Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-07-29
TENNESSEE POLITICS.


The Campaign to Open Soon, and a
Lively Fight to be Made Pros
poets and Promises.
Cincinnati Enquirer.l
NASHVILLE, July 10.
Political affairs in Tennessee
are getting hot-almost as hot
as the weather. The Democrat
ic and Republican State Com
mittees have taken headquarters
and hung out flags, while the
candidates for local offices fairly
swarm on the streets. In Da-
wilson county there are about
ten candidates for each office.
1t is a free-for-all fight. The
contests viii be made on party
lines, and at present the indica-
tons point to the election of the
Republican applicants. Those
of the Democratic persuasion
have endeavored to come to
some agreement and narrow the
ranks, but SO far without success.
State affairs are in an interest
ing condition, and are progress
ing much more satisfactorily than
had been anticipated. The last
Gubernatorial race was made on
a hollow, meaningless, squirming
platform "a temporary make
shift-of which Democrats of
both wings were ashamed. Fol-
lowing Governor Marks election
came the fzzling Legislature and
negotiations with the creditors,
and then the defeat of the "Fifty
and Four"compromise. All this
had greatly discouraged State
credit Democrats, although they
still had hope that a majority of
thep people were honest and in fa-
yor of fair dealing. 1t was al
most an inspiration when the
State credit element discovered
that they had control by a large
majority Of the recent June Con-
vention. Both elements, however,
had been afraid of the contest,
and SO had decided on two Con-
lyentions-one in June and one
in August, the latter for the
nomination of State officers and
PRONUNCIATION of a platform. The
| low-tax leaders had come to the
june Convention with the inten-
ton Of carrying things with a
sweep. Great was their surprise
and encouragement when they
found they were in a small mi
nority. a better feeling had
manifested itself in the ranks of
the people, a majority of whom
evidently were in favor of an eq-
uitable settlement Of the State
debt, and the withdrawal Of that
issue from politics. Party af-
fairs seemed approaching a cri-
sis. High-tax and low-tax men
were bitter in their expressions
Of hostility to the sentiments of
each other, and each element
declared that unless a candidate
representing their views was put
in the field, they would bolt the
nomination. A split appeared
inevitable, but since then pros
poets have frightened. County
land District Conventions have
been meeting for the past two
weeks, and in almost all of them
a spirit of harmony prevailed,
arguing well for the Democratic
unity in the coming campaign.
How the Convention, August 10,
will result is hard to predict.
The Republicans are basing their
hopes Of success on Dem
ocratic split, but the Democrats
now expect to keep solid their
ranks, and also to place the debt
Iquestion in a more honorable po-
sition. The State credit men oc-
cupy the vantage ground. They
have control of the machinery
of the party and will derive
great assistance from the plank
of the Cincinnati platform rela-
tive to State and National obi
cations. Indeed, it is quietly re-
ported that Tennessee influence
had a great deal to do in shap-
ing that plank.
As to the Gubernatorial out
look, the present incumbent has
been making speeches around,
and is evidently a candidate for
the nomination, but the boom
for him is very small. General
A. w. Campbell, of Madison,ap-
pears to have the lead.