The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1895-06-13
NASHVILLE LETTER.
Centennial Appropriation Bill Voted Down
By a Majority Of 4.
Synopsis of the Registration Bill
and Other Interesting Ijems
From the State Capitol.
[rROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.


Will Frank Smith hold out? You
don't know the man if you think so.
A grave mistake has been made in
Withholding the IT asons and circum-
stances which led up to the assault on
Judge Butler, as a complete exposition
of the facts would have relieved Capt
Smith of a world Of censure; but, for
some inscrutable reason, silence was
maintained and the public permitted
to believe that he struck Judge Butler
only because he said he had not been
III his Office for some time. Adverse
criticism has gone so far even as to
charge incompetency. For six years
in his present office and for thirty
years in the van with the first and
best and ablest of Tennessee educators,
he has been held the peer of the ablest
of them, and the sudden discovery
now of his incompeteucy is answered
by brilliant record Of above quarter
century. The governor will send his
name in again if it appears that the
senate will confirm him, but if not
you may depend upon it that Capt.
Smith will not hold over. His defeat
will be hailed with great joy by the
Republicans of East Tennessee and 1t
has been the end and aim of well
planned conspiracy, His assault upon
Judge Butler grew out of that, and it
is a long and black tale to tell. The
Democrats in the legislature have un-
Willingly lent themselves to the con-
spiracy to down man who has won
the hatred of Republicans by valiant
service to his party. A braver, better
man does not live and he has walked
into the very presence of danger and
death more than once in defense of
principles that all Democrats and
right thinking men hold dear. II he
is downed the party will rue it and
the Democrats who did it be ashamed
OF it.
The registration bill provides that
on the second Monday IN August every
two years books shall be opened for
ten days for registration and for twen-
ty days before zach election the books
are to be opened to register persons
who have changed residence, lost their
certificates or neglected to register.
The act does not apply to any civil
district of less than 5000 population,
except in counties wholly subject to
registration under existing law. All
kinds OF tinkering amendments were
offered and it is not definite even now
what a man must do to be saved. Our
system of election laws is loblolly OF
intricacies and perplexing require
ments, and every legislature adds new
fumbles and tinkering kinks to it, un.
til the way to the polls is as crooked
as the track OF a snake afflicted with
st. Vitus dance. The day is not dis
tant when the whole jumbled up mess
will be dumped over and the poll:
opened in the old fashioned way. You
never heard OF a dishonest vote or 8
dishonest count before the war. Peo
pie are as honest now as then, maybe
80. l.1
Here is something queer: 1t hal
been discovered at last that Fulcher 4
Co. are without blame or crookedness
the chairman of the house penitenti
AIRY committee 80 testifying, Nov
what wrong was it that Laurent ant
Smith committedG FuIcher & Co
were supposed to have been the bene
feiaries of great steal, but it turn
out that they we're nov. They wer
the only ones who could possibly b
r benefited, but no job was put up 70
them. The thing is twisted aroun,
i, now so that Smith and Laurent appea
r in the attitude OF putting up a 10
, for nobody to take down. The gran
/, Jury have done nothing ia the inve,
tigation. It tried to get hold of th
= testimony taken by the connmitte,
= but that has been lying around i
D mysterious out Of the way places.
The biddings for the new penitel
tiary this time will be delivered
4 and opened by the secretary of Stat
n The bill will provide for lease Of col
victs to a new railroad and for II
cells.
The appropriation bill will be a thin
{ wonderfully and fesriully made whe
: ii is completed, but no man can te
e what the provisions Of it will be whe
0 the members get through chaugir
y their minds. The salary of the COVE
l. nor's secretary was changed fro
e 81 200 to 81 500 and back again sew
n raj times, and several other thin
u we're shifted up and down sever
:, :, times-defeated .reconsidered, adopte
d reconsidered, amended and deIeate
reconsiderel and adopted. The