The weekly soliphone., 1915-11-19

Nashville, Tenn, Nov. ia sem
atorial elimination race, one of the
most important democratic prima-
ries in Tennessee in years, will be
held next Saturday.
The fight is a three-cornered af-
, fair, and three of Tennessee's lead
ing politicians are principals.
United States Senator Luke Lea
, of Nashville, known at Washing
ton as "the baby senator" on &C
, count of his youthful age, is asking
an endorsement of his first term.
Ex-Governor Malcolm Rice Pat
terson of Memphis, twice governor
and twice member of congress from
, the tenth district, seeks the nomina-
ton, on the plea that he will be a
strong force at the national capital
for nationwide prohibition. Two
years ago Mr.. Patterson, who had
been decidedly friendly to the liquor
interests, expoused the cause of pro-
hibition, and has made speeches all
over the nation denouncing the
liquor traffic.
Congressman Kenneth D. Nickel
lar OF Memphis, representative of
the tenth district, is making a race
On platform of peace and harmo-
| ny among Tennessee democrats" and
progressive war legislation for the
nation.
IN HOT CAMPAIGN.
The three candidates are engaged
in neck-to-neck speech making
campaign of the state, which is no
less of interest politically than the
famous Carmack-Patterson guberna-
torial joint debate of 1908.
| Personalities of bitter and Will
flying character are daily injected
Lea is denouncing Patterson from
every stump. Patterson is calling
Lea a party traitor. Mcclellan is at
lacking both his opponents.
Patterson's two terms as governor
were marked with sensationalism
the equal of which had not been ex-
perienced in Tennessee since Andrew
Johnson was the states military
governor during reconstruction days.
Patterson's debut into state politics
was accompanied with bitter strife
and opposition. 1t was the east pit
I ted against the west. Patterson OF
Shelby was fighting a ring built up
by Gov. John l. Fox of Sullivan, in
the extreme eastern part of the
state. In the delegated convention
the tide was going against the young
politician from Memphis. Luke
Lea, then young man less than so
and just out of Sewanee university,
was a delegate. In the hub-bub of
threatened bolt he knocked the
Cox chairman from the stand, and,
seizing the gavel, quickly turned the
convention toward Patterson. The
result was the Memphian's nomina-
ton and subsequent election.
PATTERSON AND LEA BREAK
Two months after Patterson was
inaugurated governor he and Lea
broke, and the young politician
started a daily paper in Nashville
to fight Patterson. This paper, it is
said, was the cause of Patterson's
defeat for a third term.
But this fight against Patterson
was not the only jinx following him.
Just a week after his second cleo
ton as governor ex-United States
Senator Edward Ward Carmack, then
the editor of LEAFS paper, was shot
down on the streets of Nashville by
Duncan Brown Cooper and his son,
Robin B. Cooper, both political
friends of Patterson. Lea's paper
charged Patterson with inspiring the
plot to kill Carmack, and this charge
was spread broadcast over the state.
This killing not only contributed to
the defeat Of Patterson, but it hur-
ried statewide prohibition upon