McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1913-11-28

pendents and Republicans. This ALLIANCES
resulted in putting Patterson and Dibrell
completely out of the running. 1t also
controlled the organization of both Sem
ate and House, giving the Speakership OF
the. Senate to White, an Independent and
the Speakership of the House to Stanton,
Crumpite.
This matter was arranged by Senator
Lea, Maj, Stahlman. Mayor Crump. Col.
James 7. Amis and few others, and
was backed by Governor Hooper and
the Independent and Republican members
of the Legislature
. Much has been said about this alliance.
both by way of misunderstanding and
Misrepresentation. The criticism has not
been based on the agreement actually
made. for 1t is conceded to have been
sensible and honorable, but it has always
been based on something that never hap
pened. 1t has been charged that Governor
Hooper agreed to drop all law enforce
ment legislation, but not syllable Of
proof was ever offered to substantiate this
statement. On the other hand, the writ
ten memorandum prepared by Governor
Hooper and sent to Senator Lea, Mayor
Crump and others at their November
meeting expressly declared that law en-
forcement must not be included in the
agreement The Fusion members of the
Legislature were Informed that there was
no agreement as to the temperance and
Ia w tHlOfCtUleHl ltSISldllOn, anu lntEb
was no real effort made to bring about
such an agreement until after the Legis-
lature had been organized and the Sena-
torial election was deadlocked. Then
while the Senatorial election was hanging
In the balance and the interest of all par
ties was intense, the shrewd and willy
Crump concluded that the time was ripe
to force the Independents and Republic
cans to yield on the law enforcement
question He put the screws on all the
Independent leaders In the Senatorial
fight.
Some of them may have yielded on ac-
count Of their great anxiety to win the
Senatorial contest, but most of them gave
in because they We're made to believe that
no law enforcement legislation could pos
sibly pass, and that. unless they agreed
with Crump, the four-mile law would be
so amended as to exclude the cities. SEN
ator Lea expressed his view of the mat
ter and even some of the leaders of the
Anti-Saloon League signifed their will
ingness to accept Crumps terms.
Delegations of Independent and Repub-
lican leaders waited on Governor Hooper
to secure his acquiesence in this deal,
but he told all of them in most positive
terms that he would not violate his plat
form and campaign pledges to the people,
and would resign his office before he
would yield his position on the law en-
forcement legislation.
HOOPER coRNERED.
The true inside reason why Crump then
went ahead with Senator Lea and others
in the Senatorial fight was that he and
everybody else believed that, with Gov
ernor Hooper hemmed in a corner to
himself, the other leaders of the Inde-
pendents could swing enough independ-
ent Legislators to beat all the law en-
forcement bills. This was what Crump re-
lied on. The mistake made was in I'M
derstanding the loyalty and strength OF
character Of the Independent Democratic
members of the Legislature When Ii
came to final show down not a single
Independent Legislator could be induced
to forsake Governor Hooper and vote
against the law enforcement bills.
Everybody remembers how. when the
fight was opened up on the law enforce
ment bills, Crump jumped the fence into
the camp of the Regulars and became the
practical dictator at the Regular caucus
during the remainder of the Legislature.
John Isaac Cox has claimed the credit
Of lassoing Crump and returning him to
the Regular fold, but this boast of John
Isaac's is an empty sham. AS a matter
of fact when Governor Hooper COM
menced to line up his friends in the two
Judiciary Committees and they began to
report the bills for passage, Crump start
ed in dead run for the only genuine
liquor reservation, the Regular caucus He
needed no persuasive maneuvers from
Cox. 1t Is true. Cox did put up a show
of favoring the law enforcement bills to
frighten Crump, but Crump had already
broken with the Republicans and indie
pendents. Moreover he had sense enough
to know that John Isaac was only bluff
ing and that he would never vote for a
law enforcement bill until 1t had enough
votes to pass without his vote. Crump
was not afraid of John Isaac but he was
afraid of a small number of Regulars
that 1t was always thought would vote for
the bills He had not been worrying about
them, however. because he felt sure that
enough Independents could be delivered
to save the previous saloons of Memphis.
But the first preliminary skirmishes
showed that none of the Independents
could be transferred to the liquor camp by
any combination of leaders
The fight now waxed warm and nearly
all the Independent leaders and the Anti
Saloon League officials resumed their
places by Governor Hooper's side. They
took the position that they knew Governor
Hooper had not made any agreement and
that Crump had broken faith with them.
An effort was made TO get the law en-
forcement bills to vote before tho
Legislative recess, but talk filibuster
against the bills led by Representative A.
l.. Todd prevented them from reaching a
vote. 1t will be recalled that the same
Mr.. Todd was one OF the six Regulars
who finally helped to put the bills over.
During the recess plans were laid by