The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1912-04-18
A WEAKLING'S PLEA.

When Gov. Hooper appointed New
ell Sanders, republican, senator to sue.
coed Robert L. Taylor he accompanied
it with an apology, defense, and q
plea to the independent democrats fol
further favors.
The document is thing of exceed
ingly small bore 1t smacks of peanut
politics. 1t sounds as if its author were
a mountebank. Gov Hooper, in this
preachment, appears before the people
of Tennessee as a sleight- of-ha man
urging that things are not what they
seem to be.
Hooper has won respect from num-
Der of Tennesseans for the possession of
what they fancied to be a certain quail
ity of sturdy common s,nse. Some
came to look on him as man bringing
to the discharge of his DC les business
force. Now they see him as a shuffier.
1t would have been better for Hoop
er's reputation as a public man had he
appointed Sanders and let it go at that.
He explains too much; he protests too
much.
The governor says this
"When l was candidate for gov
ernor it was we'll understood by every
body that l was a republican in ma
tional politics, and the republican state
platform declared in favor the national
republican party, its principles and its
policies. Independent democrats voted
for me not because | was republican,
but in spite of that fact, and for the
reason that l agreed with them upon
every question of state politics"
If all this was "well understood, y
why repeat? 1t is merely little plea
to the independents to again stand by
him in November.
Again Hooper says:
at has been my earnest conviction
that many Of the issues in our state are
OF greater Importance to the public |
than any question of national politics,
because they come nearer home to our |
people, and more vitality affect their |
daily lives"
The trouble with these questions that |
that "come nearer home" than nation
al questions is that their solution is not
In the hands of Gov. Hooper, and the
solution of these questions will never
come from the republican party of
Tennessee.
Then the governor goes on and recites
how he has appointed republicans and
democrats to state Offices He recalls
to the independents how the republic
cans supported the independent candi-
dates for judges, and he also tells them
that Newell Sanders spent his money
in the fight. He says that Newell San
ders spent thousands of dollars out of
his own pocket for the legitimate .ex-
penses Of a close, strenuous and elabo-
rate campaign.
Legitimate is good. Just how
many thousands of dollars can be Gle
ultimately expended in campain in
Tennessee, we do not know. Supply
plying the sIush fund would be better
description Of this transaction.
But Hooper says that Sanders did a
great service TO his party and to the
cause of good government in this mat
ter, and asked for nothing" Then in
the next sentence he says "a little ten
months term in the United States sem
ate is small reward"
Ii Newell asked nothing, why does
Newell accept the reward?
AT the end Hooper tells the demo-
Gratis, the people of Tennessee, that the !
can not elect a senator in
the legislature. But he wants the re-
publicans and the independents to stay
together in order that they may elect |
Hoopercrat senator.
But Newell will only serve ten s
months. Hooper says that much him !
SELF "In order to forestall the effective ]
use of this campaign bogie, have the ]
assurance Of Mr.. Sanders that he will ]
not be candidate for reelection"
Think Of it--think of it--thinS of IL / {
A governor of the state Of Tennessee 9