The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-12-12

see, has urged the necessity Tor the
reorganization of not only that party
but the republican party in New Yori
state. In other words the Banner
would have fusion, now triumphant In
New York, merely temporary to be al
once followed by the reformation OF
the older political parties. But In
Tennessee it would perpetuate fu
sion and deny the right of the demo
cratic party Of the state to reform
and become respectable.
The Herald would rejoice In a pro
per settlement Of the issues of pro
hibition and law enforcement. II
would be glad to be rid of the turmoil
and the strife and the bitterness and
the malice and the hate that have
been engendered, and IL 1t can per-
suade the democratic party to re-
form, adopt our principles as It
platform and nominate candidates
who have been with us In this fight,
1t certainly cannot by the widest
stretch OF the mag nation, conceive
Of how, in doing so, 1t would be
willing TO abandon the cause 1t Is
true that declarations, bone fde,
straightforward, sincere declarations
for law enforcement and temperance
from both the democratic and the r.
publican parties and the nomination
by both Of high class men who have
advocated and fought for those prin-
ciples, might be the death of fusion
and might eliminate these issues
from further consideration, but what
of that? No one could complain sx-
cept ambitious officeholders or ONCE
seekers who have used these issues
as a means to get place and their
friends. The Herald is not OF that
number.
1t Is idle to deny that there are
growing signs of change in the at
titude of the democratic party Of
Tennessee upon the issues that have
lately divided the people. Abundant
proof of that is found in the action
of the legislature upon the nuisance
and the anti-shipment bills. There
is not politician in Tennessee who
on the first day of last January really
believed that any measure of this na-
ture could pass the present general
assembly.
Certainly Gov Hooper and the 9th
er fusion leaders. including officers
OF the Anti-Saloon League, did not
then anticipate the great change OF
sentiment or expect that law enforce
ment would, before the end of the
aittings of the ieEisiature, become
the paramount issue Otherwise they
would assuredly never have urged
upon independent democrats and re-
publicans the election of W. M. Stan
ton as speaker of the house of repre-
sentatives. They knew that Stanton
was a liquor democrat; that he was
elected from the most intensely IL
quor democratic constituency in the
state: that he was elected upon
platform that not only committed
him against any further Legislation
upon the temperance question but
pledged him to repeal or modif1ca-
ton of existing temperance laws.
And yet, so successfully did Gov.
Hooper and other fusion leaders urge
he necessity of the election of Stan
ton that he received the votes Of every
independent democrat aand all but
5vo republican representatives. and
the two whom he did not receive
were really at heart liquor demo-
Gratis.
Take the situation when the legis-
lature convened last January and
contrast 1t with the situation In the
state now and he is indeed either
reckless individual or very fusion
bound partisan. who cannot discern a
decided change Of sentiment upon
the issues of liquor and law enforce
ment. Public sentiment has been
aroused and It has compelled "regu-
lar" democratic officials to enforce
the laws, Just as 1t compelled regular
democratic legislators to attempt to
strengthen them. Frankly We re-
ioice In this situation. We truly hope
that an aroused public sentiment will
finally drive the last advocate of r.
ouor and the last apologist for law
iessess to cover.