The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-25

On the Situation


On the Situation
The one who seems to get
the most amusement from the
expression Sugar" Paine
seems to be Mr., Paine him
self.
Horace johnson, Citizens
League candidate for COM
missioner, is a competent man
and a good citizen, standing
high in the councils of union
labor. His election will build
a4bridge of understanding. and
good will that will accomplish
much for harmony in this
city's industrial life.
Mr.. Williams says his life is
an open book. The only trou-
BILE is that three times in his
political career certain impor-
tant pages have been missing.
Strange rumors have been
started, which can only be
traced to the frantic efforts of
the williams ticket to secure
campaign thunder. Those who
know Rowlett Paine, most cour-
teous Of men, only smile when
they hear the silly yarn that
Paine told the young lady ste
~nographer in his office that he
did not speak to his emplo IS
outside of the office, as he OF Y
desired to know them in a bus
ness way.
Mr.. williams claims that he
made a perfunctory oath that he
was a citizen OF DeSoto county,
Mississippi, in 1915. How could
a man take a perfunctory oath?
If he treats one oath as a mere
scraD OF paper, what attention
would he pay to his oath Of Of
flee, If he were really eligible to
the position of Mayor of Mem
phis and should be allowed to
take his seat?
Will you vote for Williams
and a lawsuit, or Paine and a
certainty of stable and clean
government? Memphis has been
paralyzed too long with political
lawsuits. She is determined to
take no more chances or the
chaos resulting in the election
of an ineligible nan to office.
1t is Paine that is a tself-made
man and Williams the man with
the pedigree. Paine was the son
of a poor widow and her CHIEF
support from the time he was a
small boy. He has worked his
way up through all sorts of diff
culties and owes his success en-
tirely to his honesty and indus.
try. Williams, on the other hand
was born in affluence, belongs tc
a family which boasts Of it'
prominence, and has lived out o.
the public crib all his days.
There have been so many fact!
about Joe Williams career
attention of Memphis voters
that the Citizens League has no
spared the time to indulge il
political jests. Sugar" Paine i
an in~offensive expression ant
hardly clever enough to provoke
a retort. There is, however, M
lack of material for a comebacl
In Williams grotesque organlza
ton.
As Mr.. Williams referred to hi
sacred word as a "perfunctor,
oath" why not "Perfunctor,
Joe?" While he was mayor tn
gained the title of Mud Hol
joe" His autocratic rule is we
known, when an attempt wa
made to concentrate all power Il
the mayor. A nifty little combi
nation Of all this would be PEI
functory Joe, the Mud Hol
Gar"
4 gas attack from some direc
tion says that Paine has lived !
Memphis but six years and
barely qualified for mayor. AS
matter Of fact, he was born an
reared In Memphis, His only ed
ucation was obtained in the pub
lie schools Of this city.
The Williams ticket continue
to attack Mr.. Paine's patriot
record as Food Administrator fc
West Tennessee, in spite of tn
high recommendation from DR.. /
A. Morgan, representing the Stat
Food Administration, and the ties
timonial from Herbert Hoove
United States Food Commission
er, which states it's appreciate
of efficient and patriotic serN
ice during the great war Of 1871
49,"
Williams, on the other han
has been declared legally inelig
BILE to the office by many alb
Memphis lawyers and at II
same time, nothing in his care,
as 40 years an office-seeker leaC
people to expect of him any so,
OF progress or relief from o,
present ri of bad government.
Williams never has denied ov,
his own signature that he sougl
the support of Crump and wa
turned down, His hackers crit
size Paine because Crump Sc,
fit personally to vote the Citizen
Ticket, rather than Williams
Do the people of Memphis b,
lieve the rumors that are beiT
circulated that Paine has 6
agreement with certain lumb,
dealers that If elected he will Sc
them all the big oak trees
Overton Park? Also, where d
the rumor originate that Pail
promised certain New York Fl
dealers, in case Of his election, ]
would sell them all the fur fro
Court Square squirrels?
Union labor people are laughli
at the effort to circulate Il
propaganda that Paine is oppos,
to union labor. He not only h
stated repeatedly that both bus
ness and labor have the right
organize, but he thoroughly a