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

stdte VIII FURNISH MS packers inc DI0Ou
money to manufacture artificial enthil-
sasm and line up the venal vote.
Election Laws.
| MeMillin's platform is as remarkable
for what it does not say as for what il
does say.
You will be astonished to learn that it
makes no mention, direct or indirect, of
the election laws.
Are the election laws no longer an
issue in Tennessee2 Are the present
| election laws satisfactory to Governor
McMillinl If they are not satisfactory,
why does his platform fail to say sol
| Every man knows that Governor Nc
Millin is bitterly opposed to the present
election laws. This has been his con-
tinuous public position.
Every man knows that the men who
drafted McMillins platform and those
who composed his convention. have
| fought the present election laws, day
in and day out, from the time of their
| inception in the legislature of 1909 down
to this good hour When they had a
choice in 1909 between the Patterson
| election law and the present one, they
chose the former, and fought the latter
to the last ditch. They fought it as fa-
as Armageddon, which, the same being
interpreted, means Hopkinsville, Ky.
Having failed to prevent the enactment
of the law, they vamoosed the ranch to
prevent the election of commissioners
underl the law. Between the legislature
! OF 1909 and that of 1911 they spent
all their spare time "cussin' the law.
They "cussed" solo, quartette and chorus,
by ear and by note, and in several Ian
guages. In the legislature of 1911 they
attempted an amendment, which was
virtual repeal of the election law, called
the Baxter bill. Although majority
of the lower house had been elected,
pledged to the preservation of this law,
the Regulars did not hesitate to prose
lyte men to break faith with their con-
stituents and vote for the Baxter bill.
The Baxter election bill was passed,
but it was vetoed by the governor, and
failed to pass over his veto. Y
Silence Of Platform.
Again the swearing of the Regulars
arose with the same vociferous and ami
mated JUNCTION, and it has never ceased
until this great silence came over the
McMillin platform. This is altogether
the loudest and most ear-splitting ST.
lence that was ever heard.
When was in the army have heard
a bunch of soldiers playing seven-up in
a neighboring tent. First there would
be no sound, then in little while loud
and promiscuous oaths would profane
the circumbient atmosphere, ana then
again all would settle down into per-
feet quiet. When the silence came
knew they were sure enough playing
cards. And now that the Regulars have
into "silence that broods like gentle
spirit Ger still and pulseless world"
you may rest assured that they are play
ing "keards."
After the defeat of the Baxter bill
in the last Legislature the Cox bill was
pressed for passage, but it didn't get
any further than Bakers new ground"
which in East Tennessee lore is said to
be only short distance up the noun
tain. This bill, like its author, was
smooth, slick, plausible proposition. It
provided that each county elect it's own
election commissioners. This sounded
well, and made room for a lot of elo-
quent talk about the rule of the peo-
pie" by fellows who cared not rap for
the people.
The weak place in the Cox law was
that it made no provision for the gen.
uine representation of the minority party
to choose the minority members of the
commission as well as their own. This
would have been all right in counties
which held honest elections. They
would have continued, in all probability,
to hold clean elections. But in those
counties where crooked elections have
been customarily held the majority party
would have monopolized the election ma
chlnery and a reign of rottenness and
fraud would have set in.
Effect of Elections.
At first thought people in the coun-
ties holding honest elections might think
themselves indifferent and unconcerned
as to how the elections are held in other
counties. Not so, however. In all cleo !
tions covering more than one county
each county would Immediately become
vitality interested in the elections in
other counties. In certain of the large
counties of the state dishonest elections /
would be held, ballot boxes stuffed and
returns falsifed to sufficient extent
to overcome an honest majority in dis :
trict, circuit and state elections. Then
the man who cast an honest vote in
straight county and had it fairly counted /
would have his vote Cancelled ana an /
nulled by the fraudulent vote of some
crooked county. This was what was
the matter with the Cox bill, and that
is the reason why ne was for such
bill i
Honest elections are essential to the !
perpetuity of our ree institutions. 1
would not care to live in state where
l felt that my vote counted for nothing
and my citizenship was denied me.
I mere is no state that has not had trou-
bic in the preservation of honest cleo
tions. Eternal vigilance upon the part
OF the people is still the price of liberty.
The people of Tennessee owe a debt of
gratitude to the men in the legislature
of 1909 who gave them an honest elec-
tion law, and to those in the legislature
of 1911 who stood courageously and
for it's preservation.
The Public Health.
am strongly in favor of the continued
liberal support of the State Board of
Health and its Pure Food and Drug
in the great work, they are