The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-24
AMERICANS FIRST.
why a Tennessee Republican Opposed
Victory Celebration

10 IHE NEW YORK HERALD: I have
never failed to vote in a county. state
or national election Stree I was 81. Nv
first vote was for Blaine and Logan.
and lost 1 accepted defeat. and
watched the Democratic torchlight pro-
cesslon that passed my door.
-Four years later l voted for General
Harrison, who was successful that time
but lost the next time. Cleveland had
been elected again and great prepara-
tons were made for a second torchlighf
procession In my town Orders were
issued by a Democratic Mayor and
Board of Aldermen for everybody to IL
Illuminate along designated streets where
the torchlight procession was to march
was notified to illuminate, but | sa d .
mo, this is no occasion for me and my
no &c T. ejoice VIII not illuminate"
Before the procession had reached my
sct.on the chief OF police. a Democrat
came to me bearing Illuminating Ian
terms for my windows and demanded
that he be allowed to place them in
their proper place. NO" said |, this
is no occasion for me to rejoice am
defeated. You and your crowd have all
the joy you can get out of It, but
shall not celebrate my own defeat"
Whereupon he demanded that the Ian
terms be placed in my windows facing
the street. and proceeded to place the
'anterns stop" said 1 ''the moment
you enter my door that moment / will
shoot you" l had my gun in hand at
the time. The lanterns were not placed.
the procession passed on and out Of
sight
Since then have voted for each Re-
publican candidate for President until
1912. when voted for Woodrow Will
son, as a rebuke to my own party. In
1916 I voted for Justice Hughes but
"IIe kept us out of war; was elected, and
we all know now what a sad mistake
that was. In 1920. November 2, voted
for Senator Harding and Calvin Coo
lidge: we all now have the results Of
that election.
BY or o'clock on November 3 the
telephone began to ring and II seemed
that we must have a celebration and a
torchlight procession in token of our vic
tory. mo" said I, "this is not the
time OF place for such a demonstration
Tennessee has elected Alf Taylor as
Governor, FIVE out Of the ten Representa-
tives Of Tennessee, and. most glorious Of
all. given her electoral vote to the cause
of Republicanism. for which my own
father gave his life that the Union
might live. Tennessee is still a Demo-
cratic state, but IL our party viii not
fail us and the American people IL
may be we may swing her vote on our
side in future but that depends alto
gether upon whether we as a political
party measure up to what we should. or
go off into a scramble for office, re-
warding the faithful. as has the last
Administration done.
1--WE are a free people, living under a
republican form of government We
are not democracy but n republic I;
don't forget that"
But in our last national election.
thank God. n large majority OF US were
Americans first and pray God we may
ever remain such as long as the earth
shall bear a plant or the sea roll a
wave.
And when thrones OF kings shall have
crumbled into dust. when sceptres and
diadems shall have been forgotten. the
flag OF our Republic shall float in pride,
power and glory as long as we remain
Americans first. and no longer
o. r. r. Fox.
MoRRIsTowN, Tenn. November 81.