The Jackson Sun from Jackson, Tennessee • 15

THE JACKSON SUN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 1970 5 By Process Of Elimination --ciKAM mL fa pf pi J. Reprint from Nashville Banner August 4, 1970 Editorial Beprinted from Nashville Banner Monday, August 3, 1970 VOL. XCIV No. 99 48 PAGES PKICE: TEN CENTS NASHVILLE.TENN., MONDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 3, 1970 Record, Program, Ability- Stan Snodgrass Best Qualified To Manage State Government (An Editorial) money Mr. Hooker's bankrupt and foundering business firms owe to them in just and honest debts.

And now Mr. Hooker is asking the people to elect him to the state's highest office, a post denied him four years ago when he had no record of business shambles around him. Mr. Hooker, his promoters and some of the other Democratic candidates, who all seem to be 'characters in the same farce, have blasted this newspaper for publishing "half-truths or "untruths" a-bout the would-be businessman's lack of achieve-merits. At first, Mr.

Hooker blamed his business difficulties on others. He then told a television audience he had done "the best I could," still contending his is "not an issue" in the governor's business record race. And is it not true that none of the franchises is in operation today? These are neither "half-truths" nor "untruths" as Mr. Hooker glibly contends. They are facts taken from the official records of the Securities Exchange Commission and the federal courts.

AND THE BANNER CHALLENGES MR. HOOKER OR HIS PROMOTERS TO POINT OUT ONE SINGLE INSTANCE IN WHICH ANY OF THE FACTS AS REFLECTED ON THE PUBLIC RECORDS HAVE BEEN DISTORTED OR MISREPRESENTED IN ANY FASHION BY THIS NEWSPAPER. THE BANNER has said repeatedly that it holds no hostility or animosity toward Mr. Hooker personally. Its principal opposition to him as a candidate is based on his demonstrated lack of responsibility to manage the massive, complex affairs of the Government of the State of Tennessee which, after all, belongs to all the people, regardless of party, faction, color or creed.

AND NOBODY KNOWS THIS BETTER THAN MR. HOOKER HIMSELF. While there may. be those who want a puppet in the governor's office. The Nashville Banner never has attempted to dictate the policies or practices of candidates it supports for public office.

It would not consider giving its editorial endorsement to any candidate for any office who is so weak that he would yield to the demands and pressures of others, who would be subjected to such domination. That is one of the reasons why The Banner believes Stan Snodgrass will make a great governor. Because he has proven that he is his own man, beholden to no one except the people. We also believe that Mr. Snodgrass possesses a great faith in the future of Tennessee and its people who can unite in a common purpose good government for all under his leadership.

tWITH LESS THAN three days remaining before the primary elections for governor on Thursday, public opinion surveys indicate there may be large numbers rbf voters who have not yet made their decisions on "how they should cast their ballots when they go to the polls. It has been an unusual campaign in that both major parties are offering crowded fields of candidates for the state's highest office and voters, for the first time, will participate in meaningful statewide primary elections for Democrats AND Republicans. And whatever their outcome, the final verdict by the electorate will not be rendered until the November general election Because the Republican primary contest largely will be determined by the heavily GOP sections of East Tennessee, The Nashville Banner has devoted special attention to the Democratic Primary in which most Middle Tennesseans will vote. The Democratic race, in particular, narrowed long ago to a two-man contest, between former Davidson County State Senator Stan Songrass and John Jay Hooker both of whom have records. Like those of all candidates for all public offices, those records should be carefully weighed by the voters.

Mr. Snodgrass has waged an energetic campaign on the central issues of State Government, which he believes should be responsive to the people. He has emphasized the necessity of preserving the fiscal integrity of State Government, of protecting the taxpayers" dollars, in keeping with the enviable achievements of the Clement and Ellington administrations which set an unprecedented record for fiscal responsibility and sound business management. MR. SNODGRASS, WHOSE OWN outstanding legis- lative accomplishments speak for themselves, is the only candidate in either party who has outlined his personal financial holdings for the scrutiny of the voters of Tennessee, complete evidence that he has' nothing to hide, nothing to dodge, nothing to be ashamed of.

Mr. Snodgrass has proposed a series of progressive new programs for his administration, including those to provide kindergartens for all five-year-old children, a preventive mental health plan, accelerated secondary and rural roads construction and continued emphasis on bringing more industry and pay- rolls into Tennessee to improve the quality of life for all citizens. Mr. Snodgrass has met the issues head-on. He has not hidden either from them or from the people.

He is determined that Tennessee maintain a lawful, orderly and just society for all; that educational institutions be operated for those who want to obtain an education; that drug pushers be run out of the state while those addicted are restored to useful, productive lives. He does not seek the state's highest office to satisfy a selfish personal ambition or to use it as a stepping stone. Because The Nashville Banner believes art overwhelming majority of the people of Tennessee cares about the manner in which State Government is operated, and because it is convinced that Mr. Snodgrass offers experienced, sober and trustworthy leadership, this newspaper, commends him, without reservation, to the voters, now and in November. MR.

HOOKER'S CAMPAIGN, os well as the echoes from some of the splinter candidates in the Democratic race, primarily has been built around a vicious assault upon the integrity of this newspaper, its publisher and staff. Even more disgusting has been the self-righteous "strategy" of his chief proponents who for two decades have resorted to personal and political castigation of anyone and everyone who lifted a finger in protest to their heavy-handed tactics to grab the power, all of the power of government, at every level. All of the demagoguery that Mr. Hooker and The Nashville Tennessean can command, in their deceitful attempt to mislead the voters, cannot erase the tarnished history of the past 20 years. It cannot, for example, alleviate the anguish they brought to bear upon the families and friends of the late Gov.

Frank G. Clement. Neither will it restore the respect they lost because of their constant carping criticism of Gov. Buford Ellington, or the public and private harrassment of other officials who refused to bow to them and their political dictates. And even more important to the voters as they attempt to arrive at honest decisions on what is best -for their State Government on Thursday, the deception perpetrated by the morning newspaper cannot obscure Mr.

Hooker's own pitiful failure to perform, his own record of reckless mismanagement of his business affairs. If Mr. Hooker's faltering attempt to establish "an image as a businessman" had hurt only himself, there still would be nearly four million reasons-one for every taxpayer in this state why he should not be entrusted to preside over a State Government. But his well-publicized promotion of a pyramiding financial empire, which has crumbled into a trail of bankruptcies and lawsuits all the way from Tennessee and Ohio to Texas and California, has caused countless others to suffer personal economic loss. Some of Nashville's most respected industries which became entangled in the web of promotional wizardy and exploitation woven by Mr.

Hooker and his associates have been forced to start all over again under new ownership. Others have been sever ly crippled in their operations and some have been closed down completely. At the latest count, more than 1,300 workers had lost their jobs, their pensions, their hospitalization insurance and other benefits. Some of those laid off have met with severe difficulty and delay in drawing even their meager unemployment checks. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, who invested in Mr.

Hooker's stock transactions have lost their life savings and creditors now are lined up in at least; four states to try to collect a small portion of the But Mr. Hooker consistently has launched an attack on The Nashville Banner for covering the news, for reporting to the public the current proceedings in state and federal courts, here and elsewhere, about his failing business enterprises. He and his henchmen have charged that The Banner has "assassinated" his character ALTHOUGH THEY CANNOT CITE ONE WORD THIS NEWSPAPER HAS PRINTED CONCERNING MR. HOOKER'S PERSONAL INTEGRITY. While his own self-serving publicists continue to ignore in their news columns the court-recorded fact that some of Mr.

Hooker's businesses already are in bankruptcy, and instead proudly proclaim his "ability" as a giant in the field of finance, they point an accusing finger toward The Banner and toward other Tennessee news media which have dared to print the truth. AT THE SAME TIME, they scoff at the fact that Mr. Hooker's embarrassing business ventures have been reported in national magazines and other publications including the country's largest and most highly-regarded newspapers. Mr. Hooker has failed to answer serious questions about his business wreckage.

All of these questions are duly noted on public court records now in several cities. These include: Is it not true, Mr. Hooker, that you were a founder, director and major stockholder of Whale, which along with its largest subsidiary, Temco, now is in bankruptcy before the U.S. District Court at Nashville? Is it not true, Mr. Hooker, that you served as one of the founders and largest stockholders in California Fast Foods, which has filed bankruptcy proceedings in U.S.

District Court in Los Angles, Is it not true, Mr. Hooker, that you were one of the chief founders of the Minnie Pearl Chicken Systems, Inc. (now known as Performance Systems, Inc.) which has closed scores of outlets in numerous states while the publicly-owned corporation saw its stock dwindle from a high of $66 to about 50 cents a share? It is not true, Mr. Hooker, that you were serving on the board of directors of Whale, and as chairman of the board of Performance Systems when the first group of 330 California franchises was unloaded on unsuspecting Whale stockholders? See and Hear $TM SNODGRASS VBBJ-TV 9:05 lo 9:35 VMC-TV 9:30 10:00 VREC-TV 6:30 lo 7:00 MAM The Man Who Can and Will Maintain The Dignity Of The Office Of Governor Paid For by Snodgrass for Governor Committee, James L. Exum Chairman.