Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-04-05
FIDDLING bob TAYLOR
GOES TO HIS LONG HOME
TenneSSee'S u. S, Senator
Died Sunday in Washing
ton After Operation
cBy Associated Press. }


WASHINGTON, April 1.-The senate to-
day adjourned after a brief session on
account of the death, here yesterday of
Senator Robert Love Taylor, of Ten
nessee.
thousands of Tennesseeans are expect
ed to pay homage to the late Senator
Robert Love Taylor at the state capt.
toll in Nashville next Wednesday. Sena-
tor Taylors family and committees OF
both houses of congress will accompany
the body in a special car on a train
leaving here at 1910 O'Clock tonight. The
party will arrive at Nashville at
clock Wednesday morning, and the body
will be taken to the state house and
there lie in state until or p. m. Then
the party will leave for Knoxville, where
the ceremony and interment will take
place THURSDAY morning. On account of
Senator Taylor's death it was decided
that the senate adjourn Immediately upon
it's converting at 2 o'clock today.
The death of Senator Taylor probably
means that Tennessee might be repre-
scented by a Republican senator for the
first time in 40 years. 1t is confidently
believed that Governor Hooper will ap-
point a Republican to succeed to the va
cancy. Newell Sanders, of Chattanooga,
is prominently mentioned for the place.
He is a pillow manufacturer, and has long
Seen a leading Republican of Tennes-
see.
Governor Hooper is the product of the
Independent Democratic and Republican
alliance in Tennessee, which was formed
to overthrow the Patterson machine in
consequence of the killing of the late Sen
ator Larmack.
Governor Hooper defeated Senator Tay-
lor for the governorship, the latter &C
cepting the Democratic nomination in the
hope of saving the party. The alliance
was too strong for "Fiddling Bob's" pop
ularity, however, and he was defeated.
The bitterness Il the campaign and the
loss of many of his lifelong friends was
a severe blow to Senator Taylor, and
contributed in no small way to his death
here yesterday.
Robert Love Taylor was a famous po-
litical figure. The same year that he
was admitted to the Tennessee bar he
was elected to congress from the First
Tennessee district That was in 1878.
Since then Senator Taylor. often admir-
ingly referred to as "Fiddling Bob,
has been a picturesque figure in Tent
nessee and southern politics.
In the late sos the entire country
was stirred to admiration by stories OF
ers for the governorship of Tennessee.
One led the Democratic party. That was
Robert Love. His brother, Alfred A,
led the Republican party. The cam
paign went into political history as the
war of the Roses.
The Brothers Taylor, bitterest politi-
cal rivals, peacefully campaigned the
state together One night, on their way
into middle Tennessee. they stopped in
Bridgeport. Ala
In the morning the landlary present
ed herself at her distinguished guests
door.
: Here" she said to Alfred, els a
bouquet of red roses"
"And here" she exclaimed to Robert,
sis a bouquet of white roses. Now,
want you boys to take these flowers
for the sake of your mother. 1 know
she must be proud to have sons who
can be politicians and still be broth
ers."
Robert was elected governor. That
was in 1856. He was reelected in 1885,
Both of those campaigns were made
notable by Roberts plan of attack.
Oftentimes when he was scheduled to
address big audiences in east Tonnes
see he would abandon any attempt at
oratory, ana ''spell-bind' his auditors
by playing on his old violin the songs
inseparable from memories of the Dixie
country.
Governor IayIor was elected LOT
third term in 1895. Then, in 1906, he
entered the United States senatorial pri-
mary with Senator Carmack as his
rival. The spectacle of the lovable "Fid-
ding Bob" and the brilliant Carmack
in political battle was stirring Bob"
adopted his white rose as campaign
fetish, and won over his rival by 1000
votes. He was elected by the legisla-
ture for the term that will not expire
until next March.
While ''Bob's" popularity as lovable
man seems never to have waned with
the people of Tennessee, yet his politi-
cal strength failed to stand the last
test to which it was put. In 1910, when
the Democratic party appeared bent
with internal diss sntion and Governor
Patterson had Withdrawn from the race