The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-17
|LAWMAKERSFR TENNESSEE ARE NOW IN THE CITY Thirty four Absconding Fusionists Come Here
 From Decatur ACTION EXPLAINED
 BY G. B. BURBAGE The Threatened Triumph of the Pat terson Forces Is Said to Have
 Brought About the Whole Situation

To prevent, as they put It, the will of the people of Tennessee from being overthrown, 94 recalcitrant members of the Tennessee legislature have sought refuge in Birmingham. They say unanimously that here they will rest until by constitutional limitation the present session of the solons has been adjourned.
 The delegation arrived in Birming ham yesterday morning over the Louis vile and Nashville from Decatur where they have been since Wednesday last. They like Birmingham. They are be- ing well cared for at the Jefferson ho- tel, and they receive upon passing of every hour telegrams from their con- stituents commenting them upon their game of hockey from Tennessee They will remain in Birmingham until Satur- day when they will go to Atlanta and thence to points along the Atlantic coast
 The action of the mem bers in seeking refuge from without the borders of their home state, has involved a con- dition in Tennessee unparalleled in the history of that state. They intend to stick to the game until they can req sonably expect fair treatment from the merciless majority of the lawmakers now in session, secured from their for mer majority.
 The members yesterday received visitors and questioners gracefully and did not hesitate in setting forth the inmost secrets leauing up to the pres ent chaos in legislative affairs of the bordering commonwealth. They say that their working majority was brolS- en by the treachery of five members and that they were possessed of only one refuge, flight.
 Dates From Cooper Trial
 The trouble. according to the ac- counts given here, date back from the time of Colonel Coopers and Robin Cooper's trial for the murder of Ed ward Carmack, editor of the Tennes- sean. That trial started a movement to overthrow Malcolm Patterson at that Ftime governor. The independent demo- crats combined with the republicans and nominated Governor Ben Hooper to oppose Patterson. and. they say the political machine. Patterson realizing his absolute helplessness at the hands Of the combination sought for and se- cured the nomination, they charge, of Senator Robert L. Taylor, erstwhile 'Fiddling Bob. The visiting lawmak- CTS assert that by 13,S21 votes Hooper was elected and the Patterson crowd repudiated.
 With the election of Hooper the refuge seeking fusionists, as they call them selves, also elected to the legislature 54 out of the total membership of 99. They combined and elected Luke Lea United States senator, the railroad commissioner and the members of the court of ap- peals.
 Just about this time five of the inde- pendent operators. of whom two were the working majority 34 of whom are guests of Birmingham. Their reward, the crowd claims, was huge and was in the nature of pool of four laws, wherein the temperance question bobs up
 The members here lay no claims 10 being prohibitionists. They assert, how ever, that they are temperance advo- cates. They are for the plain people against the politics of former Governor Patterson.
 To Repeal Election Laws
 When the fusionists went to the con- vening Of the lawmakers they possessed good working majority. They car ried through some deals when in ths senate there originated a measure to repeal the election laws. This, it is as- serted, would have placed Patterson again at the helm had it been adopted.
 In order to break the majority and pass the laws pool of measures was