Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-09-24

GOVERNOR BEN w. HOOPER,
Who last Thursday opened his cam.
paign at Memphis, the citadel Of his
strongest opposition. He was greet
ed by a great crowd, although the
refusal Of the use of the city audi.
torium forced him to speak in a
park.
In West Tennessee, for instance, Capt.
D. w. Ruffin. former Independent, of
Upton county, entered Regular conven-
ton for the nomination for fioater from
Upton and Lauderdale counties. He was
defeated by the Regular Democrats in
side the organization. A. l. Dorsey en-
tered a primary for Senator from Lau-
derdale, Dyer and Crockett counties, and
was defeated by Ike Stevens, the man
whom Senator Sam H. Williams beat in
1912. DIR. Frank Griffin entered the race
for doater from Lake, Obion and Dyer
counties, and was beaten by J. L. Coch-
ran, who was the Regular foater in the
last Legislature and stood staunchly with
the Regulars in their opposition to law
enforcement, until the final band wagon
rush came. All of these gentlemen, who
have been allied with the Independents
entered the Regular organization and
pledged their votes to General Rye, but
the Regulars would have none of them
= In Weakley county, d. w. Harper, who
represented the county in 1911 and was
a strong representative, offered for the
Regular nomination. Immediately the
Regulars rushed out s. l.. Maiden, a
strong original Patterson man, to defeat
him. Mr.. Harper perceived the plan and
withdrew.
The same sort of treatment has been
accorded Independent Democrats who
have put their candidacy before the peo-
Pile as a whole. The proposition. has
been made to the Regular organization
that these men have fought for the things
the Regulars now say they support, and,
that as all are on the same platform they
should not be opposed The Regulars.
however, don't seem to take the mean
ing of their own platform very seriously,
for they have everywhere brought out
opposition candidates, who are, in most
instances, newly converted to the laws
the Independents have favored.
Abernathy, who offered for the Senate
before the people, they have read him out
of the party because OF his record Of
fighting for these measures
Platform Talk.
The Res liars are basing their hopes OF
Candidates for Governor and Railroad
Commission, Rye and WEIGH, on the
ground that the platform they are run
ming on purports to declare for the same
Claiming that the platforms are the
same they claim that the Independents
should vote for their mem for state Of
fees, regardless Of the fact that neither
of the candidates was ever heard to ia
vor the supposed principles of their pres
ent platform until they were nominated.
When. however. the Independents in
discussing legislative matters make the
nlaip 70 hn hot
platforms are alike and they should,
therefore. support the Independent can
didates for the Legislature, the Regulars
turn deaf ear and get them candidates
1t is small wonder that they fall 10
catch many Independents that way. They
seem to want the harmony all one way.
The Election Law.
The deeper meaning OF this is recogni-
ton when it is recalled that the next Leg
islature elects two out OF three members
OF the State Board Of Elections.
The Regular Democrats have tried for
two Legislatures by all sorts of means
to destroy the present election law, and
deprive Independent Democrats and Re-
publicans of representation at the polls
They have given up the attempt to de-
stroy il by front attack this year, and
are trying flank movement. They say
the law is good law, but should be ad-
differently. They showed last |
year what their idea OF proper admins |
tration was, when they tried to pass an |
election law and name election commits |
sioners without giving Independent Dem |
ocrats a single representative in the state
They want, above all things, to control |
the next Legislature with Regular Dem |
ocrats in order to arrange the State Elec- |
ton Commission so that the election law |
can be administered according to their |
way of thinking
That is the reason why. in spite of pro- |
that they are for temper !
ance," law enforcement and the election |
law, they don't want men in the Legisla- |
ture who were for these things before the |
Regular convention of last May saw the |