Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-10-05

Assembly have fully developed the political
animus of the men composing it. TO be-
| gin with the Senate, the election of Crawl.
Vaughn, the hero of the "brimstone" cam
paign, as Speaker, is a striking comment
on the mental calibre, as well as the polit-
| ical animus, of those who did it. Those of
them who voted for him, who are able to
judge of his fitness for the position, already
regret their blunder. His incapacity is
about as prominent as the nose on his
| face, and his friends are mortified at its eX-
| hibition. The fact is, his incapacity is be-
yond reach of remedy, for his Uranium is
| full of emptiness, and he can never COM
prehend the nature of his duties. 1t will
| be utterly impossible to dispatch business
! in that body with him in the Chair. But
he ranked higher on the muster-rolls of
the late Confederate army than any of his
| colleagues, and we suppose this secured his
election. 1t is the only rational reason we
have heard given.
| In the House, Mr.. James d. Richardson
| was chosen Speaker, as the readers of the
| CHRONICLE have already been told. Mr..
Richardson was a Major in the late
Confederate army. He is only twen-
| ty-eight years of age, being one
of the youngest men in the House.
| He appears to be man of talent, and after
| a few days experience, will no doubt make
| good presiding officer. He was voted
for on final ballot by the Republican MEM
bers, they understanding him to be man
of more liberal views than his competitor,
Mr.. Martin, of Wilson county. A. L.
Spears, of Bledsoe county, was put in
nomination, but he had been in the Fed
eral army during the war, and had there
by acquired disabilities which, it is to be
feared, will never be removed by the Dem
ocratic party to which he now belongs.
Ten votes were all that he could command,
more than half of which were given by
Republican members. Spears made
good, efficient, brave and accomplished
officer, as we happen to know, and it will
take long probation in the ranks of De-
mocracy to atone for the course he took in
1861. He is a man of more experience and
equally as well qualified in every way as
either of his competitors, but his name
could not be found on Hoods muster-rolls,
and he was ignored by the faithful of the
party.
The same spirit exhibited itself in the
organization of both branches, from the
highest to the lowest offices. Both speak
ers, the Clerk and Doorkeeper of the Sen
ate, Engrossing Clerk and Doorkeeper of
the House, were all in the rebel army.
The Engrossing Clerk of the Senate, a
lady, and the Assistant Doorkeeper of the
House and Senate, both boys, are the only
selections made, from names not appear
ing on the muster-rolls aforesaid. Col
Thos, H. Reeves, of the Jonesboro Patriot,
whose devotion to Democracy has never
been questioned, who had once before filled
the position with credit to himself, was
a candidate for Assistant Clerk, but his
name was on the wrong muster-roll, he
having been in the Federal army, and he
received only seUerI votes some Of whom
were Republicans. Mr.. Schultz, of Cooke
county, was candidate for the same posi-
ton, but his name was not on the muster
roll of "Hood,s army" and with the aid of
Republicans, he polled thirteen votes.
Jeemes White, of Hawkins, whose clar-
ion notes have resounded up and down the
hills and valleys of East Tennessee in de-
fense of Democracy, and who has encoun-
tered Radicalism in its stronghold, was a
candidate for Engrossing Clerk of the
House, but his name didn't appear on the
aforesaid roll, and Mr.. Williams, of West
Tennessee, whose name did so appear was
chosen instead. So it is. A man who has
no rebel record to back him cannot sue
cessfully compete for any position within
the gift of either House. A friend who
puts the matter strongly, suggests that a
man would appear about as favorably here
with the record of a convicted criminal, as
with the record of Union man, and espe-
ence, he thought the latter would be the
more odious.
These Union Democrats are very natu-
rally feeling sore over this condition of
affairs in their party. They not only feel
that way, but they don't hesitate to give
expression to their feelings. They talk
right out. heard very prominent men,
ber of the Senate talking to an ex-rebel,
who is a prominent member of the
House. "Why," says the Senator, who
was Union man, but was elected
as a Democrat, the chasm between
the Union men and the rebels is
lust as deep, as wide and as visible
to-day as it was when Hoods forces
invested the city of Nashville when de-
Tended by Gen. Thomas, and you rebels by
your acts have rendered it So" The ex-
rebel tried to convince him otherwise, but
the Senator was implacable. This Sena-
tor is an honest, upright man who has
| the entire confidence of all who know him,
regardless of sect or party. 1t may we'll
| be imagined what effect such declarations
will have if made among his constituents,
| four-fifths of whom were Union men dur
| ing the war. The matter shows for itself
| in the selection of Speaker of the Senate.
| DR.. Sewer is man of capacity, honesty,
| integrity and is universally esteemed. He
would have made an excellent presiding
| OlllCcIsH IL ny dLy COIAOAASOhCE On1CC
| of Governor should have fallen upon him,
he would have filled it with credit to him
self and with honor to the Common
wealth. But Vaughn-whose forces occu-
pied the country where Sewers home is,
while he was forced te flee for safety to a
loyal State, who has no qualification which
would fit him for presiding over school
boys debating society-is elected to the re-
sponsible position. His disabilities have
never yet been removed, and his election
looks very much like taunting the Con-
gress OF the United States with the futility
of its acts, so far as they bear upon ex-
rebels in the Southern States. For the life
of us, we cannot tell how the eyes of Union
Democrats can be longer closed to the
manner in which the Democratic party
regards them. a AfHHOTo
Our Job Office r..s
| II may not be generally known that we have