Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-25
STATE CONVENTION
ROW IN TENNESSEE
Republican Gathering Opens
With Fist Fights.
FACTIONS NOW HOLD SWAY
H. Clay Evans Dominates the State
Machine.
BROWNLOW KEEPS BOBBING UP
Trouble Chiefly Centers Around
the. Endorsement Of the
Taft Candidacy.
FACTIONS NOW HOLD SWAY
BRowNLow KEEPS BoBBING UP

NASHVILLE. Tenn. March 2J.-The
republican state convention. called to Sc
lecI presidential electors and delegates
for the state at large to the Chicago
convention, was called to order at 10
For the space of nearly an hour after
the body had been called to order a
battle royal waged. 1t a fight in
which hundreds participated from time to
time--a genuine rough -and- tumble affair
precipitated by the efforts of the Evans
Hale delegates to take charge of the
rostrum already held by the Olver-Aus-
tinBrownlow wing of the party
The Oliver hosts, who had come in on
special train from east Tennessee. marched
straight to the hall of the house of repre-
sentatives and filled the big auditorium
shortly after & o'clock this. morning. They
had key to the hall and marched in on
the five unsuspecting Evans-Hale guards
and took the room. They kept it and
held it straight through until the hour for
the convention. and when the Evans
Hale delegates walked into the room at
10 am. the Oliver men were in possess
sion.
1t was on the advent of the Evans
cohorts that the trouble started. A
dozen fist fights occurred, and in several
instances pistols were drawn. One man
produced hatchet. which he was pre-
pairing to WELD when intercepted A
negro delegate. was knocked down by
white man. Both were arrested and
hustled off to the police station.
Newell Sanders, chairman of the state
committee, an ardent Evans man, was
almost choked into insensibility by
members of the Brownlow faction FL
nally the police restored order, with the
Oliver men in control.
Party Is at War.
OF all the southern states south of Ken
lucky. Tennessee has for years shown the
largest republican sentiment.
The party is now rent with factional lism
as never before
The present state organization is headed
by Newell Sanders of Chattanooga a
scrupuloHs business man of that city and
the right t-hand man of Fl. Clay Evans
former pension commissioner He at
tanned hls position by the cooperation of
Representative N. W. Hale who repre-
sents this district They routed Represent
ative W. p. Brownlow at the last state
convention when Evans was nominated
for governor.
Brownlow, like Banquo's ghost will not
down without struggle. and the struggle
between the factions has resulted in two
republican parties in the state which will
culminate in two candidates for Congress
in this district and two sets of delegates
10 Chicago
Hale Has Hopes.
Representative Hale is a candidate to
succeed himself to Congress and also for
national committeeman in which latter
position he hopes to succeed Representa-
tive Brownlow. He has the hearty sup
port of the present state organization and
while they claim to have elected a ma
jority of the delegates from nine districts
out of ten nearly two-thirds of the dele
gates are contested, which appears to
make two conventions at Nashville next
Wednesday certainty.
Mr. Hae's opponent for national COM
mitteeman is W. j. Oliver the contractor
who was the lowest bidder on the Panama
canal. but who did not get the contract
He has never taken part i'm politics be-
fore and little was known of him in a
political way until he announced his can
didacy. He is said To possess barrel OF
goodly size and announced 10 the dele
CATION selected here by his followers the
other day that their expenses to the
convention at Nashville would be paid.
Mr. Hale's opponent for Congress is r
w Austin. who recently resigned as
consul to Glasgow to make the race He
is a born politician and a schemer in
politics has no superior anywhere. His
friends have formed congressional com
tee and lnd
nate d candidate for Congress May :. The
old committee. which is friendly to Mr..
Hale. had previously called a primary
for September u. So il is plain that there
will he two candidate for Congress from
this republican Gibraltar. which has not
elected democrat for half century.
Democrats Stand Off.
The democrats have no show 10 slip in
their candidate. as the district is repub-
iican by more than two to one and it is
not certain that they will nominate a
candidate but they are enjoying the
contest among their opponents just the
same.
The Evans -Sanders-Hale organization
now in control, appears 10 be devoted in
its allegiance to the Taft candidacy,
while the BrownlowOliver-A Austin COM
bina tion that started out for Taft APP
pears to have become lukewarm in it's
Talleeiance. as in two counties that re-
Gently held ,onyentions Yhie.ih it con
Tafts name.
The democrats are at swords points
as between ex-senator Carmack and
Gov. Patterson as to who shall make
the race for governor next year: Car
mack wanted primary election to
decide. but the committee which is
favorable To the governor decided on "A
delegate convention and the Carmack
followers are saying some very ugly
things. Mr.. Carmack has declared for
statewide prohibition, while the gov
ernor favors local option. SO, taking
the preiiminaries AS "a criterion, the old
volunteer state will have the hottest
campai gn in her history during the year
Smiths Election Ratified.
Ma Marc,, rho aIac