The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-10-22
WHO ARE THE CAM
PAIGN CONTRIBUTORS

PAIGN CONTRIBUTORS
Now is the time for both parties tt
make clean breast of all the plans
and schemes employed by them tC
raise money for financing the present
campaign in Tennessee.
The people have a right to know
this, and they ought not to be salts
fled until they have given all the facts
Governor Hooper has charged that
George WEIGH is beer-keg stave
maker" and that he was nominated
by the democrats in order to induce
the liquor interests to contribute to
the campaign fund of the democratic
party.
George WEIGH, as has been clearly
and satisfactorily explained, is man
ufacturer of slaves, which are sold to
barrel factories to be employed as the
purchasers may determine, just as the
corn raised and sold by the farmers
goes on the market to be used as the
buyer may elect. Welch is no more
responsible for his slaves going into
whiskey barrels or beer kegs than
the farmer is responsible for his corn
being made into whiskey.
However, since Governor Hooper is
charging that the liquor interest is
contributing to the campaign fund of
the democratic state ticket, it is well
enough that the light of pitiless pub
licity be thrown upon the whole mat
ter, and both parties be required,
through their respective state COM
mittees, to make detailed sworn
statement of receipts and disburse-
ments of funds.
Looking to this end, the democratic
state committee has challenged the re-
publican state committee to join in
statement of this character,
The democrats want the whole
world to know where every dollar of
their campaign fund comes from.
What about the republicans? Are
they willing for the facts to be made
known in the way indicated? Are
they afraid of the truth? Or do they
hope to hide the source of their money
supply from the people?
If Governor Hooper's republican
state committee should refuse to join
with the democratic committee in MAX
ing public all contributions and ex-
penditures in the present campaign,
will he enlighten the public by re-
vealing few vital and very pertinent
facts?
Will Governor Hooper tell what
have contributed to his
fund this year, and what
Tell it; the people would
like to know.
Will Governor Hooper tell us wheth-
er he has borrowed any money from
any corporations or from any of the
officers of corporations this year?
Tell it; the people would like to know.
Will the governor tell the people
what he did with the money he got
from the vice-president of the Ameri-
can association, a big landed corpora
ton, Just before the election, two
years ago? Tell it; the people want
to know.
Will the governor tell what prom
ises he made to the officer of the
American association provided they
would tell of their perfidy in connec-
ton with the dismissal of the assess
ment against it by Worley? Tell it;
the people want to know.
viii the governor tell why he sent
the refugee contingent of the legisla-
Lure to Middlesboro last year when he
desired to break up the legislature?
Was it because this was the home
office Of the American association?
Did the association contribute towards |
the expenses of entertaining the legis-
Iature while in Middlesboro? Tell it;
the people are anxious to know.
VIII the governor tell why he under
took to suppress and have dismissed
the motion to back-assess the Ameri-
can association, instituted by the rev.
enue agent in 1914? Was it because
be appreciated the favor the officers
IF the association had bestowed upon
him in loaning him money two years
ago, or was it because these people
had contributed to his campaign fund,
Or was 1t because this concern helped |
him to keep the legislature out of the
state; or did all these things combined