The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1918-07-19

backbone to do it. He meant what
he said in the campaign. He is
honest, and an honest man in poll
tics sometimes stands isolated and
neglected, and even derided because
forsooth he is not politically shrewd
boldest stands ever attempted to
stem the onrush of legislative ap-
preparations and plumber. He plead
for tax reform and internal economy,
but it was high tide which neither
he nor any Governor had the power
to control. He came to the capitol
and made a personal appeal, but the
clamor of false propaganda prevailed
against dispascionate reason. Gov
ernor Rye was overruled as any other
man would have been, and hence
the condition of Tennessee finances.
The General Assembly, and not Gov
ernor Rye, is responsible for these
conditions.
This paper does not admit that
Governor Rye is a man of ordinary
| ability. On the contrary he has ex-
hibited marks of distinguished abili-
ity. There is not a more polished
speaker in the State. There is not
another man who commands a more
fluent English. There is not a bet
ter orator in the State. He is law
yer, and his record as Attorney Cen
eral in his home district is one of the
best in the State. He may not be
entitled to the same judicial weight
accorded to the senior Senator, but
the people of Tennessee have the ut
most confidence in Governor Rye's
integrity.
Here is a very potential brief of
Governor Rye: He is in the first
place a patriot devoting his energies
and abilities to forward the work of
the Administration in it's war meas
ures. He is in perfect sympathy and
accord with the President in prose-
cutting the war to a successful fin
ish. Governor Rye is openly, avow-
eddy and aggressively a nationwide |
prohibitionist; he is for woman's
suffrage by national amendment, |
and he is otherwise a man whose
convictions are in keeping with a
progressive nationalism and purer
and better democracy.
One more word: This paper has
never been asked by the Governor
nor any of his friends for its sup
port, and this article is not written
for the purpose of placing the paper,
in the attitude of a Rye organ. 1t
is merely defense of the Governor
Of Tennessee from unjust criticism.
Here is what Governor Rye had to
say of Mr.. Stahlman:
Those of you who are on the
list of the senior Senator
nave been lately receiving a part of
he Congressional Record, purporting
% contain transcript of the Stahl-
nan case, and 1 will warn you in ad-
Jance that what you are receiving is ,
'nly that portion of the history of ,
.. B. Stahlman that Stahlman and !
Shields deem it necessary for you to
know. ,
las the senior Senator is making |
his an issue in this campaign and |
IS 1t is an issue of his making inso- /
ar as l am concerned, l must meet 6
his issue and give you the reason (
Why / do not approve the course of {
he senior Senator on this matter. G
maj. Stahlman was born in Ger =
many, and has lived since childhood t
n this country, prospecting under (
ur institutions and enjoying the
of our laws and our free a
government. Never to this good day t
las he renowned his allegiance to n
Germany; never has he performed a
ne act to sever the ties that bind v
i'm to the German Kaiser, and that O
e has lived this way, with full O
is. proven by his own
tatement that he at one time start h
d to have himself naturalized and
hen abandoned his application. t
There are many of foreign birth b
wing among us who have been loyal b
o our country in this struggle, but r
J. B. Stahlman is not that number. D
'hru the columns of his newspaper G.
e preached German propaganda, d
the minds of our people d
nd assailing the President and the C,
administration by every statement (,
nd innuendo short of actual treason. g
When you read of the exemption fl
Stahlman remember that he was lo
OF required to bear arms or to do d,
ate his property for the protection 81
the country that has shielded and CT
rejected and prospered him all his pi
fe, and that he had spat upon in ia
er time of danger. He was only re- RI