Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1915-04-14
NO. IS


what the result would be, that so far
as the Dixie Highway association was
concerned, If they would appoint their
two men from each state promptly and
would make fair appointments. NOT
partlsans, and would not get the enter
prise tangled up with politics. we
would stand by them but if it got into
pontics in any of the states and was
not carried out promptly in business
like way, we would withdraw from the
whole governors plan at the first sign
of it being handled in political way.
That the Dixie Highway was a great
enterprise and that politics had no
place in it. | told them if it was done
in accordance with the above, we
would wait until the commissioners
who were appointed, had formally To-
Gated the road, provided the commits
sloners acted promptly. That if the
road was located on broad lines from
point east of Chicago, ILL.,, to Miami.
Fall, we would stand by it. If 1T was
not, we would then Withdraw. They
fully understood the statement and a
majority OF the governors agreed with
me. Some of them would have made
their appointments before they went to
the convention, but it was objected to.
| knew then that politics would play a
large part with the location of the
road. We expected that all the ap-
pointments would be made not later
than Monday. Gov. Slaton, of
Georgia., made his appointments on
Saturday. Gov. Ralston, of Indiana,
made one of his appointments on Sat-
urday.
ATTEMPTED 10 PLEDGE MR..
JAMES TO CERTAIN ROUTE.
Monday afternoon, parties who
claimed to repre- ent the appointing
puwer at Nashvi ie. approached me.
They sand woua be appointed one Of
the two men fron this state, but stated
that must first commit myself to vote
for the Shelbvvlle and Winchester
route between Chattanooga and Nash
vile. declined 1t, as did not want
an appointment under such terms, and
told the representatives. to please COM
with the powers who had the
appointment to make that | would not
accept any appointment with string
tied to it land to please be certain TO
advise whoever sent the communica.
tion to see that no further communica-
lions OF this character be sent to me.
They did not stop at that. was pre-
'ented with the same thing by differ
INT people two or three times on Tues
lay and Wednesday. | gave the same
lnswer to each one of them. Only one
+ these emlssaries suggested the Man
hester route; not one of them sug-
rested the McMinnville route. | was
assured Tuesday and also Wednesday
hat If | would agree to their sugges-
ions to commit myself in advance that
ny appointment would appear IN the
,aper OF Tuesday sent word back
Trough the same source and asked
hat they communicate with the gov
rnor and tell him to have his friends
nd advisers to cease making such
81 learned from reliable sources on
Wednesday that the appointing powers
lad offered to appoint well-known
Gentleman OF. high integrity for politi-
al reasons, and ne declined it. This
ame gentleman had made speech on
he platform of the Auditorium on
declaring in favor Of, and
recommending, the route by Shelby
lille and Winchester. | saw then there
vas no use for the Dixie Highway as
ociation to remain quiet longer, as the
greement between US had been vIo-
ated by, ,the>state of Tennessee hence
he actions we took. as we wanted the
DAD commenced and wanted it built at
nee.
lEVER HAS BEEN OPPOSED TO
NASHVILLE.
II have never been, and am not now,
pposed to any route through Nash
llle | think the state capital ought
0 be connected with this highway, il
! is possible. think the state capital
1 every state through which it runs
ught to be considered and try to To-
ate through these points.
81 tried in every possible way to put
stop to such overtures being made
rom the very first. | did not want to
any one, but had stood all
he suggestions that any honorable
ian could submit to, and there were
My two things for me to do; one was
DR. me to personally abandon all con-
ectlon with the Dixie Highway associ-
tion and let the politicians run it, or
,r me to stand by the Dixie Highway
irrespective of results. 1
ropose 10 stand by the Dixie Highway
'sociation and see the road built, IT