The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-02-28
COL. JONAS T. AMis.

ed all of his life and where his devo-
ton to the cause of temperance and
good government is understood and
appreciated, it is unnecessary To de-
fend Col. Amis from the charge made
by the liquor press that he deserted
the prohibition cause" Every one
here who knows Col Amis knows
that this statement has not one scin-
tilla of evidence to support it. II is
born of malignant purpose to create
discord and confusion in the ranks
of the prohibition forces by destroy
ing confidence in the leadership OF
the organization.
Col. Amis has devoted much of his
time and talent and means for several
years 10 the service of the good GOV
eminent cause. He has been in the
thick of every fight for prohibition.
He has never faltered. His sacrifices
have been numerous and costly. He
has never sought Office and seeks
none now. He has been moved alone
by desire to serve the cause and
in serving it to promote the best in
terests of the state.
Col Amis is practical man, one
of foresight and with the sense to ap-
preciate conditions as they are and
not as he would have them. AS
chairman of the independent state
committee, under the most adverse
conditions imaginable, he conducted
a brilliant and determined figat to
elect majority of both houses OF
the legislature who would stand for
the maintenance of the temperance
and election laws and who would up
hold Governor Hooper in his efforts
to give the state progressive and ben
eficial legislation. In that effort he
was almost successful. However,
after the votes were counted last No
vember it appeared that the indie
pendents and republicans had failed
to elect a majority in either house.
They were confronted in both the
house of representatives and in the
senate by substantial majority hos
tile to the existing temperance laws.
Under these conditions Col. Amis
did not do as a less resolute and less
capable leader would have done, sur /,
1nder to the enemy and quit the held. |
That is not his style. He fights best
when the enemy has him at bay. He
began at once tc rally the broken and
-discordant elements of the fusion '
forces. He found that while Mayor .
'Crump, of Memphis, had elected elev-
EN- members of the legislature (the
balance of power in both houses) up
on a platform inimical to the temper
ance laws, that upon the question OF
repeating the back tax laws, defeat
ing Dibrell for comptroller and Pat
terson for the senate, and upon
number of progressive matters OF leg ,
islation, the Memphis mayor and his !,
delegation were in thorough harmo-
ny with the fusion forces.
In the light Ct these facts and they
cannot be denied, Mr.. Anlis met Mr..
Crump ano they agl eed that upon the ,
questions of the back tax laws, the .
destruction OF the back tax machine,
the enactment of progressive lesisla-
ton. the resistance of the special in
terests and the defeat of Patterson
and Dbrell both patriotism and
good sense required that the fusion
forces and the Shelby delegation
should cooperate. Never losing
sight of the temperance cause, Mr..
Amis demanded that there be III. in
reference with existing prohibition
laws and to this the Memphis mayor.
agreed. And the Shelby delegation
has so far lived up to this agreement
for they have made no attempt to
change or repeal the temperance :,
laws. They have also made no effort
to repeal the election laws, but on
the contrary the Shelby delegation
voted with the fusion forces in the
election of a member of the state
board of elections. Working togeth-
er the fusion forces and the Shelby
delegation have cleaned out the
capital" they have practically des-
troyed the back tax machine; they
have driven Ham Patterson ignomin-
iously to private life and they have 1
so far safeguarded the election ma
chinery and have passed number &
of progressive measures, providing
for better schools, for a better sys- ,
tenn of bank inspection, for better +
control of the insurance companies a
and for more efficient inspection Of a
state officials. Surely this is rec (
ord that should have satisfied any i
indenendent or renuhli =