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

If am any judge of we'll rounded
out, pointed, forcefuI. logical and COM
plete political speech. Governor Hooper
made one OF the best OF that type at
Union City that ! ever heard. Just
how such clear-cut statement OF po-
Ktical, financial and moral facts, and
such complete unearthing OF political
fraud and rottenness among the regular
leaders, could fail to appeal to any in
telligent man who really has the civic
and moral welfare OF the State at heart,
is kind Of psychological puzzle that |
cannot untwist.
The Commercial is one of the cleanest
and best-the best-county paper with
which | was ever acquainted, and its
judgment OF men and things, | believe,
is usually good. But il Hooper is q
very ordinary man in the estimation OF
The Commercial, as it says, then surely
The Commercial has rubbed up against
some mighty giants in its days, of whom
some of us, at least, have no knowledge.
III The Commercial admires Mr.. Rye's
type OF political speech, with its YER
bosity and rather dangerous move
ment, then am not surprised that The
Commercial should not indorse Hooper's
terse, pointed and forceful style OF
speech. But Rye is on rotten, shaky
foundation. while Hooper is on rock,
and that naturally makes difference.
but the TACT is, it seems to me, Hooper
is the most all-round competent man
for the position thatfhe occupies that
we have had in the Governors chair for
long time.
Benjamin Harrison (but he was q
Republican, once said in an inaugural
address: mo political party can long
pursue advantages at the expense OF
public honor, or by rude and indecent
methods without protest and fatal dis
affection in its own body" And that
was precisely what split the Democratic
party in Tennessee--it was political
rottenness in that party. Most of its
best members left it because OF the cor
ruption at its source. or head, and they
are staying out OF it now for exactly the
same reason. When the Democratic
split, the far greater part of foulness,
indecency and fraud was left with the
regulars, and modesty submit that it
is still there. The head OF the regulars
is Lea, Howse and Crump, three of the
most renegade and corrupt political
bosses--and you need not say, my
regular friend, that they are not your
.bosses-that ever disgraced any State.
These three gentlemen supply the
fountainhead OF the regular Democratic
stream, and as the fountain is, so is the
stream. Any respectable gentleman,
who wishes to, may line up with these
corrupt multiplying bosses, but so long
as / honor God, the society OF clean
men and moral progress, | will kindly
ask to be excused. How any man, who
has ever been an independent, can go
back Just now to the same old gang,
lust because they profess to stand on
temperance platform. is strange to me.
Gentlemen, it is not what man stands
on. but the heart that pulses in his
bosom that determines what he is and
what he will do.
Rousseau said: The voice OF the
people is the voice OF God. And that
is especially true just now Of the people
of Tennessee-the majority. The ma
,rity OF the people in our State are IN
favor OF Prohibition. law enforcement,
moral progress and civic righteousness
their voice is the voice OF God. To
make our voice paramount, and to have
it moulded into concrete law, IS the
divine duty before usat this time. And
well do we know or feel. the majority OF
as. / am sure, that we cannot bring
these beneficent results about by lining
up with the old gang Of crooked, corrupt
and selfish political leaders, who even
now are doing all they can to corrupt
our civic, social, political and moral
interests. Consequently the fusionists
are going to line up with each other
stick together and elect man foi
Governor that has been weighed, OF
tried. and not found wanting Ben W,
Hooper.
where the serpent's tooth is, shuT