Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1873-01-10
FROM NASHVILLE.
The contest for Control of the Two House,
The Consolidation of the Union Ele-
ments-The Final Vote for Speaker Of

Honse.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Jan. s, 1878.
Special CorresI ondence Chronicle
The Senate of the Thirty Eighth General
Assembly of Tennessee, organized yester-
day by the election of Hon. Alfred T. La
cey, of Shelby, Speaker, on the 44th ballot
after a prolonged and exciting contest.
The Senate is politically divided as fol-
lows: Six straight Republicans, six indie
pendents or Johnson Democrats and thir-
teen straights. I class James, of Hamilton
among the latter for he uniformly voted
with them in the contest for Speaker,
though now that he has once again seen
that the straight bourbon Democracy has
no use for men of his antecedents / have
hopes that he will come out and act with
those with whom believe he really SYM
pathizes. James seems slow to learn that
the bourbons will not treat him with the
consideration he deserves and he ought
now to turn the bridge behind him and
pitch his tent in the camps of the future
dominant party in this State. When the
Legislature assembled on Monday, it
seemed probable that the Johnson men
would not be able to muster their forces for
decided Independent action. They lacked
organization, and Johnson's absence,
caused by the critical illness of his wife,
threatened to demoraliZe and disperse
them. The Bourbons were cUurting them.
KING HARRIS.
King Isham G.. Harris was cooiug about
them as meek and lovely as dove. He
sang sweetiy and tenderly of the glories of
the Organization" and spoke eloquently
of the future, and mathematical in his
own peculiar style the Radicals" Other
prominent Bourbons worked incessantly
and artfully upon the less decided indie
pendents, and pictured to them the social
Ostracism and abuse awaiting them if they
voted for, and acted with the Radicals"
Every influence known to shrewd and
ambitious politicians was brought to bear
upon the johnson men to bring them back
into line with the men who had during
the last canvass reviIed and prosecuted
them. They were not organized within
or supported by very strong outside pres
sure to make resistance to these seductive
influences strong or certain to endure to
the end. With these surroundings the
balloting for presiding officers of the two
Houses began on Monday. AS soon as it
became evident that elections were not to
follow the first ballots, the prospects for
fusion of the Union element frightened.
CoURTING JOHNSON MEN.
Each ballot plainly indicated that the
would not take up any Johnson
man and so as the contest proceeded the
breach between the divisions of the De-
mocracy widened. Two or three times
the straights rendered Lacey the nomina-
ton for Speaker, but each time it was de-
clined. Every hour strengthened the
resolution of the Johnsonites and drove
them together closer. AS the contest grew
more exciting outside Johnson influences
grew stronger, so that by Tuesday morn
ing there was an organized, determined
Johnson party, asking no quarters of the
straights and determined to march straight
on to the Union foreshadowed and in fact
by the November election.
1t seems to me the election of Lacey,
Speaker of Senate, and McGaughey,
Speaker of House, seals the Union ele-
ment of the State and inaugurates new
future for Tennessee.
IN THE HOUSE.
The contest in the House was more eX>
citing, for the Johnson men were more
numerous and less compact and united.
The Republicans stood by Houk from the
beginning. On Monday the Johnson men
seemed embarrassed. They rather hesi-
tated to cross the Rubicon. Houk was a
pronounced Republican. A vote for him
was equivalent to baptism in the new
political church. But, as the influences
before alluded to developed that the Ru-
bicon had, in fact, been crossed in No
vember, the Johnson men saw their path
blazed too plainly to be mistaken. When
Blevins, of Hawkins, and McGaughey, of
Greene, temporary Speaker) first called
out boldly "Houk (" for Speaker, deci-
ded buzz could be heard. It was the sharp
snap of the breaking timbers of the old
platform upon which they had been rude
ly thrown in November. The significance
of the votes seemed to be fully realized.
1t satisfied the Republicans that there was
in fact a decided johnson element that
meant business. They meant to be pio-
neers in the movement to rescue Tennessee
from the clutches of Bourbonism, and start
it OH the new road to prosperity,
\ CONCESSION.
McGaughey's election was O. concession
to the Independents who had voted as sol
Idly as they could for Judge Houk. They
were embarrassed by one or two ambitious
men in their ranks who could not be con-
trolled. The Republicans recognizing a
principle involved, determined men should
not stand in the way. They were anxious
to show that they intended to consummate
the union of the liberal progressive ele-
ments in the State, and that to secure this
they were willing to vote for any man
whose election would signify that union.
CUT THIS OUT.
The full ballot for Speaker stood: Nc
Gaughey thirty-seven, Mcfarland fifteen,
Trousdale nine, Ward two, (scattering)
Votes for McGaughey were, Beals, Bgeri,ss,
BowdeIl, Brooks, Bo,Ua, Carnes, Cottrell,
Couch, Duncan, Eckel, Houk, Hughes,
Heyder, Jcup, Keeble, Kerr, Patton,
Lindstey, Magill, Martin jesse, Moore
(Scott) ,Mulverhill, Mcleod, NoBLlTT, Pat
ton, Perkins, Ragan, Ready, Riggs, Rut-
ledge, Tate, Tillman &C. NJ, Ward, West,
Wester, Williamson, WoRLEY.
CHRONICLE readers had better preserve
this list, as it is the roll Of those who hold
in their hands the House and must control
the legislation of that body. The names
in small caps are Democrats, straight
thosein italics are Independents. Snyder,
of Chattanooga, voted for Eckel, Of JEFF