The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-10-18

lin was nominated by vote of about 54,-
600. This small vote is a mighty poor
start toward election in November. But,
small as it is, the result was produced
by swelling the vote in Davidson and
shrinking it in Shelby. The primary,
which was conducted by the "harmon-
lied" Patterson committee, was so Pat
tersonian in all of its aspects, that many
of those who were loud in their demand
for it have since been beating their
breasts and wailing to the committee,
"For heavens sake, cancel and revoke
the November primary" They are like
the little boy who ate too much sugar.
They don't want any more, and don't
want what they already have.
Before McMillin entered this primary,
he ran back and forth like big red
ant on hot log, for a solid month, and
nobody could tell whether he was going
to run for Governor or Senator. How
did he find out? Patterson said, Ben
ton, l am going to run for Senator my
self, but l will let you run for Cover
nor" And it is said that Benton an
nounced for Governor the very next
morning after he got permission from
the "great I-am"-or, rather, the great
I-used-to- be"---of Tennessee politics.
The convention which drafted McMil-
Inns platform was most remarkable
aggregation. When Patterson looked out
over the convention at the opening OF
his speech, he said. "This looks like
old times" And, indeed, it did; Ham
and Shem and Japhet lHam and Benton
and John Isaac) were all there. Bancroft
Murray and Frank Bond were there
leading the hosts of straight Demo
cracy," which, in their vernacular, means
straight liquor. Dibrell was there, with
every back tax attorney from Bristol to
Memphis. The delegates, with very few
exceptions, constituted bunch OF souls
with but single thought, but there was
great difference of opinion as how to
express that thought. They were not
divided along lines OF principle, but lines
of policy and expediency. To straddle
or not to straddle, that was the ques-
ton. One delegate, who was sufficiently
inebriated to tell the truth, arose and
thus promulgated: what difference
aoes 1T make about the PLATFORM We
all know what we want. Let the plat
form declare that hell is an ice house,
if it will make us votes"
A certain judge was there who dared
to arise and condemn the notification of
the law in the cities and excoriate the
officials who are responsible for 1t. The
crowd recognized that he was strangely
out of place and hooted him down. He
was out of place. No man could claim q
hearing in that convention and express
such unorthodox views.
When 1t began TO look like there was
danger that the convention would accept
the advice of the bibulous orator and
declare that hell was an ice house, or
at least put il up 10 the Legislature to
say whether it was or not, then II was
that Patterson appeared on the floor and
took personal charge of the situation.
Under his direction it was declared In
the platform that hell is hell, and that
it shall be legalized and perpetuatd in
Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga, and
theoretically, restored to the entire state
by gradual process.
Lines Drawn.
And thus the lines are drawn and the
question is put 10 Tennessee voters,
whether or not in the language of Pat.
terson, "old times" shall be restored in