Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-29
TENNESSEE POLITICS.
what Gen. wilder Told a Fribune Re-
no-fer-f gepubaicau AnfaGOntsm 80
Inc AdustnfstratiOn-AW Waterloo De-
feat AnaEca pated.
New York Tribune, Sept. ..

no-fer- baiean AnfaGonisHn 80
me AdsrsinfstrafiOn-AW Waterloo De-
n feat Anticipated
New York Tribune, Sept. 2e.
The condition of political affairs in
Tennessee appears TO be somewhat crit
ical. and may lead to a serious outbreak
In the Western part of the State, as
well as an entire change Of the vote IN
East Tennessee. Gen. j. L. Wilder, of
Chattanooga, IN response to the lnqul-
ries of a reporter Of the Tribune, said
that a strong antagonistic feeling to
the Administration had been manifest
ed lately, and would lead to the entire
defeat of the Republican party IN East
Tennessee: although an actual outbreak
was not feared. He would not answer
30 much in favor of long continued
pacific feeling in the Western part of
the State, for the majority of
the former slave-owners had not
vet recovered from the effects OF
the war, and had also suffered from so
many other causes that they would be
likely to break out on the slightest
provocation. From a conversation
which he had that day held with Judge
George Andrews of Knoxville, he had
learned that the less educated portion
of the inhabitants of East Tennessee,
who had been Union men during the
rebellion, and supporters of the Repub-
hcau Administration since the war, had
had their minds infamed by political
demaCogues on the subject of the CT
vii Rights bill. Without taking the
trouble to inquire into the matter, they
had received the impression that the
present Administration had resolved to
make the negro not only the equal of
the white man, but also his ruler; and
this they thought was going too far.
They had therefore resolved at the
coming election to overturn everything
ike Republican rule in East Tennes-
see. From what Judge Andrews had
told him, he, Gen. Wilder, felt con-
vinced that the whole State of Ten
nessee, East and West, would go Dem
ocratic at the next election, and that
nothing could be now done to pre-
vent this. The industrial portion OF
West Tennessee appears TO be some
what at standstill, but in East Ten
nessee a steady and healthy progress
had taken place since the close OF the
Rebellion. Chattanooga, which before
the war was almost unknown outside
of its imm sdiate locality, had become q
thriving ,ity, with well built houses, no
debt, and an enterprising population.
Knoxville had also improved and IN
creased in size and population, but not
to the same extent as Chattanooga.
The general feeling of the people in the
eastern part of the State was opposed
to trublence, and whatever political
change might be intended it would be
accomplished through the instrument
tally only of the ballot. There were
many voters In the State who had not
had the advantages of educatiOn-free
schools having only been. Of recent IN
troduction-and these persons could be
easily influenced by those politicians
who could only succeed in turbulent
times; but even this class of citizens
were too much engrossed IN promoting
the industries of the State to allow
themselves to be led into acts of vio-
lence which might result In checking
! their industrial progress.