The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-05-09

casion. Suct thing could not be
true, for it is at variance, not only
with the agreement itself, but with
all the facts and circumstances OBJ
tanning at the time of its making.
And no one knows this better than
Maj. Stahlman, who was present and
participated in the making of the
agreement, and was also supposed to
represent Gov. Hooper, as he brought
with him to the conference the gov
ernor's typewriter memorandum or
= proposed basis 9. agreement.
lie me br' efly recall the time an.
the circumstance under which this
agreement was made, in order that
its merits from the fusion standpoint
may be more properly understood
and appreciated. The time was q
few days after the November cleo
ton of last year. Gov. Hooper had
been reelected, but the fusionists had
apparently lost both branches of the
legislature, having only Is members
of the senate out of total member
ship of 33, and At members of the
lower house out of a total member
ship of SO. 1t was clear that we
could not organize both branches of
the legislature and pass the law en-
forcement measures we had pledged
to do, and which above all measures
we desired to pass. 1t was equally
clear that we could not organize
either house for defensive purposes;
and it was at this time, l must con-
fes, | experienced "a moment of tenn
porary weakness" from which | did
not recover until after the deal
with Mr.. Crump had been
completed. Knowing that Mr..
Crump desired the defeat of both Pat
terson and Dibrell, and remembering
that sharp differences existed be-
tween him and the so-called regular
democrats at the close of the preced-
ing Legislature on account of his
agreement with the fusionists 10 pro-
tect them upon their return from the
Decatur hegira, which he did, Sena-
tor Lea, acting for and al the regues;
of certain of us, including Maj. Stahl-
man, called Mayor Crump, mark you,
and requested that he would come
over to Nashville for a conference
This he did in day or two, and, if
remember correctly, arrived In
Nashville in the morning. However,
we were not able to confer with him
until that night, owing to the active
Intervention of the regular leaders,
who were trying in every conceivable
way to reach an agreement with him.
At the conference held that night,
there were present Mayor Crump,
Mr. Frank Rice, and Mrs Stanley
Irrelevant, acting for the Shelby del
egation, and Maj Stahlman, Col A.
M. Shook, Senator Lea, Reau E. Folk,
Newton HI. White, Frank M. Ewing
and myself, acting for the fusionists.
The agreement was not concluded
that night, but the following morn.
ing, after Col. Shook ana myself had
had a conference with Gov. Hooper
for the purpose of learning # he
would agree, along with us, TO pro-
tect the Shelby delegation from any
hostile or retaliatory legislation aim
ed at them by the regulars on ac-
count of their agreement with us,
which he agreed he would not only
passively, but actively, do. The fol
lowing is the agreement as | remem-
Der it: Newton H. White should be.
come the speaker of the senate, and
William M. Stanton should become
the speaker of the lower house; the
election and temperance laws should
remain unchanged Independent
democrats should be elected comp
troller and treasurer, thus placing
the Infamous back tax system under
the control of the fusionists; che Of
fee of SECRETARY Of state was undis-
posed of; both the long and short
term United States senatorships
were undis2osed Of, only that COM
mittee, composed of Major Stahlman,
Mr.. George F. Milton, Mayor Crump,
and myself should hold it out of play
until the legislature should be organ
lied; state auditors bill should
be passed; bill separating the fire
insurance department from the treas
urer's Office should be passed and
fire insurance commissioner should
be appointed by the governor; and
probably some other minor items. not
now remembered. ] know positive
differences of opinion and reco,lec-
ton exist as to the agreement about
the temperance laws, but | believe