Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1885-08-27
AFTER THE BATTLE.
A Calm Survey of the Fold and the Con-
dition of the Wounded.

Der when, in the history of East Tennes-
see, there was such a warm fight over tri-
fling offices as that made over the APP
pointments of Medical Examiners. The
air was full of rumors, of schemes and of
wire-pulling. The board was daily guess,
ed at, and most generally wrong. Indeed,
If this had been a gambling community
pools could have been sold on the result,
so mysterious was the matter made. A
short history of the whole affair, from
the time the statesmen commenced
coaching their favorites until the APP
pointments were made and the agony
over, may not prove uninteresting.
The row opened with len hungry and
thirsty" Democrats after three places.
Three of these dropped out before the
fuss began to warm up, leaving Drs.
Dobson, Fraker, Warlick, Howell, Mil
Ter, Hunter and Alexander to fight it out.
The three last named got the appoint
ment and last week held their first meet.
ing in Johnson City. So far as the gen.
eral public was concerned, and especially
the Union soldiers interested, they might
just as well have met at midnight in the
Cranberry ore banks.
Secretary Of State John Allison, the
sole inventor of q method for coercing
pensioners to vote the Democr attic ticket
through the medium of the power of this
Board, wanted Drs. Dobson and Fraker,
and put in his st ticks for them. Lit
tie jim Harri we borrow the pet name
of Little Jim from Mr.. Allison-want.
ed and was determined to have Drs. War
lick and Hunter, the latter gentleman be-
ing a kinsman of Mr.. Harris. DR.. Dob
son had unwittingly put his finger in the
late postofice fight. At first Dobson op-
posed j. E. T. Harris for the p~ostofice;
then he somehow got in favor of Harris,
where he remained for a few days only,
winding up by withdrawing his support
from Mr.. Harris, who is the father of
Little jim" Therefore the Harris in
fuence was fernenst Dobson. So deter
mined were "Little Jim" and Secretary
Allison for their favorites, that no middle
ground could be reached, although there
were several conferences. The giants
locked horns and declared war to the
knife. 1t was at one of these conferences
that Mr.. Allison gave his reasons for in
sisting upon the appointment of Drs.
Fraker and Dobson, in preference to Drs.
Warlick and Hunter. Without pretend
ing to literally quote Mr.. Allison's Ian
guage on this occasion we will state the
gist of his argument, as reported and af
frmed by members Of his own party. Blu
We are a little ahead Of our narrative and
before going further we will give Mr..
Allison's scheme to bulldoze pensioners
and applicants for pensions into voting
with the Democracy. The plan was a
brilliant one. 1t is not likely there is an
other statesman in the Democratic party
capable of planning and putting it into
operation. 1t was this: Put lone but
radical Democrats on the Board, and give
them to understand that they must
threaten every pensioner with the loss of
the p%ittance he draws unless he votes the
Democratic ticket; or, if he is an appli-
cant for q pension, threaten him with an
adverse report on his case unless he hows
to their political idol. So well pleased
was Mr.. Allison with his outrageous and
indecent plan that he dispatched Little
jim Harris to Washington to inform
the authorities there of his method to in
crease the Democratic vote in Tennessee.
Among other seductive phrases to be con-
veycd from Mr.. Allison to Washington
was the one that "this 1.-THE Board can be
made a powerful engine in this Republi-
can district" 1t wa to carry out this
plan of Mr.. Allison's that the appoint
ment of DIS. Fraker and Dobson was 80
persistently urged. Mr.. Allison declared,
in one of the conferences spoken of above,
that neither DR.. Warlick nor DR.. Hunter
would do, but that DR.. Dobson and DR..
Fraker would obey his wishes. II know
my men," said Mr.. Allison; "Dobson
and Fraker must so on that Board"
Harris would not submit, but proposed
fighting the matter; and he did, success
fully: much to Mr.. Allison's surprise,
Notwithstanding he ought to have become
used to being beaten by this time.
While this interesting conflict between
Little Jim" Harris and Secretary AL.
lison was at its height U. s. Senator
Jackson came to Jonesboro to address
the State Teachers Association. This
was on a Wednesday. The following
Friday morning Little jim rode into
town, Those who saw him say there was
blood in his eye. He went straight to
Mr.. James III. Dosser's house. where
Senator Jackson was stopping, and made
a statement Of the trouble about the Elk.
aiming Board, fully exposing Mr.. AL
lison's infamous project to force pen.
sioners to vote the Democratic ticket.
The Senator was astounded, and freely
expressed his opinion, saying, among
other things: "Mr. Allison could not talk
to me about a matter of hat kind in a
friendly way, much less with seriousness.
l desire to see none but conservative men
on the Board"
This practically ended the trouble,
The call upon Senator jackson was 8
mastery move by Mr.. Harris. With 9
full knowledge of Secretary Allison's oh
jects, he exerted a powerful influence