The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1915-01-14
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TALKS TO ATLANT|ANs

Atlanta, Jan. 12.-"Yes, national
prohibition is sure to come. The fail
ure of the amendment in congress
this year was more victory than a
defeat. 1t will require three-fourths
of tire states to ratify he amendment
and they are ready to act" said Elk
Gov. Malcolm R. Patterson over his
coffee and eggs at local hotel.
Prohibition is growing in strength
every year." he continued. National
prohibition will not come at this SEES
sion of congress, of course. But ii
is bound to come sooner or later. In
seven years America will be prohibit
ton from coast to coast"
Gov. Patterson, former governor of
Tennessee and for many years spec
tacular figure in the turbulent poll
tics of that politically-tangled. state,
came to Atlanta for addresses Sun
day, Temperance Field day. He spoke
in the forenoon at the First Methodist
church and in the afternoon at the
auditorium, and re frankly reviewed
his own career as representative of
the local option faction and his rather
sudden switch to the ranks of the pro-
hibitionists.
But he wouldn't talk about the diff
ference between the old times ind the
new today. The interviewer had
known him decade ago, in his mem
orable gubernatoral campaign against
John l. Cox, when Patterson and pro-
ribition was as far apart as Alaska
and TERRA del Feugo. Gov. Patter-
sons faction was fighting booze"
Just as strenuously in those days as
his new friends are now-but in a diff
ferent construction of the phrase. Pat
terson hated he reformers and he
reformers hated Patterson. He was
elected governor, and when the Ten
nessee prohibition bill was passed he
promptly slapped his veto on it, with
a message which the liquor interests
still circulate as one of tire MASTER
pieces of anti-prohibition argument.
The legislature passed the bill over
the governors head, however, and
Tennessee went dry. In his Sunday
address, Gov. Patterson said he was
glad of it, and that, if he could be
would rewrite that message in behalf
Of prohibition.
Gov. Patterson refused to be drawn
into discussion of politics in Ten
nessee, despite the fact that Sundays
Memphis Comercial-Appeal had pub
lished tire report that he might run
Tor United States senator next year
against Senator Luke Lea, of Nash
Vile, the incumbent, who is a-candi-
date for reelection. 1t is well known,
however, that the old friendship be-
tween Patterson and the boy-senator
is thing of the past, and that each
sooAs with hearty disfavor on -
others change of views in mattres DO
litical.
Gov. Patterson's last term followed
ris defeat of ex-senator Edward w.
Carmack in their noted race for the
governorship. The heat of this cam
paign and its ecohes brought on the
Staying of Carmack in street fight
with Duncan Cooper and his son.
Robin Cooper, and after a sensational
trial and conviction the elder Cooper
was pardoned by Gov. Patterson, the
case against the son being dropped
after that. Gov Patterson afterward
entered the race for the Unied States
senaorsrip, blu withdrew before the
finish. Since his conversion to the
prohibition ranks about two years ago
he has devoted his time to speaking
in many states on the prohibition
question.
I'D rather not talk about the Geor-
gia situation of that of any other
state, he said. I'm not taking part
in the political end of the question
Just now"