The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1912-02-15

NaSIlN lle, lciln., EeD. l-.-iION.
Zen w. Hooper again SHE'D the castor
into the ring as an aspirant for Office,
/ announcing his dett rminalion to max c
the race to succeed himself as chief
magistrate OF Tennessee last week.
In Il statement reciting the forward
steps, notably in the department of ag-
riculture and in the penal system,
which he claims for his administration
and severely arraiging elements that
have, he says, sought TO discredlt his
efforts, Governor Ben w. Hooper, the
first Republican inaugurated governor
of Tennessee in thirty years, announces
for reelection. He declares he has
faithfully kept his promise to lend his
influence 10 the enforcement of liquor
laws, a material factor in the rural dis
tricts For the large cities, he proposes
additional lcgi> >ation.
"The full program of the liquor ma
chine" says Governor Hooper, ais:
The restoration of the lcgalized saloon
in the cities, enactment of an election
law that VIII put the control of state
elections into the hands of the cities,
which means in the hands of the liquor
power, and the complete restoration of
the whiSkey power TO the entire state.
"If the people of Tennessee will back
me up with the right kind of a legisla-
ture, we will demonstrate that the open
saloon can be driven from every city in
Tennessee
In his announcement he touches W
the legislature in the following Ian
guage:
"The public has doubtless assumed
that | would naturally desire the en-
dorsement of a second term, but the
field of politics in this state, with its
hardships and vicissitudes is not alto
gelher attractive to me. | do not mind
fighting. have fought all my life,
but | do get little tired sometimes of
being struck in the back or below the
belt. in my last campaign | tried to
steer clear of small personalities, whis-
pered insinuations and distorted facts,
and if | am re-nominated, my cam
paign shall be conducted on the same
plane.
No governor of Tennessee has ever
had to contend with so difficult sit
ualion as confronted me. The desper-
ate political machine, which my fol-
lowing defeated at the polls, plotted
many days after the election to rob me
of the governorship and the people of
their victory. The lack of power, and
not respect for the will of the people,
was all that restrained them from this
outrage. My inauguration was then
deferred until it became known that |
was preparing to be sworn into office
without fcrmalities.
"The legislative situation was exceed
ingly complicated. The lower house
was controlled at the outset by my
friends by asmall majority, which was
subsequently converted into minority
by the remarkable betrayal of the peo-
pie by few men elected as republi-
cans aud independents.
"The senate was dominated by my
political opponents by decisive ma
jority.
81 approached this situation with an
earnest desire to cooperate with all po.
litical parties and factions in the con-
sideration of non-partisan public ques-
tions. 1t soon became apparent that
such remnants of the old political ma.
chine as were still in office were deter
mined that no question should be con-
sidered except from the viewpoint OF
their factional interests.
"The famous committee which
junketted to New York to investigate
the matter of retunding the state debt,
declined the company and assistance
of Reau Folk, most probably because
he was supposed to know little some.
thing about the subject in hand.
"Dr. G. w. Dyer, ,one of the biggest,
brainiest and cleanest man in the state
was turned down by the senate when
nominated as state superintendent OF
public instruction, because, forsooth,
he had stood for law and order and de-
clined 70 bow his knee to the machine.
"The most extraor iinary thing that
happened in this legislature was not
the fllibuster, either of the thirty-five
regulars at the beginning of the session
or the thirty five republicans and indie
pendents at the end. It was the
brazen, shameless public treachery ol