The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-11-15
Success of Ben w. Hooper in
Tennessee Elections Re-
calls His Career.
CALLS IT VICTORY
FOR THE PEOPLE
Senator Bot" Taylor and "Patter-
sonism" Defeated by Man Who
Rose From Obscurity.

BRISTOL, Tenn, Nov. 15.-The man
who viii be the next governor Of Ten
nessee was picked up on the streets of
the city Of Knoxville. as a waif, thirty
years ago and is Of unknown parentage-
He is Ben w Hooper, Republican fus-
Ion candidate, elected over Senator Rob
ert L Taylor, -'FTddIing Bob" by a
majority that VIII approach 1000, re-
versing the normal Democratic majority
Of 5000.
Hooper was elected BY the united Re
public8ns and Carmack Democrats The
late former Senator Edward Ward Car
mack was murdered by Duncan b
Cooper. chief adviser Of Governor Pat
tersOn, and head Of his political ma
chine The Carmack Democrats Joined
ana elected Hooper, as they said, to
aTenGe the death Of Carmack
Victim OF "Pattersonism."
They say Carmack was a martyr and
was slain by ''Pattersonisn. which
figured as The chief issue in the LATE
guoernatOriai campaign. even after Gov
ernor Patterson had thrown Up his
nomination and Bob Taylor had entered
the fight ia an effcrt to rsunite the
Democratic factions. rent by the Car
mack killing, and Patterson's bold and
defiant PardoninS Of Duncan p. Cooper
almost before the ink was dry on the
decision OF the supreme court to the
eject that he was guilty Of murder
Patterson tried to defeat the same court
Tor reelection, two months later, with a
ticket which he stamped the regular
Democratic ticket, but the Republican
Independent Democratic coalition re-
elected the old court by a majority Of
$1,000 the result being construed as a
Tebuke 20 Patterson. who shortly there
after retired from the race for governor
Ben " hooper says his election is
not a Republican victory, not a Demo
crauc victory, but a victory for good
government, and the iaw-abidfnE peo-
pie de says his highest hope is TO give
the STATE a business-like administration
nee II ron the political turmoil that
has enveloPed the State before and since
law and order"
Becomes "Patterson's Bob"
In the late campaign Bob Taylor was
pictured as ''Patterson's Bob" instead
OF Our Bob a title he bore for years
They held him UP as sanctioning every
thing Patterson had done. and declared
that. though Patterson had retired per
sOnaIly, the issue was 'TPattersOnism -
Bob Taylor hddIed, danced. and sang
songs In an effort to pour oil on the
troubled waters. but to no avail HOOPER
vas elected by almost the normal Demo
cratic majority though the State has
not had a Republican governor in years.
Tennessee IS still as strongly Democratic
as ever Hooper was and is a Repub-
The governor-eIect has a career that
Is being held up to the youths Of the
country He was placed in St Johns
Orphan3ge at Knoxville at the age Of
ten. and there kept until Dr.. L W.
Hooper, OF Newport, Tenn, adopted
him At twenty-0ne he was graduated
was a praCCcing attorney A few years
later finds him Assistant United States
district attorney
He is now thirty-elght years old. and
one o. the wealthiest men in the state,
and is prominent IN church circles
He IS a man Of great grace Of
manner and charm Of speech, though
not an orator. His wife-a grad
uate Of Virginia Institute. in Bristol ana
g highly cultured WOman-ts a daughter
OF one OF the wealthiest families in
Cooke county, Tenn They have two
Campaign Bares Truth.
Who is this man Hooper, From
whence does he come? These were
among the questions asked during the
last campaign and always with a wink
and q knowing smile. Opposition news
papers used innUendO and insinuatiOns in
adverting TO his ancestry. It was her
aided In all kinds OF vei.ed ways. He
answered: The fact that 7 was q vvaif
a not an issue IN this campaign. It is
the cause I represent, and the people I
champion" This attack proved one Of
the serious bIunders OF the campaign for
& made votes everywhere for Hooper.
last year the orphanage at Knox
vie, which rescued young Hooper from
the street. was burned to the ground
The next cay all were sad and de-
pressed over the loss The mai was
opened and there was a check for
$4,000 from Ben Hooper, to be used to-
ward replacing the burned buildings
Hooper was a captain IN the Fourth
Tennessee regiment in the Spanish
American war. He has made heavy
investments IN Oklahoma real estate,
which have brought him q large share
OF his fortune
The new governor viii be inauRurated
early n January, and It Is confidently
believed that his inauguration viii
mark the beginning OF an era Of peace
rz-FF~-aT -,