Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-07-17

10 she state and began a canvass for
russell, the "sky blue" candidate
flnally the two senators met in Joint
debate and it was battle of the giants
senator Harris got possession Of letter
that Senator Jackson had written G.
W. Marks, complimenting him upon an
effort to scale the dett and also a reso-
luton that Senator Jackson had offered
IN the State convention for the settle
ment of the debt at so and 4. Both vera
signed by Senator jackson and they
were used with telling force against
him at Erin and Trenton. 1t was in
this debate that Senator Harris read the
papers previously referred to, and then
turning like raging lion upon his ad-
versary said in words that came as sep
arate and distinct as the bullets from
rlfe; Sir, II this was a military cam
paign instead of political campaign,
you would be hanged for treason"
All are familiar with the outcome of
the campaign, the election of Bate by
large majority and the election of
general assembly that elected Senator
Harris second time to the senate on
the first ballot his opponent being John
II. Savage.
In 1889 j. D. G. Atkins opposed him
for the senate, and for the first time
since the war there was caucus for tho
Democratic nomination. 1t was neces-
sary to get two-thirds of the votes in
the caucus to secure the nomination,
and although Senator Harris got q ma
jorty on the first ballot, it was not
until the third that he got the two
thirds.
In 1895 he was elected for the fourth
time TO the senate, and there was no
opposition to him that amounted to any
thing.
Secret OF His Success.
Since the last illness of the senator i.
is probable that this question has been
asked thousand times among his
friends in Memphis
"What was the secret Of his success?"
The universal answer has been truth
fulness, fidelity, integrity and force OF
character. lie 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 he was in active politics it could
never be said that he had deceived a
man. AS a political organizer he was
magnificent, and in each of the counties
OF the State he had from two to five
friends who were the most influential
in the county. 1t was through these
that he worked, and he never won't back
on one Of them. That was how he held
them to him. Yet as a personal poll
tician during his later years he lacked
much that is generally considered essen
tial IIo had bad memory for names
and faces, and when he did not remem-
Der man he did not hesitate to tell
him so. His last political act was to
preside over the convention in Memphis
last summer that nominated Mr.. Car
mack for congress, he being delegate
to that convention from the Second
ward. His last vote was for Bryan in
November at the polling place in the
Second ward.
In congress he was ever considered
one OF the most attentive watchers and
hardest workers. He was upon num-
Der of the important committees, nota-
bly, that on finance and that on the Dis
trict of Columbia, of the lattor of which
he was the chairman. He was president
pro tempore of the senate during the
timo that it was Democratic, and as q
parlamentarian had confessedly no
equal in the senate. IL was often tho
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 filibustering fight
over the reorganization of the senate
during the Riddlcberger 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 the two new
men we're returned from that State the
Republicans attempted to reorganizc
that body. Senate Harris led the forces
for the minority against this, and in
fight that lasted for long time and
which excited the greatest party interest
all over the country won. He was
largely instrumental with Senator Cal
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 due to him more than any
other one man that tho Wilson-Gormar
tariff act was passed, and while all o'
its provisions did not meet with his ap'
proyal, he did the best that could have
been done under the circumstances.