The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1914-10-23

all this aNay-L16 IcCOIu Vi . tsCl
portion OF his life-for the Governor
ship and the paltry salary that goes
with it by an alliance with a set Of polit.
ical gaugsters and corruptionists? But
more to the purpose, could President
Wilson and Secretary Bryan, whose
fame and reputation have never been
questioned, lapse into such political
alliance without serious disaster, and
has the public so far forgotten the char
acter of these men as to think that they
do not know the consequences Of such
an alliance.
What about Governor Patterson /:
he sincere? Hundreds of independents
and Republicans say they believe so,
and yet Prohibition never had more
formidable enemy in any State. II he
is allowed to join the charmed circle,
why not Mr.. Rye7
But Mr.. Rye, Mr.. McSpedden asserts,
is under the complete control of Lea
and Crump, and yet neither Lea, Crump
nor Howse controlled single county
that voted for Mr.. Rye IN the Demo
cratic convention. Just as well tell us
that the moon is made Of green cheese
as to say that either Of these men con-
trolled the last Democratic State con-
vention. To say that politician, who
cannot control the men OF his own
county, or any OF the whisky counties
OF the State whose interests he is said
to be serving, controlled the convention
where such a test was made, is the poor
est kind OF jingoism. The premise is
ridiculous. We have the first time yet
to see a professional politician taking
any risk with his advantages.
But suppose, for arguments sake,
that Mr.. Rye is under obligations to
these men (which he is mott. What
kind OF man is Mr.. Hooper under
obligations to?
STAHLMANl
Who is Mr.. Stahlman? Years ago
he was the Third Vice President OF the
Louisville & Nashville Railroad Com
pany, and at that time known as one
OF the greatest railroad lobbyists in the
United States. He it was who led the
fights for the railroad octupus in Nash
vile and for years made it impossible
for Nashville to secure additional rail-
road advantages and railway competi-
ton. A pass from Mr.. Stahlman was
free to any man, the only requirement
being that the applicant reside in Nash
vile. That meant one vote, and Mr..
Stahlman evidently considered the price
not too high. What kind OF man is
Mr.. Stahlman? Ask the management
of the Methodist Publishing House,
who secured his services to lobby war
claim bill for $500, 600 in Congress, in
contract in which Mr.. Stahlman re-
ceived 33 and one-third per cent as COM
mission. Ask those men who subjected
Mr.. Stahlman to an investigation, in
which that great leader OF the indie
pendent forces in Tennessee denied that
he had such a contract. The Senate
was not aware that Mr.. Stahlman had
this contract, and, upon being advised
that such was not the case, voted to
allow the claim.
II the theory OF bossism in Tennes-
see is accepted whose boss is the best,
or whose the worst? And wouldn't it
be better to take Democrat with a
corrupt boss than Republican with
one who is more corrupt?
Before you take the matter so seri-
onsly, Mr.. McSpedden, wouldn't it be
better to consider the motives Of the
men you are criticizing a little more
carefully?
Mr.. Rye stated before the convention
that he would not accept nomination
without Prohibition plank in the plat
form. Is he not to be credited with an
ounce of truth, and is Mr.. Hooper to
be given credit with nothing but the
TRUTH Does it look like the motives Of
the two men have been fairly weighed
under such an estimate as Mr.. McSped-
den is making9
We can see nothing in this campaign
more. forcible than the fact that the
Republican party is eagerly and quietly
at work taking advantage Of the condi-
tons in Tennessee to make it perma-
nently Republican. The party is doing
everything it can to decoy and deceive
independent Democrats Of the State
with Misrepresentation to bring about
this result, and, the great evil Of it all,
to do this at a time when every particle
Of Democratic strength is needed in
support Of the national administration.
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