The Polk County Republican. (Ducktown, Tenn.) 1914-191?, 1916-01-21
GOV. HOOPER on STATE POLITICS
Relates Some Facts That Go to ShcU
That Democratic Promises
Are Like Pie Crust.

Turning now for few minutes to the
subject of the state politics. trust that
| may be pardoned for saying hat, in my
judgement, the Republican party OF Ten
nessee has made progress in the confidence
and respect of the people in the last few
years. Formerly it paid too slight atten-
ton to state affairs 1t nominated a state
ticket merely as matter of form or to
confer empty honors upon political leaders.
The eyes of the party were always turned
toward Washington rather than Nashville.
AT times it degenerated into mere or
ganized appetite for federal office.
There was a sound reason for this stu
alton. 1t was based on the fact that
elections were so crooked that Republican
success was hopeless. This was especially
true after your honoled citizen, H. Clay
Evans, was fairly and legally elected gov
ernor and robbed of the office by farcical
contest. AS to this contest, | do not speak
from hearsay. | was there in the legisla-
ture a mere boy, and sa" the larceny COM
mitted
This elimination of the Republican
party as factor in Tennessee politics was
a curse to the state No state can prosper
morally or materially with that measure to
which it is entitled, with but one political
party. Tennessee would be ten years ahead
of her present condition if there had existed
two we'll matched political parties, per-
mitted to wage their contests in elections
honestly conducted. The most important
issue before the people of our state today
is that of honest elections. The ballot IS
the cornerstone of Republican government.
| would rather live under a decently adj
ministered autocracy than to live in nomi-
nal democracy or republic dominated by
election thieves, who stihe the voice and
blacken the ballot of the free citizen. Ii
| am deprived of my liberties and reduced
to the level of serf or felon prefer as
my lord and master an intelligent, well
disposed king or kaiser to a Memphis
election theft, enthroned on beer key in
the back room of gambling den in the
tenderloin
"In 1910 we had fair elections in Tenn
essee. In 1912 there was considerable
thievery. In the Democratic primary Mr..
Preston was robbed of Shelby county in
Jesse James fashion. In the November
election lost about $500 votes in David
son county alone by the simple expedient
of reading my opponents name from my
ballots. In 1914, approximately $4,000
fraudulent votes were cast or counted
AGAINST me in several counties, but mostly
in Shelby. was fairly defeated, however,
by about 5000 majority instead of 10000
as shown by the returns. In the recent
Democratic primary, McKeller received
hundreds of fraudulant votes in Memphis
many OF them dead men, white and black.
Mr.. McKeller, after learning that he
did not need these fraudulent votes, magan-
imously announced that he did not want
them.
snow they are having house cleaning
in Memphis. The police officer whose job
il was to handle the fraudulent registration
certificates has squealed and is turning up
the gang. 1t is from the environs of these
sweet scented political conditions that the
Democratic party of Tennessee has select
ed its candidate for the senate, bearing the
brand of Crump, Amounted with the oil
from the Crump machine, and carrying in
his hand the Crump certificate of his sound
ness on the prohibition question.
''The per pie Of Tennessee will defeat
McKeler and Rye this year with square
deal at the polls. 1t being federal elect
Am, the federal courts will ha' G jurisdiction
over the election law violation and the
doors of the Atlanta penitentiary will swing
as wide for the reception of Tennessee
election thieves as those at Leavenworth
did for the gang at Terre Haute;