The National tribune., 1900-05-03

cans OF tennessee. We can not conceive
of another prominent member of the Ad-
ministration being SO distasteful to the
people of his State.
Continuing, Mr.. Gibson gives another
still more convincing demonstration OF tie
smallness of the Evans following:
"To show that no monstrous outrage
was done to Mr.. Evans, l call attention
to these facts:
"First-That only 66 of the 163 Evans
delegates left the convention and joined
the boilers.
"Second-That Hon. J. A. Fowler,
Evans's attorney before the Committee on
Credentials, and Mr.. V. Mclean, who pre-
sented the minority report in favor of the
Evans delegates, both refused, to join in
the bolt. If any great outrage was per
petrated on Mr.. Evans these two parti-
sans of his evidently failed to see it. and
| their opportunities were the very best.
"The total vote before the bolt was 472,
and the total vote after the bolt, and before
the contested seats were filled, was 406,
thus showing that only Sc Of Evans's dele
gates joined in the bolt"
That is, counting all the Postmasters,
Deputy Postmasters, Marshals, Deputy
Marshals, Clerks, Storekeepers, Watchmen,
Convention, and whose appointments must
have S"nn more or less due to Evans's
influence, only Sc, or precisely one in seven,
followed him in his conspiracy against
the unity of the party. This is a very
conclusive showing as to the meagernesS Of
Evans's personal following, and as to how
the Republicans of Tennessee regard him
and his methods.
As to the flinlsy manufacture Of "con-
tests" Mr.. Gibson says:
"As to the great wrong done by Brown
lows friends in contesting the seats of
Evans's friends, can only say that there
were contests in SO Counties, and in 81 of
them the notices of contest were filed by
Mr.. Evans's friends. Many Of these were
admitted to be frivolous and abandoned
during the sitting Of the convention. There
was only one contest in my district, and that
by Mr.. Evans's sfriends, % of whom seeded
in Morgan County from about $50, and
went off and declared for Gibson and
Evans.
There are 81 Counties in Tennessee,
and Mr.. Evans trumped up contests in
36-generally in those in which the Re
publican vote is small and his appointees
numerous. Mr.. Gibson gives a specimen
"contest'-where % men disputed the
action Of 800.
With reference to Mr.. Evans's calumnia-
ton of the great body of Tennessee Re
publicans, Mr.. Gibson says:
Il very much regret that Mr.. Evans
should brand the Republicans of Tennes-
see as 'ballot-boX suffers and perjurers,'
and should denounce the majority of the
convention as though they Were wicked
and Gishonorabie men.
an the ooiiyention, participating in all
OF its proceedings, We're such well-known
Republicans as ex-CongreSsmcn Foster v
Brown and John Z. Mccall, Hons. George
\. Tillman and James A. Fowler, he last
two Republican candidates for Governor,
and very large proportion OF the most
prominent Republicans of the State"
This is exactly what Mr.. Evans has
been doing for the past three years with
reference to the veterans of the country,
and their representative gatherings. He
has denounced the Department Encamp-
ments, and even the National Encamp-
ments-made up and controlled by the best
men in their States and the Nation-men
eminent in every walk of life,-as gather
ings Of pension sharks" and claim
agents" Any man who was opposed
TO his unjust methods at once became
the object of his abuse and contumcly.
| AS to the brazenness of Mr.. Evans's
conspiracy against the welfare of the party,
his unconcealed determination 10 rule or
ruin Republicanism in Tennessee, his
premeditated plot TO intellectually injure
the Republican party unless he was made
the main figure, Mr.. Gibson says:
"The fact is the Evans men finding
| themselves in a very small minority de
| termined to bolt, and two days before
the convention met so announced in the
| papers, and named the ticket they pro-
posed to nominate. While the convention
was in session they had drum and fife
band at the State Capitol waiting for the
boilers 10 come out, and when they did
come this band led the way TO a hall al
| ready provided for the occasion.
In short, the facts are that Mr.. Evans
and his partiSans we're badly outyoted in
the selection oil delegates and badly out
generated in the convention, and they are
very mad about it, and that is ell there is
OF it. When they cool OFF they will all
deeply regret that Mr.. Evans so far for
got himself as TO brand his feIloW-Republi-
cans of Tennessee as 'ballot-box suffers
and perjurers."
This is the man who, 10 crafty his
diseased vanity, has been for the last three
wears doing the RenI hlican naYtv mora
hurt than all Of lis enemies combined. He
manifests in Tennessee the same qualities
that have distinguished his misnanagement
of the Pension Bureau, and eliminates
BY forcing a schism in his owl State. and
trying TO extend it to the Nauonal Con-
vention.