The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1914-04-17
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.


commenced in the democratic party
OF Tennessee, March Is, 1905, the day
that the snap caucus" named Frazier
for the seat of the lamented Bate
have conditions in the democratic
party of Tennessee been so chaotic
are they are today. Never has parti.
san feeling been so high; never has
this historic organization been Sc
much at sea, so completely the victim
of the conflicting ambitions of design
ing men and of the passions and pre-
JUDGES of the blind and the ignorant
as it is today.
All is different with the republi-
cans. For the first time in thirty
years that political organization in
Tennessee represents something
more than a measley aggregation OF
federal officeholders; it is devoid of
the contests and the chickering's we
were accustomed to have over the
control of the brother in black. 1t
has attained to success and as is al
ways the case in politics, as in soci-
ETY. and business, with success came
responsibility.
The republican party IS united, ag-
gressive and confident. It's leader is
the shrewdest, the most adroit and
the most successful politician known
to the latter days of the states histo-
ry. All differences between the re-
publicans over matters of policy,
questions of principle and distribu-
tion of Offices have been settled. Hav-
ing held sway in Tennessee for four
years, being represented a part of
that time in the senate of the United
States, it dreams of a long lease of
power; it aspires to the naming of
senators, the election of congressman
and the government in perpetuity of
the affairs of the state.
Republican differences over the
liquor question about which that par
ty was at one time as much divided
as the democrats, have been smooth
ed over. The republican party has
always been an opportunist; 1t has
been largely held together by the go
hesive power of public plumber" Give
to the PARTY plenty of Offices, special
interests upon which to fatten and
spoils to divide and it will embrace
any policy or play the devoted to any
principle of government. When it
thinks the people are clamoring for
a champion" it becomes the friend
of the oppressed" all the time draw
ing it's sinews Of war unblushingly
from the oppressors of the people.
1t is just as easy for the republican
party to be the party of temperance
in Tennessee as it was for the repub-
lican party of Ohio to depend for sue
cess upon the notorious Cox machine
Of Cincinnati. 1t is the party of high
moral ideas" and also of Standard Oil
and Steel and other special interests.
Hence given those things which de-
light the soul and tickle the palate Of
the organization, it is not surprising
that the republicans of Tennessee are
united and aggressive and confident
of further pastures green upon which
to browse
Not so with the democrats. That
party has always been too independ-
ent to make any bowling success CT
party unity. The late Thomas B.
Reed said that the democratic party
was incompetent to govern others be-
cause it could not govern itself Only
recently our own John Sharpe Will
liams has echoed this sentiment.
Members Of the democratic party are
allied with that organiza-
ton because Of some favorite policy
or some fixed principle of govern
ment When therefore democrats
disagree there is generally a sure
enough division and party harmony"
becomes sort Of irridescent dream.
The result of the contest in Ten
nessee over the prohibition issue and
control Of the election machinery,
quite as much because of the latter !
rs the former proposition, has been
10 divide the democratic party into
TWO bitterly hostile camps, each de-
.ermined upon the utter destruction
If the other, forgetful of the fact that
n doing so the state will be safely,
securely and irrevokably republican
zed. Democrats hate each other
much more heartily than they do the
republicans.
Is there any common ground upon
which the democrats of Tennessee
an unite this year and restore the
tate government to the control Of
he traditional party of the people?