The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1918-07-26


that | had in any way attracted the
special attention of the President of the
United States so that he should address
a message peculiarly" to me, But since
! am advised by such eminent authority
that the President was addressing me,
and knowing his keen insight and pro-
phetic vision, it may be worth while to
emphasize the statement made in the
above quotation.
politics is adjourned" Yes, my
friends, politics Is adjourned so that both
Houses of Congress shall be filled with
men who, in their hearts, are true and
win bear the acid test of loyalty,
whether they be Democrats or Repub-
leans.
inconsistency Emphasized
"The election will so to those who
think the least of it, For months and
months the senior Senator has been
prosecuting his campaign for reelection
through the press and his personal rep
resentatives, ably aided and assisted by
Federal otitceholders. If politics is ad
jGmned, why all this activity on the
part Of the senior Senator's representa-
tives? Why don't they go home? II
policies is adjourned, why doesn't the
press which, with one notable exception,
so far as | know, have Loyalty and ably
given unstinted support to the adminis-
appeared upon the American horizon
down to the present time, continue its
splendid fight for complete victory and
eternal peace and leave politics alone.
Why waste so much energy and effort
time and space in advising the people OF
the importance and necessity of elect
ing candidate they claim is already
elected2 If my entrance into the race
has not disturbed or in any way inter-
fered with a wel-arranged and carefully
planned campaign by which the senior
Senator hopes TO succeed himself, why
indulge in so much criticism? II the
Senator is invincible and no one car
wrest from him the toga he wears, why
so much ado about it? And, above all
If he has established the reputation
claimed for him. why not let him run his
CWn race? Why seek to burden the
President ana elect in his name a candi.
date whose cause he has never espousec
and in my judgment, whose cause HI
will never eSpouSe, even though the Con
stitution, that immortal document, 50
well established as the charter of on
safety. may topple and fall for want q
his sustaining power and encouraging
presence?
II politics Is adjourned, why don't tho
Federal ofliceholders, ostensiQly engaged
in the business of the gov&nment, g,
hack to the places Of their business ant
render more service for Uncle Sam ant
less service to their candidate?
II politics is adjourned, why doesn
the adjournment affect the friends of thu
senior Senator as well as myself? by
what rule of Interpretation or strained
construction can they insist that thi!
statement applies alone to me and my
friends and certain other candidates ant
their friends? Should we go home while
they and their allies go into executive
session for political purposes?
Duty of Citizens
If there ever was a time In the histor,
of the country when all true and loya
men should interest themselves, not II
fractional politics that disturb and distrac
the public mind but the politics tina
will carry them to the polls to exercise
their right as free men by voting 70
candidates from the lowest to the high
est Office, men who are known to b.
| honest, conscientious, patriotic citizens
that time is now.
BY the declaration, politics Is ad
journed' no right thinking man woult
| insist that our great President INTENDED
to convey the idea that the coming elec
ton should be turned over to the politi
cal CRATER and machinist who play tn
game alone for selfish purposes, win
care >ut little or nothing for the futur
of our boys across the waters and mani
fest but little interest In our splend
civilization, which we are striving {
protect from the mailed hand Of Germa
militarism.
! If it be true that the election will com
to those who think least of It, then Their
! Is a chance for me to win. | can truth
| fully say, up to the time of my public an
rouncement for the Senate, on the 2Sth G
1 May, no living man, no matter how clos
/ to me personally or politically, wa
.,1t tt,,,,i yn1 -, t,4 =.
/ time or place proclaim my candidacy |
/ an effort to secure a vote or effect an or
! ganizaton for my benefit.
While ] was attending to my ofticif
! duties, giving my time and energies to tn
responsibilities devolving upon me as 4
official. ! repeat that for months activite
! in the senior Senator's political Camp wer
! evidenced on every hand. even while tn
/ God Of battle seemed to frown upon OF
| boys In the trenches, who. with our BRAY
ard courageous allies, were facing tn
advancing columns Of overwhelming nun
! bers on fields Of carnage, even when tn
/ angel Of death with a pen Of blood wa
( recording the names of our own sons o
the Roll Of Honor. Notwithstanding TIL
| Fact and the fact that politics is ad
/ iCurned,' an army of political patriots me
1 bilized for a specific purpose, It's ma
power carefully selected with view Of 81
! fcicrCN in the art of political warfar
men who have thoroughly mastered tn
/ political methods of their COMMANDMENT
chief. men Of experience, who thorough
understand and know how to pIav tn
/ game. men thoroughly In accord with tn
I methods to be employed In order TO wi
! at any cost, this army with well-regu
! lated movements In obedience to spccih
! orders have marched to- and fro from on
4 end Of the State to the other, and toda
4 they are more active, more energeti
] than ever in executing the orders Of til
senior Senator, as they march under HI
political flag to tho music Of 'Politics
Adjourned"
Subsidized Shields Organs
They have constituted themselves tn
! keepers Of the political conscience Of
4 patriotic eitizenship they have promul
4 gated the rules by which your patriotisl
and mine must be judged; they are III
aelf-eonstituted advisers Of the intclli
gent citizenship of great State an
/ thei: propaganda is presented TO the yOt
ers of the state through the columns {
n subsidized press.
Il Why all this cry Of adjournment Of pol
4 ttics and of high treason to oppose tn
senior Senator? MY fellow citizens, It
nothing but the camonfage Of one Of III
most adrot, well-organized and sl2ilfull
planned movements to stife the voice
the people that was ever launched in thi
state. 1t was the purpose Of this Free
political machine to deprive you Of q
opportunity to express the choice of yot
party 1t is the peonle that they fea
and they had rugged this machine to han
the senior Senator an endorsement, an
place the brand Of the Democratic part
on his aspirations without allowing h
case to go before the people, and benin
1t All lies z deliberate and well-planne
purpose to construct q political machir
| IA a. "a, ~
In Tennessee, dominate its political ma
chinery, and fill all pubic Offices bot
state and Federal
why should the senior Senator fear
run under q primary plan that was de
signed by, built for, and viii he operate
by his friends? 1t II significant that
decryinE opposition to the senior Ser
- ~ frtn hn lAlA 1