The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-11-12
POLITICAL
CONTEST WAS
IMPORTANT
BOOMING OF
THE BIG GUNS
UNDER EXPERT DIRECTION
Behind the Orators and Back Of
the Music Were Men With
the Brains.
UNDER EXPERT DIRECTION
Especial Correspondence.)

| tDptSlSil OOl1CopOuuCuCS.J
Nashville, Nov 9.-The democratic
victory in the recent election was as
clean as it was decisive. There is
tmuch mere to political contest of
the magnitude Of that in which Rye
and Welch figured as winners than the
playing Of bands and the speeches of
orators.
In naval battle you have the boom
ing of The big guns but get never a
glimpse of the grimy, sweat-coyered
creatures behind the guns, the ones
who do the loading, the sighting and
the firing. Without them, however,
without these gunners trained and ex-
pert, as we'll as fearless, the booming
of the canHon would be of slight eff
feet.
Just so with any important politi-
cal contest. Behind the orators,
back of the music, remote from the
parades and professions, are the gum
ners, hidden away in large measure
from public view. Without their ex-
pert direction oratorical explosives
would be far from effective; there
would be little in the result to cheer
over.
In Gen. Rye, the democrats found
candidate who from the first made
a favorable impression. His popular
ity grew as the campaign progressed.
His speeches took, as the saying is.
Gov Hooper and his friends expect
ed an easy victory Only some two
weeks before the election did they
realize that they were in danger that
the attacks of the democrats were be-
coming more. and more deadly The
big guns of the campaign were Rye
and Hannah, Lea and Frazier, Fort
and Joe Jones, with numerous others;
but in the powder room, in the con-
ming tower of the big steel clad, there
were expert directors of firing.
The principal ones were the State
chairman, l.. D. HILL Vice Chairman
Porter Dunlap, Secretary p L. Harm
ed and Treasurer John S. Denton.
They were the operators, we'll remov-
ed from the public view, but seeing
everything, directing here and there,
counseling, preparing the public mind
for open developments, placing this
speaker and that speaker at the prop
er and psychological moment, recon-
mending this plan or that plan Of at
tack, advising this or that argument,
all quietly, mehtodically, systematical-
ly, with only one great object in view,
victory for the party and their candi-
dates
The writer, who is voluntarily
through the weekly press, paying this
deserved tribute to set of men with
whom he has been closely associated
since the inception of the campaign,
has had somewhat extensive and
wide acquaintance with big political
operations. Two years ago he was
connected with the publicity bureau of
the Woodrow Wilson campaign, with
headquarters in New York City. He
never saw any committee do harder.
more intelligent and systematic work
than was done in the recent campaign
by Hill and Dunlap and their associ-
ates. They had to fight their way
from the losers end. They found the
democratic party disrupted and with
angry factions glaiing at one anoth-
er. They found their opponents SUI
premely confident, well financed and
with candidate who had twice won
over most worthy opponents.
The odds were strongly in Hooper's
favor, by general consent. Yet the
Rye managers, never tagging, never
discouraged, never beaten, moved
right along, smoothing down asper-
tiles here, harmonizing differences
there, appealing to reason and the
calmness of political judgment, until
finally the victory came
There was glory enough in the
triumph for all parties engaged, but
1t would be a poor triumph, If any
Of those who bore effective part were
overlooked by the victorious forces.
AS stated, this pleasing task Of add
ing to the roster of noble names OF
the campaign those which I have
is voluntary testimonial
from one who saw the splendid work
the long ordeal. Brave
men are nearly always modest; GER
tainly but for some such person as
the writer giving the above record Of
service to the public it would never
be known.