The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-09-10
THIRD TERM WITH INCREASED
POWER.

POWER.
Governor Hooper not only wants to
be elected governor for third term
but he very naturally wants increased
power. He is not satisfied with two
terms, but he wants to hold on yet a
little while longer. Likewise, he is
not content with the power other gov
ernors have, but he wants the people,
through the legislature, to bestow up
on him that power which no other gov
ernor of Tennessee has ever had-he
wants the right and the power to turn
out at will those officers who in his
judgement fail of their duty. He not
only yearns for the power Of removal,
but he ravenously Graves for the ex-
ceptional privilege of appointing men
to serve in the positions made vacant
by his imperial edict.
Extension of his tensure of Office,
the power of removal, and the power
of appointment are the things Cover
nor Hooper wants, and these are the
things his ardent supporters want him
to have. His republican followers be-
lieve that he deserves to be continued
in office, and that he deserves to have
conferred upon him this unusual pow
er. They believe that with another
term as governor, with power to re-
move officials elected by the people,
and power to appoint men the people
would not elect, Hooper will so
strengthen the republican party in
Tennessee that it will be all but i'm
possible to dislodge it. They believe
that with one more term of republi-
canism in the state, the democratic
party will be in the minority, and that
the republican party will be perma-
nently enthroned.
General Rye has declared against
comforting SO much power on the ex-
ecutive. He, with other democrats,
opposes the principle of surrendering
the power of the people into the hands
of one man, however great and good
that man may be. Tom Rye is an old
time democrat, who believes in the
rule of the people. He believes in
popular rights and popular govern
ment, and looks with disfavor ON any
scheme of government that would
abridge the rights of the people by
setting up over them an arbitrary or
despotic ruler.
The pleading advocates of republi-
canism are loudly proclaiming to the
democrats of Tennessee that the fate
of prohibition and the integrity of the
laws of the commonwealth depend up-
on the election of Hooper. They say
that only Hooper can save prohibition
and insure law enforcement. They say
that only Hooper and the republican
party must be believed and trusted,
and that Rye and the democratic par
ty must be spurned and rejected.
The democrats in one of the largest
and most representative conventions
ever assembled in the state nominated
Tom Rye on platform declaring for
the maintenance and enforcement of
the prohibition laws, and for the rigid
enforcement of all laws. Their plat
form not only made this declaration,
which is explicit and emphatic, but it
declared for whatever laws that might
be necessary to enforce the prohibit
ton laws.
Following an assault upon the plat
form by the republicans, in which its
declaration on the temperance ques-
ton was charged with being weak and
ambiguous, the antisaloon league sub
mitted questions to both Governor
Hooper and General Rye, seeking to
know their views on prohibition and
what each of these candidates would
promise to do for the cause If elected,
when General Rye responded in terms
that could not be twisted or distorted
to mean other than that he intended
He assured the people of Tennessee
that, IL elected, he would stand firmly
and uncompromisingly for the main
tenaRce and enforcement of not only
the prohibition laws, but all laws, and
for time this silenced republican
criticism, for 1t was a staggering blow
to the hypocrites, but as the republic
cans must successfully ride prohibi-
ton or go down to defeat. they soon
recovered and are now Justify pro-
claiming themselves the only genuine
dependable advocates of law enforce
ment and prohibition, while they are
charging that the democrats are in
sincere advocates and miserable trait
ors to the cause.
There must be deterioration In the
civilization and ctzenship Of the state
II we have but one man worthy of gu
bernatorial honors--and that man is