The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1911-09-29
SITUATION IN TENNESSEE
A Prominent Chattanooga Dis
cusses Matters.

A politician" is one who is engaged
in politics; and the dictionaries give the
word, politics. two definitions:
/. Politics is the administration Of
public affairs in the interest OF the peace,
prosperity, and safety Of the State.
2. Politics is the administration Of
public affairs, or the conduct Of political
matters so as to carry elections and Sc
cure public offices.
The people of Tennessee have had too
much politics OF the latter kind, and far
too little OF the former; and there are
too many politicians ia our midst who
arc engaged in conducting political mat
tiers SO as to carry elections and secure
public offices, and too few politicians
who are conducting public affairs in the
interest Of the peace, prosperity, and
safety OF the State
Tennesseans have grown very tired Of
this low order OF politics, and they are
sick and tired Of the small, wire-pulling,
grandstand-playing politician, who uses
politics for private advantage. The
great masses OF our people are patriotic
citizens. They love Tennessee, and
their desire is that public affairs shall
be conducted in the interest of the
peace, prosperity, and safety Of the
State. The people want peace. They
want rest from turmoil They are more
interested in a quiet, orderly govern
ment throughout the State than in fac
tional disputes. They believe it to be
more important to the home, the farm,
the shop, the factory, the mine, and
general business interests that political
parties shall shelye politics for while
than that there shall be continuance
of past factionalism among men and
communities, and disturbing controver-
sizes over the mooted question Of what it I
takes to make man Democrat in
Tennessee, and what a man must do in
Tennessee in order to cease to be a
Democrat. 1t is of small interest or
concern to the great masses OF the busy
people whether the so-called indepen
dents are really irregular. In fact, /
see but very little party regularity on
either side
! think honors are about even between
the so-called fusionists The former
broke quorum in the Senate two years
ago, and ran away to Kentucky. The
latter broke quorum in the House this
year, and ran away to Alabama. The
former set an example Of running, and
the latter followed that example.
Each side has almost exhausted the :
in talking about the other s
side. Indeed, it seems that we have all .
OF the following kinds of Democrats in
Tennessee: Pattersonites and Hooper r
ites whisky and anti-whisky; local OPP q
ton and Statewide anti-prohibitonists :
and prohibitionists; regulars and fusion c
lists; Dibrell-Taylor and pheasant hens; i
gallery and fanatics q
and fake reformers; boozers a
and cranks; liquorites and holier-than- a
thou; demo-republican and independent;
straight and squaw, etc. v
A fusion on one side elected SUI \
preme Court, Court of Civil Appeals n
and Governor last year, and fusion on 4
The other side elected a State treasurer n
this year. The so-called regulars were b
allies OF certain Republicans this year, o
and the so-called independents we're s
allies OF certain Republicans last year. e
As see it, it was no more irregular d
for the so-called independents to fuse
with certain Republicans last year than A
for the so-called regulars to fuse with v
certain Republicans this year u
Ii the Hamilton County Election L
Board OF which | am chairman, is a f
fusion board, then the other b GARD, of l
which Mr.. B. E. Tatum is chairman, is e
. fusion board A fusion in the Legis- o
lature was responsible for the former, e
and fusion between Dibrell and Taylor n
was responsible for the latter II am il
q fusionist because voted for the indie Il
pendent Judges and Mr.. Hopper, then v
think State Comptroller Dibrell and o
The so-called regulars are fusionists, be-
cause Dibrell is fusing with Treasurer p
Taylor. n
II | voted for Hooper last year and c,
hereby became something other than a e.
Democrat, what did Democratic Legis- t,
ator become when he voted for and r,
Helped to elect a Republican for State a
rreasurerY II breaking a quorum in Il