leading bowler over
an alleged bargain entered into
between the republicans and the
democrats who favor a free judi
ciary, whereby the former are to
vote for the independent candi-
dates for judges, and in return
the latter are to support d repub-
lican for governor.
We undertake to say the Amer
can has not a particle of evidence
that such has been thought of,
much less made. If it has it is
invited to bring forth the proof.
That it has not done so is evil
dence sufficient to show that it
has none. If it could give names
and places and positive facts it
would not wait a single day to
bring it out.-Knoxville Journal
and Tribune.
The "alleged bargain" we do
not contend is the result of a
documentary agreement, signed
in duplicate and held in conf
dence by the managers of the in
dependents and the republican
bosses, which might be used in
some future conflict and with
telling effect by either. On the
contrary, we believe that no such
evidence exists. 1t is not proba-
BILE that mutual confidence has
been this far restored, between
parties who have never reached
the high mark of political conf
dence in each other, especially in
these days when private commu-
nications are aired whenever they
serve the purpose of the indie
pendents, when for ner political
methods are being brought so
prominently to mind by contrast
and lifelong enemies of republi-
cans are volunteering protection
to the party that never needed it
except from them,
The American knows no inside
facts. Whatever information it
possesses has come through legit-
innate channels and is given to
the world for what it is worth,
uncolored and free from bias. 1t
would spurn any information,
however valuable it might be as
a political asset, if gained surrep-
titiously.
The charge of agreement be-
tween the republican leaders aud
the representatives of the indie
pendents has been freely made
and the first denial we have seen
comes from the Journal and 1'ri.
bune. The charge is not based
on the evidence of eve witnesses
or testimony of any one overhear-
ing the trade, but speakers ac-
cording to reliable authority have
aroused enthusiasm when invit-
ing the republicans to join the
independents in August, but the
rafters fairly shook with the storm
of applause that greeted the adj
vice to democrats to rally to the
republican candidate for COVER
nor"
The speaker was the mouth
piece of the independents. Surely
this was not idle talk, for he
spoke their sentiment.
The republican co m IN t e e
passed a resolution indorsing the
candidacy of the independent jul
dicial candidates and the sense of
the meeting was that in return
the independents should "go to
the capital in November and drag
Patterson out by the heels"
A State official closely identified
with the independents believes
their following will vote solidly
for a. republican candidate for
Governor. We know this, that
of the independents are
such because of their hatred of
Governor Patterson, and it is his
defeat more than the success of
the independents that they seek.
We at least have confidence in
the orators and spellbinders of
the independents, to the extent
Of believing that they speak with
authority, and how any man or
in view of the charac-
ter and substances of their argu-