Little Falls transcript., 1886-07-09
Tu1nlin's Victory.
From the Atlanta Constitution,


The present heated political cam
palgn recalls g. story told at the spirit,
ed contest for congress in the ffties, in
the old Cherokee district, between
Lewis Tumlin and William Henry
Styles. The whole country Was at the
time agitated over the Clayton Bul.
wer treaty which was then pending
Styles and Franklin were speaking
from every stump in the district and
the former laid great stress on the
Idea that it was necessary that the
district choose as it's representative a
learned man and one well posted or
the current news of both this countrv
and the Old World.
"Why," said he in one of his Joint
discussions, 1--WE want man in Con.
gress who is sufficiently posted to pro.
tect us from the aggressiveness nnd
grasping methods OF England We
| want a man who can vote INTELLIGENT
ly on the issues arising from this great
treaty which is now pending between
the two countries. This, my friend
Tumlln can't do. Twill submit to him
a single question, and If he answers it
from his seat without being informed
l will agree to come down.
| All eyes were on Tumlin as the
speaker turned to him and pointing
at him asked:
.Where is Liverpool. sir?"
Tumlin sat undisturbed and answer.
ed with a sneering smile, but yentureyl
no further response.
! "Ah," continued the speaker. turn.
ing to the audience, .'he don't know
Now l leave it to you to say whether
or not your representative in congress
should know the situation OF Liver
pool!'
This seemed q clincher and STYLES
sat down with an air OF triumph. As
he passed Tumlin it is said that the
latter remarked to him, sotto voce:
"Styles, I think that was d-n mean
you know l amt no geologist."
But it was 1'umlin's time to repl,
and he was equal to the occasion. III
scorned the i,nputation that he did
not know where Liverpool was, and
proceeded to locate it, to the satisisc-
ton OF the audience "But,' said lie,
"it would make no difference if ! did1l t
know it. There is one thing that do
know, and that is my people and my
district. Now want to ask my friend
Styles simple question, which the
representative of this district in Con.
gress ought to he able to answer, and
it he does so at once, right from his
seat and without information, / will
promise to come right down and ask
you to vote for him"
| Attention was now directed tc
Styles, who eyed the speaker compla.
Gently and goodhumoredly nodded
for him to proceed.
"Where, SIR" continued Tumlin
raising his voice to a high pitch anc
leyelling his finger at his opponent
''where, sir, is Cooper's Creek?''
I Styles became Confused and did not
venture q reply. The audience ac
cepted the point as a, good one, TO,
. every one knew that Coopers CreeS
watered the most prominent section
OF the county.
"Ah, you see," he concluded, 'he
cont know anything about the coun
ty that he wants to represent. Now
| leave it to you to say whether it is
best to elect a man who knows a!
about England and nothing about his
district, Or one who knows every COW
path in the district and every creek
that should be cleaned by Congression
al appropriation"
The victory was Tumlin's. He hai
carried the day and his triumphant
election followed. History says that
the old Cherokee district was well rep
resented in Congress during his term