The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-11-07
PATTERSON.

The American people, especially
that portion of them who chance &c
reside in Tennessee, are as changea
BILE, as tickle and as mercurial as the
French. We had not always thought
this and there may be those who
will dispute the statement, but re
cent developments in the politics OF
this state are abundant proof OF what
we say. The French people in the
days when heroes and forms of gov
eminent changed with the moon, were
not more tickle in their political az
fections than are the people in sunny
Tennessee.
If there had been a man in Tennes-
see who, three months ago, had pre-.
dicted that in this good day Patterson
would have been the hero OF the
forces of good government; the idol
of the evangelists and shining star OF
hope for the prohibitionists, he would
have been laughed to scorn. Presto,
what change!
Only a short time ago Gov Hooper,
the man who has in two great cam
paigns led the forces of civic right
eousness to victory in Tennessee;
who has stood four square to every
wind, who has never hesitated to
fight the liquor power when 1t took
grit and courage to fight it, was the
idol Of the prohibition forces; the
bright light Of the "uplifters,' as Pat
terson was wont in the very recent
past to refer to those who stood for
civic righteousness. But today Hoop
er stands in the back ground while his
erstwhile partisans prepare the way
for Patterson to the senate of the
United States.
1t has been but few brief years
since Luke Lea, following the great
crime that removed Carmack from
the leadership of the forces of good
government, almost alone held aloft
the banner of civic righteousness and
made sacrifice after sacrifice for the
cause During two dark and ever
memorable years it was LEAFS news
paper, conducted at an immense cost
to Mr.. Lea, that almost alone and un-
aided save by heric band of "coun-
try newspapers" fought the fight for
.ivic regeneration. But for the light
that went abroad from the Tennes-
sean between 1908 and 1910 Patterson
would still be the dominant factor
of the regular" machine and from a
seat in the senate would now direct
the forces of lawlessenss and liquor
in Tennessee. For time Lea was
appreciated and applauded and Landed
but now the very men who fought
with Lea in those years of strife and
gloom and uncertainty, when the
night was dark and the issue doubt
full, are at his political throat while
they dance like frenzied Dervishes
around Malcolm R. Patterson and en-
courage his ambition for LEAFS senate
rial toga. ...sn,..
Were It not SO serious It would be
to laugh. Here we witness the spec
tacle of the Anti-Saloon League, many
preachers, newspaper editors, ordina-
.-Tily sane and sensible men, veterans,
many Of them, in the cause that final
ly routed Patterson and drove him
disgraced into private life, making
him the hero of all this struggle for
the regeneration Of Tennessee
struggle that achieved success at the
price of martyrs blood-giving the
warmest and most enthusiastic en-
couragement to Patterson's political
ambition.
Probably large majority of those
to whom we refer would deny with
vehemence the charge that they are
encouraging Pattersons desire to
wear the toga. They would doubtless
be sincere in their denial, but that is
just exactly what they are doing,
That Patterson is today candidate
for the senate we have no sort of
doubt. And he is being galvanized
into responsibility and to political
power by the very men whom he has
so loved to denounce as fanatics and
Pharisees and hypocrites. Today
Patterson Is a more formidable candi-
date for the senate than he has ever
been, even in the days when he stood
upon the dizzy heights of political
power which he had reached by a
gross betrayal of the good people of
the state He is today probably near
er the realization of his ambition than
he was, when as governor, he did ev-
erything he solemnly promised the
people he would not do and left I'M
done everything that he had sacredly
covenanted with the people to do.
Patterson's sudden and dramatic