The leader., 1897-07-14
tho first ballot his opponent being John

the first ballot, his opponent being John
II. Savage.
In 1859 j. d. c. Atkins opposed him
Tor the senate, and for the first time
since the war there was a caucus for the
Democratic nomination. 1t was neces-
sary to get two-thirds OF tho votes in
the caucus to secure the nomination,
and although Senator Harris got q ma
jority on the FIRST ballot, it was not
until the third that he got the two
thirds.
In 1895 he was elected for tho fourth
time to tho senate, and there was no
opposition to him that amounted to any
thing.
Secret OF His Success.
Since the last illness of the senator IL
is probable that this question has been
asked thousand times among his
friends in Memphis
What was the secret OF his success9"
Tho universal answer has been truth
fulness, fidelity, integrity and force OF
character" lilo said OF himself that
there was never as much as a dog fight
that he did not take sides in, but he was
always sincere, and during the long time
that no was in active politics it could
never be said that he had deceived a
man. AS political organizer no was
magnificent, and in each of the counties
of the State he had from two to FIVE
friends who were tho most influential
in the county. 1t was through these
that he worked, AMI he never went back
on one Of them. That was how be held
them TO him. Yet as a personal poll
tician during his later years he lacked
much that is generally considered essen
tial. Ho had bad memory for names
and faces, and when ho did not remem-
ber man he did not hesitate to tell
him so. His last political act was to
! preside over tho convention in Memphis
last summer that nominated Mr.. Car
mack for congress, he being a delegate
! to that convention from tho Second
ward. His last vote was for Bryan in
November at the polling place in the
| Second ward.
In congress no was ever considered
one OF the most attentive watchers and
hardest workers. lie was upon a mum.
Der Of the important committees, nota-
/ bly, that on finance and that on the Dis
trict OF Columbia, OF the latter Of which
ho was the chairman. He was president
! pro tempore of the senate during the
time that it was Democratic, and as a
parliamentarian had confessedly no
| n n
case that he was called upon to unravel
tangles into which the body had gotten,
and his word in those matters was law
with both sides Of the house.
| 1t was in the great flibustering fight
over the reorganization Of the senate
during the Riddleberger time that he
| became the most prominent man in the
senate. The resignation of Platt and
| Conkling of New York left the Demo
Gratis in control, but when tho two new
men were returned from that State the
Republicans attempted to reorganiz,
that body. Senate Harris led the forces
for the minority against this, and in a
fight that lasted for long time and
which excited the greatest party interest
all over tho country won. lie was
largely instrumental with Senator Gull
lom in making the law that created the
interstate commerce commission, and
played the most important part in franz
ing and passing the national quarantine
act. 1t was duo to him moro than any
other one man that tho Wilson, German
tariff act was passed, and while all of
its provisions did not meet with his APP
proval, he did the best that could have
been done under the circumstances