Robert Love Taylor - Governor

Governor

In 1886, Republicans, hoping to exploit divisions in the Democratic Party between the pro-farmer and Bourbon factions, nominated Alfred Taylor for governor. Democrats, realizing they needed a unifier and effective campaigner to counter Alfred, nominated Robert Taylor as their candidate, pitting the two brothers against one another. The Prohibition Party offered its nomination to the Taylors' father, Nathaniel, but he declined.

The 1886 gubernatorial campaign is remembered for the Taylor brothers' relatively light-hearted political banter and entertaining speeches. Canvassing together, they spent the first part of each campaign stop "cussing out each other's politics" and telling stories, and the second part playing fiddle tunes while the crowd danced. At a stop in Madisonville, Robert suggested both he and Alfred were roses, but he was a white rose while Alfred was a red rose. As their respective supporters subsequently wore white and red roses, the campaign became known as the "War of the Roses" (the name also hearkened to the 15th-century English conflict). Their campaign stops drew massive crowds, ranging from around 6,000 in smaller towns to 25,000 in Nashville. In a record turnout on election day, Robert edged Alfred by 16,000 votes.

Although Taylor was uncomfortable with the criticism and attacks that came with the executive office, he managed to enact tax reform and educational reform. He was assailed for issuing too many pardons, and demanded the state build a reformatory for juveniles. When he didn't get it, he issued a pardon to virtually every juvenile who sought one. In 1888, an angry Bourbon faction sought to thwart his nomination for reelection, but was unsuccessful. He won the general election later that year, with 156,799 votes to 139,014 for the Republican candidate, Samuel Hawkins, and 6,893 for the Prohibition candidate, J.C. Johnson.

In 1889, Taylor signed into law a poll tax and a number of other bills aimed at suppressing turnout among African-American and poor voters. A number of prohibition laws were also repealed. Suffering from ill health and disenchanted by divisions within his own party, he did not seek reelection in 1890.

In the early 1890s, Taylor, struggling with debt from constant campaigning, asked his brother, Alfred (who was now a Congressman), for advice. Alfred suggested Robert go on a lecture tour, and invited Robert's family to move in with his family until he got his finances in order. Robert opened his tour on December 29, 1891, at Jobe's Hall in Johnson City, where he presented his lecture, "The Fiddle and the Bow," with an admission price of 50 cents per person. After Alfred left Congress, he joined Robert on tour, and the two cowrote and presented "Yankee Doodle and Dixie." The tour was a major financial success, netting the brothers tens of thousands of dollars.

In 1896, the Democratic Party was again concerned about Republican chances of winning the governor's office, as the incumbent, Peter Turney, had won the office using questionable tactics two years earlier. When several Democratic leaders invited Taylor to run, he reluctantly agreed, and defeated Turney for the party's nomination in August 1896. After a fierce general election campaign, he edged the Republican candidate, George Tillman, with about 49% of the vote to Tillman's 47%. Republicans suggested voting irregularities had helped Taylor win, but the Democratic-dominated state legislature obstructed any attempt at an investigation.

The most notable event of Taylor's second stint in office was the Tennessee Centennial, which marked the 100th anniversary of the state's admission to the Union. The centennial was celebrated with the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition, a five-month world's fair held in Nashville's Centennial Park in 1897, with Taylor making numerous appearances.