davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30

"This is a time, gentlemen, for Sc
rious reflection, and 1 beg that you will
bear with me for a little while when l
recount some of the achievements of
the Democracy Of Tennessee, and some
of it's aspirations for the future of the
Commonwealth. need not go further
back than the great contest of 1851 to
1865 and see our State riven with the
plowshare of Civil War; when fire and
flame, shot and shell, bayonet and
saber, cannon and musket, and every
other implement of death and destruc-
ton were the unhallowed heritage OF
our people. More great battles of the
Civil War were fought on the soil of
Tennessee than in any other State OF
this Union except Virginia, the mother
of States and statesmen. Mission
Ridge, Chattanooga, Shiloh, Murfrees-
boro, Franklin, Nashville, Knoxville
and other battle fields presented then
and now present monuments of devas-
tation and war. Tennessee was divided
In that great contest; thirty thousand
men went into the Union Army, sixty
thousand into the Confederate Army,
and beginning with Charlottesville
and all down the long and bloody line,
to Appomattox, the sons of Tennessee
were engaged in a deadly contest for
the cause they thought right.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30
Era Of viIlIacation.

"But gentlemen, we have fallen upon
another strange Characteristic in our
day. We live in an era of abuse, Wilt
fication, denunciation and SANDER OF
public men. And, as is always the
case, the man and newspaper of the
foulest tongue has the smallest brain.
Never in the history of the State has
a Chief Executive been subjected to
the wholesale billingsgate, foul de-
nunciation, foundationless SANDER, I'M
qualified hard lying that have been
heaped upon the present Governor of
Tennessee. I hope our people will
never be called upon to see the like
again. I know that they do not in
dorse 1t. / know that a triumphant
reelection awaits the subject Of all
this abuse. The Governor of this State
has been guilty of two inexcusable
offenses. One is that he has been
successful and repulsed his enemies;
the other is that he has torn tho mask
from the faces Of hypocrisy and shown
up the Pharlsees.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30

"The Creator madhim of the best
material, the most shdid of His han
diwork-the noblesdork Of God-an
honest man." saddle Hon. Fl e.
Eslick, of Giles city, last night,
in placing before thPemocratic State
Convention the nan of Malcolm R.
Patterson for Govdpr for another
term.
Mr.. Eslick spokdo an audience
wildly in sympathy 18th him, and at
every turn of his dress he caught
the crowd and it reInded in an I'M
mistakable way. II speech was a
happy one, sparklinIwith references
to the receptive asIhnts for guber-
Material honors in thbpposition camp,
and eloquent in its lFentation of the
Governors courage, lis honesty, his
humanity-"The grekst Governor of
any State In this U4n."
The speech was asbllows:
Mr.. Chairman and kntlemen of the
Convention:
This great conveton has assem-
bled to name the 4didates of the
Democratic party forhe various State
offices. / am commissioned to place
the name of one canhate before this
convention, a candida not of his own
choice, but by the bmmand of his
people. I come to intimate one who
never turned his ba, but marched
breast forward.
-Four years ago |ere was much
strife in Tennessee Hltics. A young
man of quiet demedbr and gentle
bearing, from the dy of Memphis,
announced his candidly for the office
of Governor. He askA that the Demo-
cratic party of the late entrust to
him it's battle flag, VIII the assurance
that he stood ready q defend 1t from
the thrust of the fo&within as we'll
as from the attack odhe enemy from
without. He was aken that COM
mission by one of TIL most represen-
tative Democratic Inventions that
ever assembled on TED essee soil.
He was elected. NO years rolled
by and he was corFonted for re-
nomination by the thu most brilliant
man in the South-k man whose
friends had assured him of victory
before he announcedH his candidacy.
1t was struggle bet een giants, and
the Little Giant wonh
by an unholy allialce between the
enemy and tn deserters with
in the party lines. an utter dis
regard of party promises and a be-
trayal of platform pl4ges as ratified
by the people of the SAte at the ballot
box, the last Legislature was not adj
ministered from the site Capitol. but
from a private room nn the Maxwell
House.
Another year rolld by, and this
nan who had so faithfully served his
people, felt that ACCORDING to custom,
and OF his own desir4 the time had
,ome for him to retireNfrom the great
,fflce of Governor. SonNe other gentle
men thought, also, thai he should re.
tire. They saw a pair bf gubernatorial
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30

SHOES, ana they coveted them, even
If they were much worn. These covet-
Gus gentlemen who had fought this
man from the first hour of public life,
began to dream.
Luke Didn't shoot.
THE first swan song came from the
good County of Davidson. An ambi-
tious young man wanted to be Gov
ernor. But soon the Democratic host
winds slowly Ger the Lea and Luke
did not snoot, but was first to give
up his gubernatorial gun.
THE bloodless hero, Gen. Jeff Nc
earn, next felt the inspiration, and
while his representative was telling
the State Democratic Executive Com
mittee how to hold sure enough
Democratic primary to nominate a
candidate for Governor, this bloodless
hero was accepting a nomination at
the hands of few boilers for the
office of Criminal Judge of Davidson
County, and at the same time was
telling that convention that he was
unfit to be a Judge, just as everybody
else knew he was not fit to be either a
Judge or Governor.
And Colonel Enloe had something
whispered to him. But somehow in re-
cent years the Colonel will not stand
hitched to the Democratic post long
enough to tell whether he wants to run
as regular or just to run any way.
BulIocIx's Hopes extra Dry"
"And my good friend. Chancellor
Bullock, of Jackson, was considered;
but when he took second, sober
thought. he knew his hope of victory
was extra dry
"And then the gentleman from Mem
phis, he of the Scottish name, Fitz-
hugh, looked toward the Capitol City
and asked if he was not of guberna-
torial dimensions, but when he was
weighed on the old Democratic scales
he was found wanting.
And the jurist from Morristown,
he of solemn looks and fixed political
habits-the gentleman who believes in
an untrammeled judiciary and free
from the mire of politics, but who has
been neck-deep in the mire of the
game since he wore knee pants--he
saw visions of transposing the handle
of Judge into the prefix of Governor
Shields.
And the fair and debonnair' Attor-
ney General, who has developed into
the most prolific editor in the world,
even If the Gates edition has no ear
marks, in order to keep the judiciary
out of politics, he was willing to ex-
change the office of Attorney General
for the Governorship. And rather than
have fuss in the political family of
Shields, Gates & Co.. r. E. L. Mount
castle, Judge Shields old law partner
and one of General Gates present part
ners, indicated that he was willing to
wear the old shoes himself.
And the versatile editor-A Attorney
General was not the only man wearing
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30

greatest Governor of any State in this
Union-the equal of any man who has
been Governor of any State beneath
Southern skies since the Civil War.
A man measuring up to the highest
standard in meeting the responsible
ties and fulfilling the obligations of
the present, and standing ready tn help
hew out the pathway to the limitless
possibilities of the future. As was
said of another. possessing the rarest
combination of heart, conscience and
brain beneath the American flag I
place before this convention the name
of that great and intrepid Democrat
and Tennessee's splendid Governor,
Malcolm r. Patterson. And 1 move
his nomination by reclamation"
The great Democratic gathering was
on its feet at the mention of Patter-
sons name, cheering and shouting.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30
The Textbook Law.

Gentlemen of the convention, how
many hundreds of thousands of dollars
I had almost said millions-have
been saved to the people of Tennessee
by another act of the Democratic par
ty, which provides for uniform text
books in the schools of Tennessee.
Heads of families remember the for
mer days when school books were no
small burden, and those same heads of
families know today that the price of
all school books is a mere trife COM
pared to what was formerly paid.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30
Crepe on the Door.

A few days ago it was announced
that the Statewide headquarters in
the city of Nashville had been closed.
This was an announcement that was
surprise to many people. We had
been led to suppose that the so-called
Independents of the State and the
Statewide prohibitionists had formed
an unalterable pact, by which, for bet
ter or for worse, for veal or for woe,
they were to glide down together the
current of political events in the State
of Tennessee. We know such a pact
was formed in the last General Assem-
bly,; we did not suppose it would be
broken so abruptly, but 1t is very evil
dent that the politicians at the head of
the so-called Independent move have
thrown Statewide prohibition over
board as worthless, excess luggage.
The Statewide slogan now commands
respect from nobody; there is none so
poor as to do it reverence; it has been
repudiated by those hypocritical poll
ticianS who took it up to further their
schemes in the last Legislature and
who now think that its use is no long
er beneficial, and accordingly discard
it. Gentlemen of the convention, can
it be possible that we have come upon
day of Statewide hypocrisy in Ten
nessee? Has Uriah Heep been apoth-
eosized? Has Pecksniff been placed in
the catalog of saints? Are we to stand
before the world as people who adopt
moral issues merely as a means to pub
lie Office? Is the cause of temperance
to be the Trojan horse by which men
are to be enrolled upon the pay roll of
the State? Permit me to express the
opinion that there are among the pro-
hibtionists of the State some OF the
cleanest, sincerest, most honorable and
high minded men that we have in our
borders. These are a minority of those
leaders advocating Statewide prohibit
tion. We have, on the other hand, an
aggregation of double dealers, pie
hunters, political dissenters, soldiers
of fortune, hypocrites and Pharisees
who have adopted the cause of prohi-
bition for their selfish, personal ends.
But thanks to the sound, conservative
judgment of faithful Tennesseans, the
mask is being torn off of a movement
those persons that have
Just described.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30

The keynote speech of the State
Democratic Convention was delivered
by Mayor S. G. Heiskell, of Knoxville,
who was chosen temporary Chairman
of the body shortly after it convened.
He was greeted with rousing applause,
and his speech precipitated the first
big demonstration, response to his
references to Governor Patterson.
Mr.. Heiskells' tributes to ex-Gov-
ernors James D. Porter and Benton
McMillin were received with great en-
thusiasm. Particular applause follow
ed his prophecy of victory, and his dec
laration that the Governor was amply
able to take care of himself. When he
made this statement delegate shout
ed: "And where he leads Well follow"
Mayor Heiskell paid his respects to the
desertion of Statewide prohibition by
the Independents, and the crowd ap-
plauded loud and long.
The great demonstration, however,
came when Mayor Heiskell paid an
eloquent tribute to Governor Patter-
son. A tremendous burst of cheering,
hand-clapping and stamping of feet
was the immediate response, the tu-
mutt continuing LOT LWO dho q HeNAA
minutes. The demonstration began to
ebb a bit and Sumner County revived
it, the delegation Jumping up and lead
ing the cheering anew. The Sumner
County banner was waved frantically,
the standard bearer starting for the
stage. This was a start. All three
bands struck up simultaneously
Dixie" 1.-THE Star Spangled Banner"
and "There'll Be a Hot Time in the
Old Town Tonight" The din was ter
rife. In the tumult every county ban
ner was swept up and carried to the
stage, the procession being led by
Sumner, Hamilton and Hickman. The
speaker was hoisted to the Secretarys
table, which was surrounded by the
county standards, American flags and
county markers. He was the center
of a flood of political enthusiasm
mounting to the most tremendous
height ever witnessed in political
gathering in Tennessee.
Mayor Heiskelrs address was an elo-
quent one and the speaker won instant
favor with his audience and held 1T.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30
Recon.tructisn Days.

1.-The close OF that war left the State
helpless, bleeding and pitiful; homes
had been destroyed, fields laid waste,
fences burned, women made widows
and children rendered fatherless; crops
an unknown thing upon the farms of
the State. and every other sign OF
desolation and Of woe. Tennessee. like
Green Erin, was verify the Niobe Of
Nations. The Democratic party came
into power in Tennessee after the close
Of the war with the election of Gov
ernor Senter as Chief Executive of the
state. Our population at that time
was 1,25o, 1000; our credit was gone, our
bonds were worth only fraction OIL
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30
Destiny of Democracy.

"Tennessee's Governor, with his
sents the fate of the Democratic party
of the State. When he shall charge
the heights of the enemy in August
and November 1t must be with an
unbroken column. Born of malice and
hatred, of jealousy and disappoint-
ment, few captains and colonies and
generals have deserted, but no great
battle was ever won by an army of
generals. The privates, the boys in
the trenches, the victory winners, the
men who do not know how to follow
a leader who deserts, nor how to re-
treat when they hear their leaders
call, they will be there.
81 have been a student of Southern
history all of my life. The achieve
ment Of her sons has been an inspira-
ton to me. OF the many strong men
of the South, IL their greatness is to
be measured by the achievement of the
day and age in which they lived, with
a craftsmanship looking far into the
future, beholding and foretelling the
events which were to come, II these be
the standard, then the sons of Ten
nessee have been among the greatest
and most brilliant of the South.
MIR. Chairman, of all of her sons,
living or dead, Tennessee has never
had one more honest. more sincere,
more candid, more fearless in the de-
Tense Of the right, more sympathetic
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30

which lawyers, nts and the pub
lie were deepl crested, We find
one of these jud not more, busily
engaged in WI letters, calling
over the telepl and in personal
interviews insis hat county mass
meetings be hid bfore the Execu.
tive Committee kven been called.
lined ency.
Was this cons with their pres
ent protestation Ias it fair to the
people who are ed with the pow
er to name Their judges? Was it
in keeping with ideals? Was it
consonant with al dignity?
Is there no auN y to which these
judges are ame
Shall their W as ultimate in
political matters their DEGREES in
their judicial ca v?
Will the poop pmit to taskmas-
ters upon the BID and permit their
courts to be tilit into political en-
gines for the des ion of their dear
est rights?
Will they con men upon the
bench who have them that a case
was not decided account of an al
legged menace I'd ir aspirations to
succeed themselv Office?
These question dress themselves
to all regardless political affilia-
tions.
In these days uspicion and ex-
citement there thing needed so
much as reflect md elaboration.
The constant d zion which has
been practiced I'd Ne last two years
upon the people, Tennessee has
done the State iii lllable harm.
The time has line when they
should think for nselves, and no
longer allow 81. .ls leaders and
false issues to bx them. The fu-
ture of the Den tic party is at
stake in the AuglI pntest.
If gentlemen g Eccessfully defy
regularly constitI party authority
whenever it suit heir purposes it
makes an end to .ocratic organiza-
ton. If Democra Eill follow them
in an open ALLAN 18th Republicans,
the nomination of Democrat is safe
for any office, and have come to a
state of political chy.
If the minorityM no logger sub
NIT to the rule Of majority, it will
be the end of poI8 government.
The issue in tn bntest is not be-
tween men and t1Nudges. 1t is be-
tween the judges the Democratic
party. It is not II tried to coerce
the court, but thatley are trying to
delude the people,
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30

and merciful to the friendless and the
almost forgotten, caring less for pub
lie criticism. feeling assured of the
Justice OF his position, possessing an
intellectual greatness coupled with an
eloquence seldom given to mortal man
than her present Governor. And may
add that but few men in public life
enjoy the confidence and live as close
to the hearts of the people as he. The
people trust him because they know
he is honest, candid and sincere, and
that his makeup is without deception.
Moves His Nomination.
'Tt is my pleasure, my fellow Demo-
Gratis, to present to this convention as
the candidate of the Democratic party
for Governor of Tennessee, the name
of your present and your next Gov
ernor-to my way Of thinking the
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30
Mr.. Heislxell's Address.

Mr.. HeiskeII SAID IN part.
Gentlemen of the Convention: l
would be recreant to the gratitude
that feel did I not thank you pro-
foundry and sincerely for the honor
of presiding over this convention of
the regular Democracy of Tennessee.
1t is an honor of which any Demo-
crat might well be proud, especially
in these days when the black flag OF
treason has been raised against the
party of our fathers. This is the same
party that nursed Tennessee IN It's
infancy and the craftsmanship OF
whose leaders has led this Common
wealth to the proud position she now
occupies in the sisterhood of States.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30

and it will be only short time when
three normal schools will be in full
operation in the State for the educa-
ton of young men and women of Ten
nessee who desire to make teaching a
life profession.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30
ESLId'S SPEECH
OF NOMINATION
Giles Cdrntian'S Great Tribute to
D|mocratic Captain.

Patterson Name Will Live With JackSon's
---ReCdtive Candidates for Governor
i'm the Independent Camp Receive
Witty @araCterizatiOn---The Govern
or'S Garage, Honesty and Humanity.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30
Voice of the People.

''The third time he is listening to the
command of the people whom he has
served so we'll ard faithfully. Con-
trary to the custom of recent years, a
third nomination comes to him, and at
that without an opponent in his own
party lines.
"Mr. Chairman, where are the dream
ers, the men who coveted his shoes
the men who wanted the nomination
this convention has assembled to be-
stow? They call themselves Demo-
Gratis Are they here tonight? No;
they are not here. Some of them do
not believe that a majority shall rule,
and they have refused to fight it out
under the old and time -honored Demo-
cratic flag. Some of them have repaid
the Democratic party for the many
honors bestowed and proven the sin
certify and faith of lifetime by join
ing the ranks of the enemy.
But Tennessee's present and her
next Governor will soon accept another
nomination rendered him as a spon-
taneous tribute of grateful people.
And why? Because he never made a
pledge or a promise to the people he
has not fulfilled, or used every effort
at his command to make good his
promise. The Creator made him of the
best material-the most splendid of
His handiwork-the noblest work of
God, an honest man!
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30

The Democratic party has in a reg
ular way nominated five judges for
the Supreme Court and five for the
Court of Civil Appeals. They submit.
ted their claims to the Democratic
voters and they are entitled to receive
the votes of every Democrat of the
State. They are men of learning and
probity, whom the people, irrespective
of party, can trust to maintain that
high standing of the Supreme Court
of Tennessee before three of its mem
bers saw fit to plunge it in the very
mire of fractional politics.
Courts Powers.
NY countrymen, the Supreme
Courts of the land are clothed with
enormous and ultimate powers.
They have in their keeping the prop
erty, the liberties and the lives of the
citizens.
They can set aside the judgments
of inferior courts, hold for naught the
legislative enactments, and can void
the unconstitutional exercise of pow
er by the executive. With supreme
authority over their persons and af-
fairs, the people of this State and all
others have the right to judges who
will keep their courts like Caesars
wife, above suspicion.
Confidence in the judiciary can not
be impaired without disaster-it will
not be lost without ruin. / am for a
Supreme Court whose judgments can
not be menaced or disturbed by any
earthly power. For men upon the
bench who are too exalted to drag
forth cause from the sanctuary
where they minister and use it for
any purpose, and least of all their
own.
For men whose unwarped minds
will render justice though the heavens
fall. and in that rendering efface their
own ambitions.
| stand for the Democratic party,
whose supremacy is more important
to vindicate than the fancied griev-
ances of political judges. For those
true and fixed principles which have
sought to maintain from assault and
preserve to the people.
For Tennessee-her old-time man
hood and radiant womanhood-for her
honor and glory, maintained in the
forum and proven on the field; for
Tennessee, who holds the dust of the
illustrious trio with whose immortal
names she is linked forever; for Ten
nessee, who is too great and too good
to be bound with the letters of fanati-
cism; for Tennessee, the rights and
the liberties of her people!
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-06-30

Prince Albert coat and a never
changing smile, waiting for the light
ming to come from the hill and strike
him. There was Ex-Governor Joseph
w. Folks little brother, Reau.' PUT,
then, the people of Tennessee have quit
playing practical jokes in naming their
Governors. The job is a great one
and it requires a full-grown man or
sound mind.
"Little Black Bull, of ROane."
"And last, but not least in lung
power and sweetened wind-on the
mountain top above oliver Springs
and the old mountain still is there
stood the Little Black Bull of Roane,'
looking across the land of promise TO
the Capitol on the hill. And while a
few days ago from this same platform
he was expressing that beautiful SEN
timent, that in the beauty of the lily
Christ was born across the sea- deep
down in his heart he was saying,
"'Precious Charlie, dearly beloved
Judge, you know me,
And how I want to be Governor of
Tennessee
"And the General did not grasp the
flag and cross the political Bosphorus,
but, rather, his little boat is smoothly
gliding down Salt River, with Camp
Disappointment as its destination.
'fBut there came a command to one
whom the people trusted. 1t was the
voice of the masses of the Democratic
voters of Tennessee commanding their
present Governor to again lead them to
victory Twice he sought an election,
and twice the people complied with
his request. The third time he re-
spends to the call of duty.