Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-04
POLITICAL GOSSIP.
A Letter ON Tennes see POIIffes-HOH
Things Look TO n Bohemian.

From the Louisville COurier-JOurnal.
NASHVILLE, Feb. 2S, JS74.-There are
10 be two elections in Tennessee this sum-
mer and fall, one in August and the other
in November. The first is for the choice of
county officers-eourt clerks, sheriff, and
the like-and the last for members Of the
Legislature, Congressman and Governor.
The first election will be OvershadOWed in
importance by the last, The first being of no
other than local interest, while tie No
vember affair swells into national impOr-
tance.
FREE FIELD AND \ FAIR FIGHT.
For the August election the candidates
are already in the field in many of the
counties. | know one-and it is not a
large cOunty-where there are twenty-three
candidates for the several offices. represent
ing every party and shade of political COM
plexiOn and complexion proper. 1t is a
scrub race, with a quarter of a hundred
scrubs. There were no conventions to
nominate anybody, and everybody runs
who feels like il. This is a good way to
do; it tends to take power from the hands
of eliques and cOrner-grocery rings, who
administer conventions in this part Of the
country, and give 1t to the people direct
In other words it is
AN ABOLIsHING OF MIDDLE MEN,
and slippery and uncertain sort of middle
men at that. Some Of the old line Demo-
Gratis are expressing apprehensiOns that the
world viii come to an end or a few Radi-
Gals be elected to Office, which, in their
ewes is about as bad, if the old convention
system is not maintained in pristine vigOr,
but imagine the people at large care little
for these ill-grounded fears. In the South
the tell OF Radical :" for the six months
preceding an election has lost its effect,
much Is the old rallying cry Of s.Rebel -
has ceased to be of avail in the North. As
\ Lincoln would say, the ''plain people
have come to understand THAI there is a
good deal Of humbug in political battle
C-ies.
THE st--kToRIkB RACE.
The campaign eliminating Il tlre Ne
vember election promises TO be of absorbing
interest. \ new man IS to be chosen to fiji
the guberna;Orisl chair. Ten new, and, let
us hope, better COngressfneIi are to be elect
ed: a Legislature is TO be chosen Legis-
latJTe that viii elect 2 successor to Senator
BrOwnlow. All this gives The Cisening
campaign an unusual degree of interest.
Not less than twenty-five men have been
brought forward as suitable and probable
candidates tor Governor. They representa-
sections Of the State and every shade of
CpiriOn. True it is that many have been
called, aud the fact that only one can be
chosen is what makes the thing interesting.
L would not dare TO say now who Of the
twenty odd put forward stands the best
chance.
Care must be taken in the selection Of a
candidate, Tor if the one Objectionable to
the independents or johnson men is
taken, he will he comfortably laid upon the
Shelf in November, Just as brave and gener-
Gus Frank Chcathan was last election. ft
viii not DO to spi, in the faces OF 6ysn tread
on the toes of the johnson men. There
are thirty-five thousand of them in the
State; they most eliectually hOldthe balance
of power, and they must be treated with
due consideration in making up the No
vember slate, or they will break it AS they
did last year.
The recent meeting and long sting Of
resolutions adopted in Shelby county
(Bartlett) looks on the face of it like a
treaty Of peace between the BOurbcnS and
Independents, 1t was, indeed. sort of
love feast, and for few days it appeared IS
though the Bourbon lions and independent
lambs were TO lie down together, but since
then there have been
SEVERAL NOTES OF DIsCORb
from different sections Of the State. There
are BOuTbonS who think that the indie
pendents will want too much. and indie
pendents who axe quite certain that they
will not get enough in the general parcel
ing cut. Altogether it is likely that there
has been fully as much fuss made about
the Bartlett gathering as its significance de-
manded. In a month from now we can
tell more about it.
THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR GOV,
ERNOR.
Among Republicans, opinion is center
ing on Horace MAYNARD as their candidate
for Governor. The trouble which stands
much in the way of Horace is that of back
pay. He voted for back-pay, and took it.
Now. there are a sprinkling Of high-tOned
Republicans in this State who cannot COM
prehend for the life Of them how man can
take fifty per cent more pay than the sum
for which he agreed to serve, after the SER
vice is performed, without being guilty of
stealing. This viii weaken Maynard, and
he will never again get the vote he did last
November. Some of the Republicans are
so simple as to believe they could elect
MAYNARD, but the thinking men Of the party
know better.
But it is for Senator that the chief strug-
Gle will be made by the aspiring men Of
the State and their friends. BrOwnlOw's
term expires in one year, and the Legisla-
ture to be elected in August ~ will choose his
successor. For this high position there
will be a g1eat scramble. There are more
candidates now than you could count on
YOUR fingers and toes. The Radicals are
in such a minority as to preclude the hope
of their electing a man; so it will be their
policy
TO ENCOURAGE A SPLIT
AMONG the opposition, and thus put them
selves in position to hold the balance Of
mower and cause the election Of the most
UnobjectiOnable man.
IL is rumored on the streets and in polit-
zeal circles that Gov. Brown will be can
didate. but no one is authorized to make
tine statement. Unless the Governor posi-
lively declines. however, his warm friends
will press him for the position. lie has
made a good Governor, and will 90 out Of
the rubernatorial chair with more friends
than he went in. The temperance men
OBJECT 10 HIM. uoNCFCi- Ou ooSO..n1 VI Ni'
veto of the local option law. This class
are now more of power in the State than
ever before, and they viii make themselves
felt at future elections.
ANDY JOHNsON's CHANCES.
OF course Andy johnson is put forward
as a candidate for Governor and Senator,
and even for Congress in his district. His
friends are numerous and jealous, and will
never be quiet until their hero gets place.
With them it is Andy or row.