The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-01-22
AS TO CONSISTENCY.

NNNNN~-~SN
standard:
The Columbia Herald is bitterly
criticising Senator Church for Vot
ling for John B. Thomson for comp
troller, and accusing him of incon
sistency, going back on his promises
the people, forsaking his princi-
pies, and such like. 1t occurs to us
that The Herald is a far greater sin
ner along these lines than Senator
Ihurch. Through two campaigns
The Herald was one of the strongest
supporters of Hooper and the fusion
cause. On the flimsy and equivocal
declaration for temperance and law
enforcement in the regular demo
cratic platform The Herald Topped
over, to Rye and gave all the force
of its support to the regulars and
their organization all over the state.
Senator Church's vote for Thomson
was but small offense and slight
breach of consistency as compared
with The Herald's flop to the regu-
lars. Thomason's election was moth
! ing more than the natural sequence
of the triumph of the regulars, which
The Herald aided so heartily to
bring about"
1t all depends upon the viewpoint.
The Herald insists that its support
of Rye and the democratic platform
was wholly consistent with its pre-
vious record. This paper never be-
lieved that fusion was anything
more than a temporary expedient; it
did not believe that fusion party
could be made permanent factor in
the affairs of Tennessee. 1t recog-
nized all the time that under ordina-
ry and normal conditions the demo
cratic party was the dominant polit-
cal organization of Tennessee and
would be responsible for the admin
istration of the affairs of the state.
From the first therefore this paper
set itself heroically and consistently
to the task of making the reforms
achieved by fusion cardinal policies
Of the democratic party. 1t announc-
ed Immediately after the first cleo
tion of Hooper, four years ago, that
just as soon as the democratic par
ty accepted in good faith the YER
diets of the people rendered at the
polls in August and November, 1910,
this journal would do all that 1t
could to return that party to power
In 1912 the democratic party re-
fused to be reformed; it declined to
accept the judgments of former cleo
tions and The Herald again helped
to rebuke it and Hooper and fusion
again triumphed. We continued our
campaign for a reformed and reha-
bilitated party and witnessed its tri-
umph. In the campaign of 1914 the
democratic party gave apparently
sincere evidences of genuine reform
alton and a chastened spirit. Under
the circumstances The Herald would
have been guilty of bad faith; it
would have been utterly inconsistent
had it not given the party that sup
port which it had repeatedly declar-
ed that under the circumstances
then existing it would give. Like
thousands of others in Tennessee,
The Herald took the democratic par
ty at its word and helped to restore
it to power.
This paper sincerely hopes and
prays that the democratic admins
tration will justify its vote of conf
dence; it hopes that Gov. Rye will
keep inviolate the solemn covenants
between the party and the people of
Tennessee. 1t is going to do every
thing that it can to nelp achieve
hat result. 1t believes in the sin
cereity and good intentions of Gov.
Rye. But this paper expects to
point out his mistakes and those of
he legislative majority. 1t could
1ot, with a proper regard for its
iuty, do otherwise. When the legis-
AZURE takes a course that indicates
| disregard Of the solemn obliga-
ions of the democratic party to the
people of this state, The Herald will
lot hesitate to criticise. This is an
democratic journal It
will hold up the hands of any party
Or leader who is sincerely trying to
serve the best interests of the state;
IN the other hand it will never fawn
.