Evening star., 1896-08-14
TENNESSEE POLITICS
The Situation Was Never So Thor
oughly Mixed.
4 STRONG Free SILVER SENTIMENT
Yet Memphis and Shelby County Are
for Mckinley.
r E P U B LICA Ms SOLID
pecial Correspondence Of The Evening Star

MEMPHIS. Tenn, August IS, 1896.
The political situation in Tennessee has
not been so chaotic since the war. The set
tlement Of the gubernatorial contest OF two
years ago left the democratic party with an
explanation on its hands. On the face Of
the returns II. Clay Evans was elected gov
ernor OF Tennessee by a plurality Of about
100 votes, but the election was contested by
Gov. Peter Turney. the democratic candi-
date. who held over" until the contest was
decided. The constitution of Tennessee pro-
vides that no citizen shall vote until he has
given satisfactory evidence" of having
paid his poll tax. A law passed several
years ago defined satisfactory evidence"
as poll tax receipt, a duplicate receipt, or
an affidavit asseverating such payment and
declaring that the receipt had been mis-
placed. The democratic managers discov-
cred that in east Tennessee, which is the
republican division Of the state, it was the
custom to allow voters to vote without pro-
ducing any evidence of the payment Of
poll tax. 1t was true that both parties ig-
nored the law, but the republicans were
largely in the majority, II the vote in any
district of East Tennessee were thrown out,
or scaled, 1t affected the republicans much
more seriously than the democrats. That
contest was severely condemned by large
number Of democrats, more especially in
the cities of Memphis, Chattanooga and
Nashville, and some Of the ablest demo-
cratic papers denounced it in most scathing
terms.
But the democratic members of the leg
islature passed a contest law and investi-
gated the election.
Some queer doings were discovered in
several democratic counties in west ind
middle Tennessee, but enough votes were
thrown out by the investigating committee
to give Turner plurality of about 2.oo0
votes. A ludicrous feature of the contest
was that the throwing out of the votes in
some Of the precincts of one of the legis-
lative districts would actually have de-
feated democratic legislator who was
prominent in the Investigation. But he
very vote which elected him 10 the legisla-
ture: but he remained as member of that
body, all the same.
IrresistibIe Silver Sentiment.
This bit Of history is necessary in order
to understand the situation in Tennessee
The gubernatorial "stear has not been for
gotten, but several things have happened
to draw attention away from it. The most
powerful Of these is the rapid and over
powering growth of the silver sentiment in
the democratic party. This is not confined
to cranks and men of inferior intellect but
some of the brainiest men in the state are
uncomDromisng advocates of free silver
men like John j. Vertrees and James NJ
Head of Nashville.
d.
Memphis are active silver propagandists
This sentiment has become so Irresistible
that in the country the advocate of sound
money is often treated with extreme dis
courtesy. Just the other day Josiah Patter-
son spoke at a political gathering but had
great difficulty in concluding his speech, so
impatient was the crowd to hear the gospel
of silver
The first state election held since the gu
bernatorial contest took place last week
Inc state voted upon candidates for the
chancery court Of appeals. and the various
counties selected their local officers. AS the
republican party received an actual plural
ity of the votes cast two years ago for gov
ernor, the election Of judges of the chancery
court of appeals was only interesting po-
itically as showing whether the people had
forgotten or remembered.
Efg Democratic Majority Probable.
The official probable returns are not all
N. but the democratic candidates were
elected by about 25,O00 majority. In west
and middle Tennessee the democrats in
creased their majorities over two years ago,
while the republicans OF east Tennessee
showed but little interest in the election.
The democrats contend that this con-
test shows that there will be big demo-
cratic victory in November, but the re-
publicanS say that the chancery court of
appeals having just been created possessed
no particular interest fer the people. In
November, they declare, they will come
out strong. There were local issues in
some of the counties, moreover, which
helped to bring out strong democratic
vote. Nashville. for instance. has been in
the grip of the A.P.A.'s, and the democrats
made vigorous fight there TO regain con-
troll, and succeeded. Ia Memphis lively
struggle for supremacy between two ele-
ments Of the democratic party had re-
suited at the primary in the triumph of
the better element, and the nomination of
a ticket which was q guarantee of good
~l~ll
The republicans, rs party, put out no
ticket, though republican candidates CT
fered themselves. The democratic ticket
was successful by very large majority.
receiving for the first time the almost
solid vote Of the negroes. 1t was pretty
generally agreed to inject no foreign is
sues into the local contest here. Memphis
Is the sound money center of the state.
and the spirit of independence is rife in
this city.
Mckinley Democrats.
There are large number of democrats
here who announce openly their intention
of voting for William Mckinley, and a
sound money league has been formed, for
the most part of democrats who will vote
against Bryan and Sewall. OF the repub-
lIcans, ex-Congressmdn Zack Taylor and
ex-Postmas ster R. F. Patterson are strong
free silver men, but they will not bolt the
republican ticket, nor is there any ap-
rarent disaffection among the republicans
of Mcmphis The indications are that Nc
kinley will carry this GShelby) county, and
there is a possibility that the county may
also go republican in the gubernatorial con-
test. Memphis has for several years been
trying to secure a constitutional conveI-
ton, and Robert L. Taylor. the democratic
candidate for governor, has placed himself
rather in antagonism to that idea. The
influential democrats of this city are deter
mined not to be trified with any longer on
this point, and they will probably read the
riot act to Ex-Governor Taylor. If he COM
stitution he will certainly lose this county.
The republicans have rot yet selected a
candidate for governor.
The most interesting congressional con-
test will be in this, the tenth district, be-
tween the present Congressman, Josiah
Patterson sound money. and Mr.. Z. w,
Carmack. free silver This promises to be