The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1911-07-14
THE LEGISLATURE.


No act of the late Legislature has
been SO highly commended as its res
olution to adjourn without day. This
ts the one thing that the people of al
factions will approve. 1t might BIZ
too much to say that the recent Legis
lature was the worst the State evel
had. 1t is probably true, however
that it has been the most disappCint
ing. Much was expected of it, but
1t failed to measure up to reasonable
expectations. 1t was a failure. II
developed little leadership and no zeal
Craftsmanship, and but for the cour.
ageous, sensible and capable Cover.
nor who stood at the helm of State,
Tennessee would have had even a
greater cause for grief that it ever
assembled.
From the first the assembly was
characterized by factional passion and
prejudice. Little patriotism was
manifested by the members of either
branch. 1t was constant struggle
for factional advantage and scant re-
gard was shown for the welfare of
the people. Especially was this
spirit manifested in the Senate. 1t
can be truthfully said that never in
the history Of this or any other State
has any law making body displayed
less of ability and less of regard for
the public welfare than was shown by
the Senate of 1911. 1t had a larger
number of little men among its mem
bers than any similar body In the
history of Tennessee. With a very
few exceptions it was composed of lit
tie, narrow, partisan politicians who
did not care rap for the constitu-
ton, the people or the public service,
but whose only ambition was to serve
q selfish special interest The spirit
Of littleness and partisanship was
shown in the action taken on the
so-called Memphis bills. Some of
these were admittedly meritorious
measures, they had on former day
received the APPROVAL of a majority OF
the Senate, but merely as an act of
revenge all were subsequently killed
The very idea of a Senator voting
against measure for purely personal
and political revenge is revolving to
all sense of decency.
In the House conditions were a
little better. That body started Off ,
fairly well. And until a successful
effort was made to convert a minority |
into majority the wheels Of legis- |
lation worked smoothly and with a |
reasonably intelligent appreciation Of |
the public needs. But after the sud |
den and suspicious switching of five
members from the majority to a
former minority a large element of
the members felt that in order to
save this State from the domination
Of a faction twice repudiated at the
polls it would be necessary to adopt
evolutionary tactics, OF course this
caused decentralization and added to
he confusion already existing
1t has been plain from the very in
,eption Of the Legislature that the
Patterson faction had deliberately en-
cred into a conspiracy to embarass,
hwaft, harass, and if possible destroy
he Governor of the State. Regard
ess Of the merits of any measure
ldvocated by him, or the justice Of
my cause espoysed by him, he must
re opposed, defeated and destroyed
That seemed to be the spirit OF the
1t was deliberately plan !
ed to raid the treasury in order I
hat the finger of scorn might be Y
ointed at the Governor and his ad- I
discredited Never in b
Il history has a more c0ldblooded, S
CELEBRATE and unfair conspiracy been a
)rmed than that which sought the +
Official death of Gov. Hooper,whose e
ole cause Of offending was that he S