Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-13

tHOlI AuIuiuluS WOuiu nave DtSLi
drowned If the Democrats in like
proportion had turned out.
talked to Mr.. Mat Rhea going to
Memphis on Midland railroad train
the day following. He is clever,
fair-minded gentleman, but being an
appointee of Gov. Buchanan, ma
turally inclines strongly to the sup
port of his chief. Like Buchanan, he
calls himself an Independent Demo-
crat, and assured me of his intention
to vote for Cleveland for president,
though he wavered on the idea of
standing true to your Uncle Josiah
Patterson for reelection to Congress.
By the way, my conversation with
Mr.. Rhea recalled the rumor pre-.
valent short time since that deal
between the Republicans and popu-
lites was on foot by which Winstead
would be withdrawn from the race.
l said to Mr.. Rhea:
"If you are really Democrat you
should smother your personal prefer
ences in this matter, because vote
for Buchanan will simply mean a
vote for Winstead. There is no pos
sible chance for the Governors re.
election"
Mr.. Rhea looked at me with an air
that seemed to say, you are poorly
posted, and said: "Winstead is apt
to withdraw before the election
comes off,
Since my return to Nashville, 1 ac-
cidentally fell in with Mr.. T. w.
Ownby, prominent and well
known Republican, who ought to
know the inner workings of his party
in Tennessee, and doubtless does.
"Are your folks going to take Win
stead down and give Buck a clear
field ?" ] inquired.
/ expected positive denial, or at
least pooh-poohing of such an idea
as absurd, but Mr.. Ownby simply
evaded the question by saying:
"You are newspaper man and
ought to know all about what is GO
ing on"
What Mr.. Rhea said, and what Mr..
Ownby said was neither of any
special consequence, but putting
this and that together we
discover straw in the political
breeze, which sc ems to give degree
of color to the rumor that has in
some way got afloat.
If Winstead does not withdraw it
will be only on one condition, and
that will be that the Buchanan
faction promise its support to the
Harrison and Reed electoral ticket.
Under present conditions Winstead
has a much better prospect of being
elected Governor than Buchanan has
and of course he will not without
without consideration.
Should such bargain be made the
Buchananites will not be able to de-
liver the goods they promise and
furthermore the Governors prospect
of securing a reelection will be no.
wise improved.
l had short talk with Judge G.
w. Tyler the other day when he was
in Nashville. The Judge is one Of
the best posted and most clear head
ed Democrats in Tennessee, and he
figures it out something after this
fashion: Buchanan's vote will not
exceed $4,000. In 1883 Harrison,
Republican candidate for president,
got 13S,9SS votes in Tennessee and
Cleveland, Democratic candidate,
15S,779 votes. This was by long odds
the biggest Republican vote ever
cast in the State. Two years later in
the gubernatorial election it dropped
down to 76,0S1.
The Dortch election law and the
poll tax qualification can be relied on
to bring the Republican vote next
November very considerably below
what it was in 1888, while the Demo-
cratic vote will probably exceed
what it was then. 1t is hardly prob
able then, Judge Tyler thinks, that
the Joint vote of the Republican and
populites can overcome the vote that
will be cast for Turney, and the DEM
ocratic nominee is certain of safe
plurality.
After WiDstead had made his open
ing speech at Knoxville, he went
Immediately north in obedience to a
command from the national Repub-
lican committee and it is believed
that an effort was made through that
source to get him off the track and
effect fusion with Buchanan. 1t is
well known that the national Repub-
lican committee is attempting to
carry out such policy in all the
Southern States. Winstead has
probably been promised first-class
Federal appointment il by drawing
off he can carry Tennessee for Harri-
son. But he is shrewd enough to
know that this would be very diff
cult to accomplish and he considers
that he has a nrnsnect of being elect