The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-03
BRISTOL. TENN.-VA.
It's Peculiar situation in Two states Now En-
gaginx the Attention OF Ohncials.


= Bristol, partly in Tennessee and partly In
vir ginia. Is a bifurcated American town. the
affairs Of which have recently become the cause
Of a controversy between those two States.
Bristol. by the Federal census Of 1890. had a
population Of e,22s, Of which number Of in
habitants s.s24 were in Sullivan county. Tenn.
and 2,sO2 in Washington county. Va. Bristol
is not only on the State line between Tenn essee
and Virginia, but the boundary line runs through
the main street Of Bristol, with the result that
a person on one side Of Main street ma be
n sunny Tennessee cSHd,,s and tns o aH IN u the o' /,
especially satisfactory to individuals deslr-
ing. for one cause or another, 10 elude the vlgi-
lance OF the police aIth9rities or 70 evaa cs, me
There are other towns in the United States
a town as large as Bristol, now claiming q popp-
in another. Recently in. Washington, Gov.
ainia held a conference 10 decide the future
fate Of lnw-breakers who now and then IND
their way to the town and are quick to take
II is this tendency on their part which has
prompted the conference between the two
State Governors,
| tennessee and Virginia, but on the boundary
line NJ longitude which separates Eastern from
Central time. Accordingly there is an hours
NlHf ffliF III AtlA' ~ N'f' ~ w. 49, -
Main street. II is n well established principle,
| stoIitlv upheld in the South, that each State
is sovereign not only in the regulation Of its
immediate affairs. hut in the protection given
TO persons permanently or temporarily within
it, jurisdiction II would he a grievous vio-
lation Of law and usage, therefore, for a Tennes-
see constable, for instance, to pursue a male,
| factor across tho State line into Virginia and
arresting him there and attempt TO take him
out Of the State Of Virginia without q Ieauisii-
ton signed by the Governor at Richmond:
And In like manner. II would he considered
a great breach of amenitv for a Virginia con
stable To modest n fugitive Gom that state
who had taken refuge in Tennessee.
The problem which the Governors OF the
two States have To determine has been rendered
| no easier by the fact that serious difficulties
Of a political character separate the town OF
Bristol. In the election Of 1900 Mckinley car.
ried Washington county, Va. by n substantial
majority over Bryan. whileB Bryan carried Sulli-
van county Tenn, by a large majority over
Mckinley. The Tennessee part or Bristol is
under Democratic control. and the Virginia part
of Bristol is under Republican control. The
city has two Mayors with limited jurisdiction,
and there is no practicable legal way whereby
the two divisions Of the town, even though they
20 TO make M one city, can be organized under
a common government without an alteration
OF the State line itself. Bristol, Tenn, Is gov.
erned by laws made in Nashville; Bristol, Va.
IL governed by laws made in Richmond. Al
a Temporary palliative measure 1t Is now pro-
posed to established what Is known as a board
Of police, having equal authority within the
town Of Bristol on either side Of the State line.