The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1910-04-22


1t is therefore not alone a Prohibition
or Prohibition fight that is upper
most in the minds Of Governor Patter
son and his friends. 1t is a fight 70
the ascendancy OF those men who disin
tegrated the Democratic party, witt
Governor Ham Patterson as the leader
II is fight against Democracy itself I,
further destroy its hopes and ambitions
Governor Patterson's career began
practically with his election as Attorne!
General Of Shelby County Afterward
he was elected to Congress, and his eff
forts in that body were notable princi
pally for speech making. Four year.
ago Patterson resigned his seat in Con
gress to make the race for Governor o.
Tennessee against Governor John T.
Cox, whom he denounced in bitter Ian.
guage as the master Of corrupt politi,
cal machine, and an embezzler OF the
States revenue. These two charges
were the basis of his campaign, and he
proclaimed them vociferously from ey-
cry hilltop and valley, finally routing
Cox in one of the most riotous Demo
cratic conventions ever held in the
State Cox had given the State of Ten
nessee a good business administration,
but he was remembered with dislike be-
cause of association with Frazier's dis
gushing and precipitate entry as can
didate for the United States Senate.
That beat Cox. 1t was not Mr. Patter-
sons personality nor his political
achievements that brought about his
election that year.
Two years more and Carmack entered
the field against Patterson. We regret
ted that entry, not that we did not think
Carmack sincere, but his sudden turn
ing was the cause OF widespread distrust
by those who were true Prohibitionists,
and therefore his defeat. We concede
this, although his defeat was encom-
passed in any shape or manner that the
returns might have been made, because
OK the fact that the delegates to the con-
vention were named as they now are by
a partisan Patterson committee
Patterson was elected and then came
the tragedy-the murder of Carmack.
Men have said things thousand times
more bitter and violent, used language
a hundredfold more abusive, than did
Carmack when he spoke Of the conhu-
ence OF incompatible elements, mean
ing the union of Patterson and Cox, by
Colonel Duncan Cooper, chief adviser
and master spirit in Patterson s politi- |
cal family. This was the cause Of the
tragedy. Itwas not what Carmack said,
but the fact that he was the power and |
crippling the Patterson po-
itical machine that had its crisis in the
murder of Carmack. Carmack was
murdered by Cooper, or by Cooper's
plot, murdered at the hands of a man
who was the embezzler of trust funds
to many thousands of dol
airs belonging to orphan children-this
,hivalrous Southern gentleman.
Cooper was found guilty and the de-
rec was confirmed by the Supreme
Court, and in the face Of all this Pat
erson comes out for third term. In
III probability he does not want a third
ERIN so much as he wants seat in the
United States Senate from Tennessee,
nd that may be his ultimate object in
for Governor.
He wants to be indicated in the Pat
erson primary--a primary made to or
err after his own liking-a primary
lade and dictated from his own order,
flowing Democrats no right whatever
} vote for representation to the State
which dominates candi-
ate for Governor, practically excluding
ne Democratic voters to any right of
iffrage in their choice Of Democratic !
andidates.
Patterson made his first race for Gov
rnor on the theory that the State had
corrupt machine in the Democratic
arty. He made the second race try
lg to defend machine a thousand !.
mes stronger and more corrupt. He :
as organized the State into one of the !,
lost impregnable and INSCRIPTIONS !,
He cried that Cox was
ousing Democratic custom in APP
ointiLg county election commission r
), and yet when the Legislature is
the plan of electing three
ate commissioners with power to APP i
,int the county commissions, he asks :
e privilege of naming these three "
] III