The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1911-10-12
UNITED STATES
SENATORSHIP.

| What about these rumors that some.
body is being groomed to contest the
United States senatorship with Senator
Taylor? 1t is hardly conceivable that
any regular democrat would lend him.
self to it.
1t does ex-Gov. Patterson an injustice
to charge him with the ingratitude
involved in such suggestion, and ii
does none of the other gentlemen men,
toned any credit to say that they are
willing to turn their backs on Senator
Taylor SO soon after last year and its
memorable events.
When the democratic party lay pros
trate and was gasping in actual disso-
luton, when nominees had thrown up
their nominations and the state com.
mittee had closed its doors and aban-
doned the field, when all was chaos
aud wreck, when no other democrat in
Tennessee could be found to step into
the breech, Senator Taylor offered him
self u sacrifice that the party might
live. He knew the party was dead
unless some one would pick up the
fragments of the shattered organization
and reanimate them.
1t was not question with Senator
Taylor then as to which faction of the
democratic party was right or wrong
in its contentious. He saw his party
wounded unto death and it was to save
its lie that he made the desperate
leap, and not to carry out any mans
or any factioh's policies.
But for Bob Taylor there would have
been no organized democracy left and
it is unbelievable that any of its leaders
should conspire for his defeat for re.
election to the Office he had won by a
similar sacrifice, for it was not the f rst
time Senator Taylor threw his own
interests overheard to try to save the
party.
We have nothing to allege against
any of these gentlemen who want to be
senator, for they have right to aspire
to it, but the party is not yet out of the
woods in Tennessee and it is not the
time to stab the only man who had the
nerve TO try to save its life.
Let these gentlemen look elsewhere
or wait.
Neither are there any reasons, it APP
pears to us, why the independent DEM
ocrat should oppose Senator Taylor.
There are thousands Of them who voted
against him last year with tears in their
eyes because they thought great NOR
al principle was involved. He had no
luminosity against them, but, upon the
other hand, agreed with them in most
of their contention. But he was serv-
ant of the democratic party and when
be saw that party struggling in disso-
luton he conceived it to be his duty as
Its servant TO rush to its rescue. 1t was
TO save its life he did it, and not for the
issues involved. In the frenzy of that
struggle he was saddled
with many things in which he did not
believe and had TO carry the sins he did
not commit, but he bore the unjust
criticisms Of his friends with fortitude.
If we are to have reunited party, If
we are going to keep Tennessee in the
column, it will net do to be.
gin thestruggle by knitting Bob Taylor. !
Bob Taylor is the rallying point OF
for both factions and all DEM
,crats, and the people are going TO see
o it that he is accorded u second term
or his lifetime fidelity to them and to c
he party he serves SO we'll.
If ex Gov. Patterson has senatorial :
we believe 1t would be TO his 4
interest as well as that OF the democrat Il
c party for him 10 wait until the next Q
election is on. The breach :,
a the democratic party is healing now, i
'ut if Gov. Patterson were to get back l