The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-10-25
"OLD PETE" TURNKEY.
TIE TENNESSEE VETERAN AND THE
CAMPAIGN HE'S MAKING.
A Novel Three-COrnered Fight with Buch-
anan Doing All lie Can to Elect Win
stead-The Tennessee Situation,

NaAhville, Tenn. October 2O.-(Special.)
Tennessee is one southern state in which
the negro will cut no figure in the Novem-
Der election.
There are about 10000 negro voters in
the state. but the new poll tax law and the
Australian ballot system which has been
adopted in several of the counties, will
disfranchise fully 10000 Of this number
The poll tax law went into effect in 1890
1t was felt by the republicans in a loss of
more than 10000 votes. In other words,
in the guberna toral election in 1888 the
republicans polled 10000 votes, while In
1892 they poled but $4,000.
These laws will save the state to the
democrats in November.
The contest is, however, an interesting
one There are four candidates for COVER
nor and four electoral tickets in the field
now. The candidates for governor are
Peter Turney, regular democratic nominee;
James L. Buchanan, the present governor,
independent democrat and nominee of the
neope's party; George w. Winston, re
publican and Il. I'll. East. prohibitionist.
The condition of affairs in the state which
has caused the candidacy of both Turney
and Buchanan grew out Of the contest Of
two years ago. At that time Congressman
Josiah Patterson, of Memphis, and Jere
Baxter, of Nashville. We're candidates for
the democratic nomination. Patterson
represented the wing of the party of which
Senator Isham G. Hams was the ac-
knowlcdged lsNder. Baxter was the can
1idate of the Bob Taylor wing The con-
test was bitter as Il war between two
parties. James i. Buchanan, then Il farm
er down i'll rutherford county, saw an op-
portunity for himself and announced as
the farmers candidate for the democratic
nomination. The fight between the other
candidates had grown so bitter that neither
Patterson nor Baxter could be nominated
and both agreed to go to Buchanan. He
was nominated and elected.
buchanan a Failure
As governor he has been failure. His
administration has Disguised every re
spectacle democrat and every man who
is proud OF his state Not satisfied with
his salary IS governor, and although the
constitution of the state provides that the
governor shall receive no fees, he had his
legislature pass bills allowing him fees and
the democrats charge that he has received
more from this source than his salary. Ii
the first place when the direct tax money
refunded to the state by the governor was
distributed among the people he as one
of the commissioners to distribute this
money, consisting of himself governor,
his secretary of state, his treasurer and
bis attorney general, deducted commissions
for themselves. He first, however. had a
bill passed through the legislature allowing
II. linen the same BOARD placed new bonds
to reduce an expired issue Of n million and
a half, upon which the legislature allowed
them one dollar on each bond
Besides this he appointed over n dozen
members Of his own family to state Of
fees. These included his sister. for whom
be created a new Office at 5000 a year.
Then. instead of suppressng the rioting ut
Coal Greek he allowed it to drift along,
pandeying TO the labor element until the
miners h2-l released the state convicss.
In the second outbreak of the convicts,
though X Nashville when telegraphed to,
40 vas At accessible. and his adiutant gen
no ordered out the troops
he custom in Tennessee TO
-ernor. p~"hanan was a
of the
by the
"slch-