Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1910-10-27


Austin Moon. have known the judge
for many years and l have warm
personal friendship for him and have
no reason to doubt that he has sin
cere regard for me. He is one of the
Oldest members of the present Con-
gress in years of service and has serv-
ed much longer in the House than any
other member of the Tennessee delega-
ton either in the senate or the House.
When first elected to Congress he was
on the circuit bench where he had sat
from 1899 until taking his seat in
1897. Previous to that time he had
served two or three terms as City At
torney of Chattanooga. Probably no
man would be more willing tc admit,
than he, himself, that his party has
done we'll by him so far as favor OF
public office is concerned. He is now
serving the fourteenth year in Con-
gress and has been elected seven times
to his present place. He now seeks to
serye this district for a fifteenth and
sixteenth year, and if successful in
this campaign, l have no doubt but
that like Tennyson's brook, he would
be willing to run on forever.
Personally 1 like Judge Moon. He
has many good qualities and so far as
1 am aware, comparatively few faults.
l take it, however, that he Is very
human and like the rest of us, not per-
feet by any means, I have nothing TO
saw against him as an individual nor
az a citizen, but as a public official
his record is a proper subject for in
vestigation and criticism either from
the standpoint of an opponent or that
of constituent.
charge Judge Moon with lodging
a great moral issue fight in his own
party, when as a public officer and
leader of his party, he should have
taken manly stand on one side or the
other, like United States Senator D.
B, Frazier had the moral courage &c
do.
Il put Judge Moon on the stand tc
prove this charge.
In his July letter to the Nashville
American published in the Chattanoo
ga Times of July ID, 1910, Judge
Moon says:
To the American:
On July "a, 1910, a telegram wal
sent to each member of the TENNESSEE
delegation in congress as follows;
Bv unanimous vote of the state dem
, ocratic executive committee you are
earnestly requested to make speeches
for the democratic ticket during thu
month of July. Please indicate dates
and places preferred and we will CIV
you great crowds. Answer.
N. G. ROBERTSON,
Chairman
To which reply was made as fol
lows:
Your several kilograms inviting III
to make speeches in July received. A
candidates for congress, we do moi
deem it wise or for the best interest
, of democracy to widen the breach IL
: the party by a public discussion OF thu
fractional issues involved in the Angus
state elections, thus injecting the fact
ionalism into the congressional cam
paigns in the several districts, ant
possibly endangering the election o
democratic representatives in congress
from our state. We hope that congress
ional interests may be kept free from
state factionalism and, by preserving
> the unity of the party as to the con
r gressional race, furnish a basis for al
early restoration of party harmony.
J JOHN A. MOON,
CORDELL HULLS,
w. G. HOUSTON,
/ JOSEPH, w. BYRNS,
, LEMUEL PADGETT,
T. w. SIMS,
FINS GARRETT,
, GEORGE w. GORDON.
Here we have democratic politica
! leader and seven times congressman,
4 man who has held Office by democrati
favor the larger portion of his activ
life, or ever since ''the memory Q
man runneth not to the contrary" re
, fusing to make speeches for the demo
: cratic ticket. because it "might pos
: sibly endanger his own election to cor
. gress. You plain democrats come GU
: boldly on one side or the other wheth
: er YOU were office holders or not Ur
tied States Senator Frazier came on
boldly although he held far create
Office. Honor bright, don't you thin
that Judge Moons position was ths
of political cowardice2
Further on in his letter Judge Moo
. says:
II do not speak for other congress
d men, but for myself alone. You kno
D now, and have known all the time
that as nominee of the democratic pa
ty for Congress I have always supper
y ed my party and do SO now. No rea
enable man could expect me to do ott
= revise, as I am myself Democrat
\ nominee. -