Evening star., 1896-10-23
TENNESSEE DOUBTFUL
The Complications in State Matters That Have
Brought About This Condition.
Silver Democrats Sure Of Electfnr the
Governor, but They Have Left
Bryan to the Farmers.
Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

With the work Of organization. The silver
democratic executive committee is assured
OF the election Of Robert L. Taylor for gov
ernor. but they have virtually left the
Bryan electors to the mercy of the free sill
yer sentiment among the farmers. and give
out no figures for Bryan's majority. Chair
man ]. M. Coleman himself admits that
there is little hope of Bryan carrying the
state, and is making the election Of Bob
Taylor the main issue of his campaign.
The reason of this is that there are 25,OOO
or 10000 sound money democrats in the
state. the majority Of whom will vote for
Taylor for governor. but their votes will go
to Palmer or Mckinley for President. Tay-
lor Is very blue, and Is worried much as the
oampa.g progresses. The seating Of Peter
Turney, democrat, as governor, in 1894, over
H. Clay Evans. republican, when Evans
had 2.5o0 majority on the face Of the re-
turns, and the congressional fight in the
tenth district between Josiah Patterson
(goN) and E. w. Carmack (silver) brings
troublesome visions to Taylor and his COM
mittee. When Bryan spoke in Memphis he
took occasion to eulogiZe Carmack, which
served to enrage Pattersons great army OF
supporters into declaring against both
Bryan and Bob Taylor The silver demo-
cratic committee say that Taylor will be
elected by 10000 majority, but a non-partisan
and conservative estimate is that If he re-
ceives 1900 majority he will have cause to
congratulate himself.
Sound Money Democrats.
The sound money democrats who will
scratch Taylor will aggregate 10000. There
are 10000 other democrats who were in
dignant at Turney being seated by the
legislature, and they will vote to give the
republican party what they consider its
due. Added to this Is the corruption of ap-
pointees of Gov. Turney, which created
scandal in the state government. and which
bod xs,xx
job" which would have fieeced the state of
nearly a million dollars, has become a
bugaboo in the canvass The republicans
are fighting for the governorship along the
line of state issues, leaving the national
issues to national speakers. The state debt
Is now $lS,UU.Oo0 and increasing every
year. A recent extra session of the legisla-
ture was called by Gov. Turney to protect
Uary, when the semi-annuai interest of
$25O,OW is due. The system of hack tax
collectors, which is costing hundreds of
thousands Of dollars, The need of consti-
tutional convention and fee reform, where
millions of dollars are being thrown away
extravagantly every year, is meeting the
righteous wrath of the people. The GRIM
inal court costs in Tennessee amount an
nually to over 81 ,2O0,W0, while in the neigh
boring state of Georgia tn ese costs amount
to only about $4,000 per year.
systematically Organized.
AAS couAo AaohCy ucHOSfdtS are SYSTEM
atically organized in Tennessee They
are well provided with funds, and orators
of national reputation are drawing big
crowds for them. They have precinct and
district organization in many counties The
eastern portion of Tennessee is SO over
whelmingly republican that no organization
Is necessary. There are ninety-six counties
in the state. and the battle royal is in the
western and middle sections 1t is very
nOtfcea bile that haSideS
man. no silver orators of national import
ance have come into Tennessee. On the
other hand Palmer and Buckner John r.
Fellows of New York, Gen. Adam E. King
OF Baltimore and a dozen others have been
into Tennessee for the gold democrats. The
prohibition candidate for President, Joshua
Levering. will make several speeches in
the state.
There are about 10000 railroad men who
vote in the state. More than 2O.OO0 of them
Will vote for Palmer Mckinley. The
silver democratic committee is dead
broke and has no funds In years gone by
1t was the custom of the state democratic
committee to go to the banks, railroads,
corporations and wealthy men for from
$500 to $1,000 EACH But this year all the
corporations refused point blank to con-
tribute anything.
Silver Democrats Can't Fuse With
POpulfsts.
Another increasing terror to the silv ar
democracy is that they can accomplish
no fusion with the populists. The popu-
list strength in Tennessee is 24,0O0 votes
The silver democracy offered the populists
three electors, but Tom Watson forbade
an acceptance. and they demanded not only
three electors, but two Congressman. This
was refused, of course, and the populists
have openly fused with the republicans on
congressional and legislative candidates
The three most talked Of politicians in
4
E. B. Stahlman gold democrat; H. Clay
Evans, republican, and John H. Mcdowell
populiSt. Stahlman is the owner of the
Nashville Banner. Evans is good for Post
master General if Mckinley Is elected and
Mcdowell, the leader of the populists, can
deliver 1900 populiSt votes at his discre-
ton, either way. The three of them have
set their heads tcgether, and their splen-
did onSlaughtS have had a demoralizing ef-
feet upon the silver democrats. 1t is very
evident that Stahlmans chief end is to
elect a republican legislature, for he has
his weather eye on the United States SEN
ate.
Mcdowell is the joint nominee of the
populists and republicans from the ninth
district. The democrats of the ninth have
put out that sterling democrat, Rice A.
Pearce, formerly member of Congress-
Both Congressman McMillin and Richard
SOL (the latter. being slated for the speaker
ship of the next Congress. has free sill
yer majority. who have been mixed up
Will the HdtiOfidl edIHpdiSb, nave hurried
into their respective districts recently and
are now in the midst of their own cam
paigns. Both Senators Isham G. Harris
and VIM. B. Bate are sick and confined to
their beds in Memphis and Nashville their
respective homes. 1t is not expected that
Senator Harris will live to complete his
present term in the Senate.
May Defeat Bryan.
In the tenth congressional district is the
mightiest fight for a seat in Congress be-
tween Patterson and Carmack. The two
Memphis papers, the Commercial-Appaal
and the Scimitar, are supporting Patter-
son, while the silver men have founded an
afternoon paper, the Herald, in Carmack's
interest. Carmack will have a good ma
jority in the country, but Patterson will
win in the city, and the odds are in his
favor. The fight in this district may defeat
Bryan in Tennessee.
What a Red Hat Costs.
From the New York Times.
The red hat of a cardinal costs him more
money than kings pay for any except their
very best crowns. Before accepting it, the
grateful prelate must make offerings to the
propaganda and to his titular church at
Rome, and pay fees to a long list of Off
Gals, ranging from chamberlains Of the