The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1915-11-12

Lord and cursed. That our faitl
fulness may depend on our environ
ment is evinced by Pauls admon
tion, Wherefore come out frol
among them, and be We separate.
1t is entirely possible for any one t
be religious anywhere, but it is nc
Iprobable that some will be so any
where. And to put full confidenc
in man who has long been crooked
Especially where it is not at al
necessary and where much is in
Iyolved, is to be more credulous, i
lseems to me, than wise.
Jesus Christ himself puts us on oul
guard against over confidence in mel
without sufficient proof of their real
character, Matt. z, is. And since
Mr.. Patterson comes back, though ap-
parently in a different robe, and
jumps into the same old ring where
he SO long proved wolf, though
sometimes in Sleeps clothing, then
people positively have reasonable
and Biblical right to doubt, if not
whether he is in reality sheep, at
least to doubt if he will remain a
sheep. 1t gives people room to sus-
pect that 1t might possibly be trick
to get back into the political fold.
If Mr.. Patterson really desired our
confidence he ought to have kept out
of politics.
If man would have the full con-
fidence of a people, especially the
less credulous or those who cannot
know him personally and privately,
he must begin to be man before he
is becoming old. 1t is absurd to
expect people to put full confidence
in man, especially those who only
know him publicly, whatever his
who has acted notorious
ly crooked until he is around sixty.
once lost are not so
easily restored, and ought not to be.
A people once betrayed, are slow to
retrust the traitor, though he may
really become a saint. For people
are falable, and, unlike God, cannot
see what is actually in a mans heart.
1t is not the efficacy of religion that
we doubt, but in Mr.. Patterson's
case, it is, if not the sincerity, at
least the stability of the man.
Mr.. Hughes says Ham Patterson
has acted foolishly in his past life"
Yet Mr.. Hughes seems to think if we
are not confident enough now to
follow Patterson, as we would a sec
ond Solomon, that we are religious
and political apostles. A little more
might add to the
strength and cogency of both Mr.
Hughes logic and diction.
Antithesis when skillfully used is
a powerful figure of speech. The
Junius could split the hide
on a fellows back with his keen
And Mr.. Hughes
proves himself an adept in their use,
but it is his own back that he strikes.
For to say in one breath that he
has acted foolishly in his past life,"
and in the next that he ''has proven
limself a man of brains" certainly
,ets Mr.. Hughes inconsistency off in
/ very unenviable and bold relief.
What kind of a man." asks Mr..
"do we want in the United
States Senate will tell Mr.. |
Hughes. We want a man there with
| clean record behind him, who has
proved to have by nature land if he
IS religious, all the better) a strong
manly character-a man of well |
proven probity and capability. We
10 not want a man there who has the
.ottenest political record behind him
If any man who ever figured largely
IN Tennessee.
"Do we want man to go to Wash |
ngton,' asks Mr.. Hughes, who will |
vote as he is told" We want man
10 go to Washington, Mr.. Hughes. !
who will vote more than once in two
years, and then draw ten thousand |
dollars on that one vote.
And now, as / am not an enemy, |
but personally friend to Mr.. Pat
,erson, and do not wish him any
harm, would insist that
Mr.. Hughes do not write any more in |
his defense. For his well-meaning
licenses are better suited to humili-
ate that gentleman than my most
attacks.
Mr.. Hughes speaks to the point
when he says that a burnt child
breads the fire-that is if it be a |
child with a good memory. |
was once knocked down by a run
away horse, and for a long time
/ was easily frightened by
lorses running up behind me, And
seem to remember that some time
n my past l have been knocked
Town a time or two by Ham, and
hat explains my unusual trepida- |
ion when l see one gyrating in my
direction.