The Washington herald., 1912-08-25
By JAMES b. MORROW.

The case Of Newell Sanders seems to
reed investigation. Here is a man. his
face aglow with frienoliness, who Is
gravely accused of always voicing and
sticking to the truth in politics. The
complaint goes further. Down in Ten
ressee, where he has been accustomed
to operate, his own adjutants have said
at times that Newell Sanders is too
dashedly dashed particular and decent
to give the boys a chance"
They had meant to retaliate or to ne
gOtiate at critical conjunctures. you un-
derstand, and Newell Sanders had STOP
ped them. Now, boldly sitting among
Mr.. Taft's inner counselors and man
ayers, he threatens to make his idiosyn-
crasies national instead of local In his
own State. among his own people, Newell
Sanders is a boss-at least he would be
so stigmatized by such party leaders as
Col. Bryan and Col. Roosevelt.
Can a business man be a Baptist?
John D. Rockefeller is not the only an
swer to the question Harder still, can
Christian be a politician? Newell San
6ers, radiant in human sunshine, replies
to both inquiries in the affirmative. A
boss, a wealthy man, and a Christiani
Worse still, If that is the way one looks
at it. and perniciously active prohibit
ZIONIST, Nevertheless, he is in the United
States Senate.
Aside from his family and his fac
tories. Senator Sanders has had three
missions: to persuade the farmers Of the
South to pillow their land more deeply;
tc turn Tennessee into a Republican
Commonwealth, and to put liquor makers
and liquor dealers out of business. The
farmers are slowly yielding to facts
and practical demonstrations. Ben W.
Hooper, a Republican, occupies the Gov
ernor's office at Nashville drastic
prohibition law has been enacted by the
Legislature. Coincidentally, Senator San
ders had been manufacturing plows at
TWO large establishments and shipping
them to all parts Of the agricultural
world-fitty carloads, for example, go to
Australia yearly.
Expert with Steam Rollers.
Also Senator Sanders has experimental
with steam rollers. He was one OF the
engineers at the recent spectacular tests
at Chicago. An old and able hand,
friends and foes said joyfully or CEN
surably. according to their lights and
prejudices. Most Of them had forgotten
the almost tragic scenes and events of
1908, when the steam roller was a Jug
gernaut of righteousness and presidents,
though the same Mr.. Taft was the prin-
cipal candidate 1t was then, through
the instrumentalities OF a riot, that
Newell Sanders became generally con-
spicuous and important.
muscular man and a participant who
used his fists, thus pictured the occur
rance to nee. saying at the beginning.
When Newell Sanders starts he knows
whittier he is bound and he keeps on
going. 1t may take him two years or
five years to get there, but he invari-
ably arrives at his destination. If he
were not a good Baptist / would say
that all hell couldn't stop him.
We'll, we had two factions m Ten
nessee. The other one. named after
Walter p. Brownlow was Enthusiastically
the limit But I shall pass up its biog-
raphy and dwell on something else Any
way. it was fierce. I was one of Newell
Sanders head freutenants. He was
chairman of the State committee and
had been for a long time. The night
before the convention OF 1908 more than
a thousand ready men, with big hands
ana bullying arms, came into Nashville
with a rush. Refreshments of a fluid
nature were passed around. Then the
crowd went into camp on the State
house steps. At daybreak they took
forcible possession of the hall of the
House of Representatives, the place in
which the convention was to meet. We
were for Taft, as was President Roose-
welt. The Brownlow faction favored an
other candidate.
1T was Senator Sanders function, as
chairman of the State Committee, to
call the convention to order We warn
ed him Of his personal danger and plead
ed with him to stay away. The other
people were iniamed with whisky, you
see, and many of them were armed with
miscellaneous weapons. Senator Sanders
listened to us and then put on his hat.
I am going boys he quietly said and
you can bet your life that We went
along.
Tried to Murder Sanders.
The corridor was packed with men.
The hall was filled with a bowling mob.
I have come Senator Sanders re-
marked, as he pushed his way toward
the door. to open the convention. Please
let me pass A shout of derision went
up. Senator Sanders was showed this
way and that. We tried to stay with
him but were pushed aside His coat
was ripped from his back ana torn into
shreds. His watch and pccketbook were
afterward found on the floor. But he |
never turned back.
1T took him exactly one hour to reach |
the speakers chair. When he attempted |
TO address the delegates, and none of our |
own had gotten in, you understand, a |
half dozen men picked him up, a pass
age was made for them and they headed |
straight for a corridor where they |
meant to pitch him over the balustrade |
to the floor below. But We succeeded in |
blocking their game. We fought with |
all our strength and saw him crushed |
into a corner; his face covered with |
blood and his shirt in rags about his
body. Then We saw a man standing |
over him, an uplifted Ratchet ip his
hand. The next instant Bob Sloan, /
sheriff of the county, pulled his gun and
shouted: If any one dares to touch |
Newell Sanders, I'll kill him, so help me |
Cod
Bleeding and almost helpless, Senator
Sanders was helped back to the platform.
i move that the convention adjourn I'M
Ill 10 o'clock tomorrow morning." yelled
Robert S. Sharp, now chief inspector Of
the Post-office Department, and Senator I
Sanders put the motion, though he was
not heard, and declared II carried. The
Brownlow faction could not pay the ex-
penses OF their gang. and II melted away
Turing the night. The following day we
met without hindrance, and elected a
Taft delegation to represent Tennessee
1t the National Convention. And 1t was
seated, although vigorously contested.
No, Senator Sanders never turns back
1nce he has started. He knew the men
who assaulted him, who crushed him to
he floor and then kicked him, and the
nen who tried to take his life by pitch
ng him over the ballustrade, but no one
las ever heard him utter a harsh word
any of them. They were for
given the moment they made their at
ack But he carried his point, as said
before He always does"