The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-05-20
THE CONVENTION

In entnueidsLus II punt VI numOSAs
IN the high personnel Of its members
and in the determination manifested
the convention at Nashville OF
wednesday has no parallel in the his
tory of Tennessee. 1t marks the be
ginning Of a new epoch in this States
history. That victory awaits its can
didates none can deny who attended
and saw written in the faces of it1
thousands upon thousands of mem
beers a grim determination and an un'
conauerfng resolve to free Tennessee
from the shame and the humiliation
10 which a conscienceless machine has
subjected it.
Never before in the history OF the
commonwealth have so many voters
attended a political gathering. Al
most if not quite 5000 gathered in the
convention hall from ninety-six coun-
ties of Tennessee and every one OF
them, with less than a score excsp-
tons, were qualified voters. The pro-
portion OF men grown old in the SER
vice of the Democratic party was a
notable feature of the convention.
Hundreds and hundreds wore their
political badges beneath the honored
cross of a Confederate Veteran.
The convention was of one mind.
The dominant note, the rallying cry,
was Down With Patterson; an End
TO Pattersonism. That convention
knew the author of Tennessees shame
and degradation and it did not hest
tate to declare his identity.
Patterson has sought to drag the
judicial ermine in the mire OF poll
tics; Patterson has builded corrupt
and conscienceless machine to enslave
the people Of Tennessee; Patterson's
acts have brought upon Tennessee
the unanimous condemnation of the
whole civilized world; Patterson has
sullied and furnished the fair fame
of the Old Volunteer State.
There will never, never be peace in
Tennessee until Patterson and all that
for which he stands is forever elm
mated from the politics of the State.
That is the lesson that he who runs
may read in Wednesdays convention.
For more than hundred years the
courts of Tennessee have stood above
the judicial ermine OF this
State has been kept unstained. Proud
of this record; devoted to the high
ideals of citizenship which have made
Tennessee the Old Volunteer State,
the members of the convention regis
tered to high heaven decree that
they would free their commonwealth
from the odium, the reproach and the
shame to which an unworthy execu-
tive has subjected 1t.
The convention was great gath.
ering of the Old Guard of Democra-
cy. With such a following; with a
cause as holy and sacred as that for
which our ancestors fought and died
at Cowpens and Kings Mountain and
who can doubt the success
Of the movement?
The machine Is already in its dy-
ing agonies. The only question about
the result in August is the ma
jority for the Independent Democrat
Ic candidates Tennesseans are 60
Ing to answer the public opinion of
The world by solemn and unequivi-
cal declaration that they are not the
authors of their own shame. OF that
no man who has faith in the people
md confidence in the success Of pop
liar government can for one moment
loubt.
Let the Old Guard take courage 1t
s coming into it's own. Tennesseans
Who are proud of the achievements of
heir State are aroused as they have
lot been since Isham G. Harris sent
lis soul-stirring reply to the oppres-
Ior's call for soldiers to coerce our
southern sisters. Victory is in the
ir The first CLEAN of the new day
lawns. In August the sunlight OF
onor and Of hone and of truth will
nee again shine with IT'S reflugent
tories Ger the hills and valleys Of
tennessee. q
The machine is doomed Patter-
on must go. The judiciary must be
reserved. These are the great bat
lie cries of freedoms hosts.