Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-10-06
LETTER FROM NASHVILLE.
Surprise at vaughn's EEeetion-His Bear
ing Before the Senate-Emerson Ether
idge ON Modern Democracy-HeaIfh q
Gov. Brown, Etc.
BATTLE HOUSE. NASHVILLE

Vaughn's election to the Speakership o.
the Senate for days to come. Those wht
voted for him were evidently as much sur
prised at his success as any others. Hi
received only ten votes, a little more thar
One-third of a full Senate, and an election
on that ballot was deemed improbable
The little boy of whom we have all heard
who let the bird go, could not have beheld
his act with such blank astonishment as
the honorable Senators received the an
nouncement of the Clerk, that Vaughn
had been chosen. rtaf 1rf-nrr
But no matter how unexpectedly the
announcement may have fallen upon the
ears of others, the lucky unsophisticated
Senator from Monroe was evidently pre-
pared fol. it,. The announcement of his
election having been made, he was ap-
preached according to custom by Senators
Warren and Dubese, who escorted him to
! the Speakers stand. On starting, he COM
menced fumbling in his pocket, (some say
his breeches pockets) for his speech. He
drew forth rumbled paper, and after a
vigorous clearing of his throat, proceeded
to read speech (?) which he had prepared
in anticipation of the happy event. Con-
trary to the usual order of things, the au-
dience was confused and hung their heads
while the Speaker pompously read his
piece, to the best of his ability no doubt
| w hlIO OClICiGO1o clu 1OOhCu Will
blank astonishment at the occurrence of a
surprising event, the General evidently re-
garded it, as a necessary consequence of
the eternal fitness of things. He, by his
awkwardness. and incapacity, is destined
| to be a source of modification to his
friends throughout the session, and should
any event happen during his term of of
flee, whereby he would be called to the eX-
ecutive chair, the people of this common
wealth would be left in a deplorable con-
dition.
The present Senate will compare very
unfavOrably in point of talent with the
last. We look in vain for Thomas,
Peyton, an Etheridge, a Cooper, Demo-
Gratis of prominence and experience. DIR.
Sewer, of the First District, who was SO
ANONYMOUSLY rejected for the Speakership,
is one of the best men in the Senate, but
the disposition to ignore him has had the
effect to sour him at the beginning, and
we doubt if his Democratic colleagues will
cooperate with him, with cordiality, in
his efforts. Our Republican delegation,
Gibson, Staley and Mcconnell, stand pre-
eminently above the majority of the Dem
ocratic Senators in point of ability.
Ia THE HOUSE 2
is composed largely ofyoung men. Some of
them are men of talent, and they can be no
worse in this respect than their predecessors,
We trust so at least. For the credit of our
commonwealth, we hope to never see so ig-
norant and incapable set of men in our
Legislative halls again as the last House.
The lower House showed better judgment
in the selection of Speaker than the SEN
ate, and we think promises more for
good. q.
HEtn EMERSON ETHRIDGE. stsH#
The organization of the Legislature has
brought many men of prominence to the
capital from different parts of the State.
Among these we notice the well-known
face of Emerson Ethridge, He seems to
be angry with the whole world and the
balance of mankind. He talks a great
deal, and always finds listeners. The We
hemence of his style together with the
originality of his expressions secures him
an audience, whether in the corridors of
the capitol, on the street corner, or in
the bar-room. He talks eloquently of the
Democratic party as now constituted. We
heard him in the Hall of the Battle House,
with a crowd around him, talking of its
status. why, gentlemen" says he,
"when the old Wing party died, its friends
took it up in less than a month before it
got to stinking and buried it out of sight.
But the Democratic party has been dead
five years, and its carcass has rotted away
leaving nothing but a loathesome skeliton,
and yet its friends are fools enough to
think they can resurrect 1t" We have
omitted certain expletives used by the il
lustrious gentleman by way of emphasis,
giving what he says divested of the en-
belishments. He curses Democracy from
"early morn till deWy eVe,, and seems to
take delight in it. To use his own refined
language, "after the elections in Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, Iowa &c, next week, there
will not be grease-spot left of the party
in those States.n
DORSEY b. THOMAS.
/ Among other Middle Tennesseeans who
remained loyal to the Government during
the war, and who are not satisfied with
the grasping spirit exhibited by the ex-
rebels, is Dorsey B. Thomas, Speaker of
the last Senate. We learn that he speaks
in terms of unqualified disapproval of the
spirit displayed, and if he were to speak
his mind plainly, we would not expect
anything complimentary of the party in
Tennessee. He, no doubt, is ready for any
kind of new departure that would secure
a proper recognition, from the party, of
those who were Union men during the
war
GOV. BROWN.
The health of Gov. Brown is still feeble.
He will probably be able for the Inaugural
tion next week. Indeed, he and his friends
expect it. His physical condition will be
regarded with more than ordinary con-
Germ, since the election of the present
Speaker of the Senate.
'. A'tt MISCELLANEOUS.
There seems to be disposition among
members of the Legislature to reduce taxes
below the present rates, and we believe it
will be done.
There will be bill introduced at an
early day in the session providing that the
contract for the public printing shall be let
out to the lowest bidder. We believe such
a proposition will meet with favor before
the Legislature, and we know it will boz
fore the people. A change of any kind al
most viii be better than the present sys-
tenn, as recent developments fully prove.
| HHF cur Job once. FfaF 81
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