Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-04-20
TENNESSEE REPUBLICANS.
Lack Of Harmony, and its Cause-Com-
plants Of Congressman that
Hostile Federal Officers
are not Removed.

WASHINGTON, April 16.-'What is
the political outlook in Tennessee
asked a Tribune correspondent yes
terday of Congressman Moore, of the
Memphis district.
''It would be better if he had har-
mony in our ranks" was the reply.
"What is the trouble?' Mr. Moore
was asked.
"Well, in Shelby County the diff
Guilty is due to some of the Federal
Office holders. In order that you
may understand the matter I must
go back several years. One of the
features of President Hayess South>
ecn policy, as you may remember,
| was an attempt to strengthen the
Republican party in the South by
giving a share of the Federal Offices
| to ''liberal Democrats" The ap-
pointment of ex-senator Key to be
Postmaster General was inspired by
this idea. Of course the new POST
master General had an ardent desire
| to promote the success of the policy
| to which he owed his own elevation,
and the natural consequence was the
appointment of good many Demo-
Gratis and ''old line Wings political
nondescripts really-as Postmasters
in the Southern States. One of the
appointments thus made was that of
Mr.. Thompson, one OF the Editors of
The Memphis Avalanche, as Post
master at Memphis. Mr.. Thompson
died of yellow fever in the epidemic
of 1879. One of his bondsmen was
President Davis, of the First Nation l
Bank of Memphis, who was, and is,
a warm friend cf MEs. Thompson.
That summer Mr.. Davis was travel
ling in the Northwest and was thrown
into company with President Hayes,
who was also visiting that region
Mr.. Davis suggested to the Presi-
dent that it would be an appropriate
and kind act to appoint Mrs. Thomp
son to the Office made vacant by the
death of her husband, and upon this
suggestion and without consulting
any OF the leading Republicans of
Memphis, the President acted. Un,
der the circumstances we made no
objection, but it afterward became
evident that Mrs. Thompson was
unequal to the responsibilities of the
office, and an inspector who examined
the office recommended a change,
but nothing was done
.'After President Garfield's inau-
guration, came to Washington and
presented to him and to Postmaster-
rGeneral James that change would
be for the best interests OF the ser
vice, and would also strengthen the
Republican party in Shelby County.
In the first months of Garield's Ad-
ministration three different post Office
inspectors carefully investigated the
affairs of the Memphis Office; and,
after five OF six weeks thus spent, all
of them concurred in recommending
a change The President and Post
MASTER General both thought that
the Office ought to be placed in new
hands, but they naturally hesitated
about the removal of woman-es-
pecially one whose husband died in
the service; SO the matter was post-
poned from time to time, and moth,
ing had been done when the Presi>
dent was assassinated, Then, for
some time after President Arthur
came in, he, of course, felt averse to
doing anything and for some rea-
son which I am at loss to understand
he has not vet taken any action.
Now this is a long story, and you are
wondering what bearing it has upon
Republican prospects in Tennessee.
Of course, Mrs. Thompson takes no
active part in politics, but her two
principal subordinates do. The AS
sistant Postmaster, Walter Jones,
and the Chief. Clerk, Lafayette Jen-
nings, while both are nominally Re
publicans, are low credit men.
'The only hope of Republican sue
cess in Tennessee rests on unity in
/, favor of maintaining the credit of the
State On that issue the Democrats
are hopelessly divided; and, if the
Republicans boldly espouse it and
stand firmly together, they will win
So far as the Republicans of my dis
trict are concerned, there would
have been no doubt of their doing
this had it not been for the strenuous
| efforts of Jones and Jennings in the
opposite direction. They have been
a very active. and are using their in
fuence to secure the election of dele
gates to the State Convention who
: will be, like themselves, in favor Of
3 partial reputation They have al
ready broken up one local conven-
: tion, and have SO divided the part,
that two opposing delegations viii
be sent to the State Convention
They have already done great deal
s of mischief, and there is danger o.
= their doing great deal more. Jen@
, nings, I am informed, is neglecting
hs duties and devoting his time to 8
: careful and energetic canvass to pre-
D vent the election of any Estate credit
f delegates. The next Legislature
!. will be close at best: Shelby County
: will send nine members, and they
b will hold the balance of power. L
n the Republican party there can be
t united in the support of State cred
q it, they will be able to elect solio
g delegation of State credit men ano
Q thus virtually to control the actor
" upon the debt question but, as
g have explained, that cannot be done
a unless there shall soon be change
# in the management of the Memphis
post-ofice ".s440& Z @&r
The Tennessee Congressman evi-
IDENTIFY felt disappointed because O.
q the failure of the President to act
r promptly in regard to the Memphis
. postmastership; but he was as eyi-
= IDENTIFY disinclined to express for pub