Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-26

ing the Fusion colors in the fight. AS the
announcement of his victory, with two votes
to spare, was read out, the place was lost in
the hysterical grip of such an ovation as is
seldom seen. 1t outrioted the riot that had
greeted the first nomination of Patterson.
Men threw their hats, pencils, and pads of
paper at the nominee, who had been dragged
to the platform by Trezevant. Women
waved their handkerchief and let them fut-
ter from the balconies to the main floor.
One man threw campstoOl at the presiding
officer. The outburSt was beyond control.
The roar and power of it lifted young MIR.
Thunderbolt to his position of ease on top of
the Tower.
Such is a casual review of what has been
accomplished by Luke Lea since he left his
law school a little less than eight years ago.
The explanation of his achievements lies in
his optimism, his strength, his love of right,
and his daring.
Power of His Fists
SOON after Carrnack had been killed, the
~ Legislature was considering prohibition
amendment. Lea was for it, for it with all
his heart and soul. By ceaseless work he
lined up a majority of two in favor of the
measure The night before the vote was to be
taken he heard that two of his followers had
been bought out and would 60 over to the
other side. In an hour he had assembled his
little army.
Gentlemen he said calmly, 81 have
been told that two of you have sold out to
the opposition. | cannot believe it. / do
not believe it. But l will say this: If any
body goes back on his pledge tomorrow, will
beat him black and blue with my bare fists.
And they all stayed "put."
Lea is not a gun toter." He has gone
through troublous times in Tennessee, times
when men not only threatened the lives of
each other, but when actual murder was
done. He has received threats and anony-
nous letters by the score; but he never car
ried any ar1nor save that of his steady eye
and his two fists.
His one, broad platform has been enforce
ment of the law and the provso that, if new
laws were needed, new laws must be made.
He has never countenanced going beyond
the law; but he has had some hot times hav-
ing new legislation put through. His two
great weapons have been his newspaper and
his genius for organization. But when occa
sion demands, he can make great speech.
He can fill his sentences with fire, birthstone,
and battleaxes, or he can put into his utter
ances the purling sweetness of the mountain
light and fragrant winds of spring.
But oratory is not the chief weapon
needed when young man charges the
breastworks of political organization that is
intrenched behind precedent, armed with
the experience of tried politicians, and
equipped with the patronage power of a
State. Such a fight is won by action and
organization knowledge of human nature
and an appreciation of the value of the psy-
Geological moment. All these things are
possessed in remarkable degree by young
Mr.. Thunderbolt.
His Biography
7 IKE LEA was born April IL, 1879, near
- Nashville, Tennessee Heentered the Uni
versity Of the South at Sewanee in 1896, and
was graduated in 1900. In June, 1908, he
was graduated from the Columbia Law
School, New York city, and that same sum-
mer was admitted to the Nashville bar. He
comes from the distinguished Lea and Over
ton families, and is wealthy in his own right.
He is married and has two children.
His grandfather Luke Lea, served in Con-
gress with Willard Fillmore, who was after
ward elected President. Another grand
father, Judge Overton, was a venerable
authority to whom Theodore Roosevelt often
appealed for advice on affairs touching
Tennessee.
r. l. Il