Evening star., 1896-09-29
IN THE DOUBTFUL COLUMN
Where the State of Tennessee Must Be
Placed.
silver Sentiment Seems to Be Slack
The War ON Washington.
Correspondence Of The Evening Star.


MEMPHIS. Tenn, September %, 1896
The situation in Tennessee is in some
respects simplifed. Several of the demo-
cratic congressional rows have been set
tied. but in some places the republicans
and the populists have been fusng, but
how far the fusion has gone Il is impossi-
bic TO say. All hope of union between
democrats and pop4!ists has been aban-
dohed, for the reason that ii is entirely
unauthorized in mis- state. Therefore. the
popuIst candidate for governor, Profes-
sor Minis, will continue in the race and
there will be full list of populist electors
put out. AS the democratic fight on Pei pu-
lism has been exceedingly bitter in Ten
nessee the poEulist vote will not be mate
rally affected.
1t is evident, too. that the national demo-
cratic vote will have 20 be reckoned with.
When General Palmer and Colonel Eel
lows spoke few days ago al the Audi
| torium in this city they had the largest au-
dlence tfat has assembled far during
the campaign, and ii exceedingly
enthusiastic one, too. The Auditorium
holds comfortably 5000 persons. and it was
nlled The people who heard these speak
| ers VIII for the most part vote for the In
dianapolis ticket, unless they should be
| satisfied that there is danger of Bryans
| election, in which event they will vote
| directly for Mckinley. Some invest!ga-
tions made by your correspondent in other
counties than this in west Tennessee re-
veal the fact that many old-line democrats
claim to be disguised with Bryan and will
quietly vote against him.
| Free Silver Sentiment Slackenfnx.
There are evidences in this portion of the
state that the free silver sentiment is slack
| ehiLg. 1t is true a great many meetings
are being held but the attendance is small,
| and the enthusiasm very much forced. The
| fight made on Josiah Patterson here has
| Gone him more good than harm. He has
| teen charged with such heinous offerses as
| sittns down to banquet tables in the east,
| and II has been assiduously charged that
| when lie was first elected to Congress he
| had no. been in Washington more than
| three weeks before President Cleveland
made gold bug out of him; but as Gen.
| harrison Was President when Col. Patter-
| Sor first went to Congress such charges Is
| this have proved hoomerangs.
| Or course the outcome of the con-
| eressonal fight in this district will
| he awaited with great interest. Mem
| phis is sound money center, and ii Is
| argued by the sound money ren that if
| she holds out against the silver craze it
| will have an important bearing on her COM
| mercial future Patterson will carry this
| county by handsome majority, ard he has
| fighting chance tc carry two OF the three
| remaining counties in the district. Memphis
| may just as well be set down for Mckinley.
for he viii get plurality Of the votes cast
here, unless Mr.. Bryan in his forthcoming
| visit should work miracles.
| Some idea of the democratic detection
| may be had from the fact that perhaps
| cne-third of the democratic lawyers Of this
| city will vote against Bryan in one way or
the other; that perhaps two-thirds ot he
| leading business men Will not vote for him,
| ard that considerable proportion of the
| physicians who democrats will prcb-
| ably vote direct for Mckinley. The same
| condition of affairs prevails in Nasnvi!le,
Knoxville and Chattanooga. Nashville, in
i.- 20 tfp111 n at-gf IL.
didate for Congress In opposition 10 the
| regular nominee.
! The GubernutOriaI Contest.
| In the gubernatorial contest Mr. c. V.
| Tillman, the republican candidate, is max
| ing a very aggressive campaign, and he
! will get the votes Of those democrats who
do not admire Bob Taylor, and who are
bitterly opposed to him because he has
stood in the way of a constitutional con-
vention. In this county there is a consti-
| tutional league. composed of several thous-
| and citizens. who are practically united in
the resolve to support no man who is not
| in favor of a new constitution. Bob Taylor
| will not get much support from them. The
| democratic candidate for governor claims.
| however, that a great many republicans
| of east Tennessee are ffocktng TO the DEM
| ocratic party on account of free silver but
the best information from disinterested
sources shows that the republicans are
| standing pretty firm.
The extra session OF the legislature. which
was summoned TO provide against deficit
has cost the people Of the state very nearly
100000, and has done nothing in the way
of practical relief The session seems 10
have been called to settle a dispute be-
tween the controller, who claimed a sur
Plus, and the treasurer, who claimed a
deficit The two officials hate each other
very cordially, and the Legislature was
called in as a referee. The democratic
party has not been helped any by this alb
surd legislative fasco.
| Altogether the outlook i'm Tennessee is
very dubious, and If the democrats carry
the state it will be by very narrow mar
gin. The silver men have been so noisy
that the real strength of the adherents OF
sound money has been somewhat obscured
but unless all signs fail, this strength will
be very much in evidence election day
In the meantime Tennessee must be placed
in the doubtful states.