Evening star., 1936-10-31
TAYLOR MAY WIN
F.. TENNESSEE FIGHT.
Republican Having Hardest
Battle of Career Keeping
Knox County.
BY JOHN H. CLINE,
Stan Correspondent Of The Star

KNOXVILLE, Tenn, October 31.-
Tennessee's only real political fight of
the year is in full swing here-almost
within the shadow of majestic Norris
Dam, keystone of the New Deals vast
T. v. A. power development project.
And yet the public power question,
strangely enough, is not real issue in
the campaign for the congressional
seat from this second Tennessee dis
trict. Both the Republican and the
Democratic candidates are emphati-
cally in favor of the T. v. A. Both
candidates probably are sincerely in
favor of this project. but even If they
were not the Government has spent
entirely too much money in this section
to permit of any criticism.
The Republican candidate is J. Will
Taylor national committeeman from
Tennessee, and for 18 years this dis
posing him is John T.. O'Connor, a
Democrat. former mayor of Knoxville.
Taylor apparently will be reelected
after the hardest fight of his political
career.
National Ticket Sighted.
Little is heard here of the national
ticket, although there Is a Landon-
Knox headquarters on the main street,
from which campaign literature is dis
tributed. Taylor, in several of his
speeches, has urged his listeners to
vote for Gov. Landon, but both candi-
dates are saving their heavy ammuni-
ton for blasts at each other. This is
due to the fact that virtually every
body comedies Tennessee to President
Roosevelt and the practical politicians
feel there is no use wasting time and
money on a hopeless cause.
O'Connor and the Democratic news
paper supporting him have made some
effort to inject the T. v. A. into the
campaign. claiming that Taylor has
not been constant in his devotion for
it. This drive was pretty well killed
off, however, by the revival of an edi-
torial printed several years ago by
the Democratic paper in which Taylor
was praised lavishly for his activities
in behalf Of T. v. A. and, incidentally,
Knoxville.
Taylor's real difficulty seems to lie
in the fact that during his years as
Federal patronage dispenser under Re-
publican administrations he made
numerous enemies, who are now out
to beat him if they can.
Hopes to Swing Knox County.
He has considerable support among
the anti-New Deal Democrats. and
probably will get around $500 votes
from them in Knoxville, which should
be enough to carry Knox County for
him. He undoubtedly will carry all
OF the remaining 10 counties. Barring
an overwhelming vote against him in
this city, ~. Will" as he is known to
one and all, will be back in Congress
for another term.
The Republicans also are facing a
fight in their sole remaining Tennessee
7district-the first.
B. Carroll Reece, veteran Republi-
can incumbent, is running against
William M. Crawford, Democrat, but
the race is complicated by the candi-
ldacy of Charles W. Clark, Repubh-
can. who is running independently
with Townsend Endorsement.
Crawford would not have a chance
in this traditionally Republican dis
-trict were it not for Clark's candi-
dacy. Many political leaders believe
that the Townsend movement is popu-
lar in the district. and they predict
that division Of the Republican vote
may defeat Reece. The chances are,
however, that he will come through
successfully.
Origin of G. o. p. Strength.
These two districts are the only Re-
publican strongholds in an otherwise
overwhelmingly Democratic State, and
their G. o. P. leanings date back to
slavery days. This hilly, eastern Sec
tion OF the State was settled by small
farmers who couldn't afford or couldn't
use slaves and there developed among
them a strong antipathy toward the
big planters in the central and west
ern sections. This sentiment has been
handed down from generation to
generation. and they still vote the Re-
publican ticket.
In the remaining seven districts the
Democratic candidates have no oppo-
sition, and, Of course, their re-elec-
ton Is assured. They are: Sam D.
McReynolds, third district; John R.
Mitchell, fourth district; R. T. Atkin-
son. fifth district; Clarence w. Turner,
sixth district; Heron Pearson, seventh
district; Jere Cooper, eighth district,
and Walter Chandler, ninth district.
Atkinson was nominated for the seat
left vacant by the death of Speaker
Joe Byrns.
In the gubernatorial race, the Re-
publicans are running P. H. Thach
against Gordon Browning, Democrat.
Browning's election is assured. Sena-
tor Nathan L. Bachman, Democratic
incumbent, also has nothing to fear
from his Republican opponent, John
r. Neal.
Socialists Are Busy.
The Republicans have no other
candidates, but the Socialists are run
ming full ticket except in the con-
gressional districts. The size of their
vote will be watched with interest by
State leaders on the theory that many
Republicans and anti-New Deal Demo-
Gratis will vote the Socialist ticket in
protest against the Roosevelt policies
The Socialist vote, however, probably
will be insignificant.
One of their candidates for the Gen.
eral Assembly is Miss Willie Sue Blag-
den, who was horse-whipped several
months ago by band of masked men
while she was investigating reports
Of mistreatment of tenant farmers in
Arkansas.
The Jeffersonian Democrats in Ten
nessee are something of an unknown
quantity, but probably wiz not figure
materially in the election. Their