The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-22

tion and are doing nothing to discour- age continuance of the democratic disagreement There have been a nums Der of prominent Tennesseans at the capital for severol days. but they all admit that the sood offices of the President will avail nothing and for the present at least, the situation is hope less.
 Tt will take more than the good of fees of the President to straighten out l the democracy of Tennessee" said F. A. Hayden of Nashville. ''The party has entangled itself to such an extent that there Is no telling when it will get straight again. And the whole thing dates back to the unfortunate tragedy in which Senator Carmack lost his life There is little doubt that the inde- pendent democrats will carry out their declared intention of voting for the fusion candidate, Governor Hooper, and with this defectIon from the demb- cratic strength it probable that MT.
 Hooper will win again.
 Will Do as It Pleases 'It will make no difference how much the senators may argue" he con- tinued, "or what the men in the House may advise their constituents to do, the
 brand of Tennessee democracy is a pe- culiar one and will do as it pleases. l You may know that there is a very wide divergence of opinion in the demo- cratic party of Tennessee, when three men among the democratic delegation in the House are listed among those who voted for tire republican gover- nor"
 l rba etor,+ ,,,o..- +h. rra,pas.aao. ;, Congress IS now largely over patron age. The postmastership at Memphis | is a problem that cannot be solved, all | though Postmaster General Burleson appealed 10 the President himself to
 help work out the matter in a satis- | factory way.
 | Representative McKellar of the Mem
 phis district will not agree to the appointment of Colonel Looney, and | both the Tennessee senators declare l that no one else appointed to the place shall be confirmed. In vain the Prs ident has attempted to arbitrate-there ! is no immediate hope of clearing that situation up.
 The senators then have disagreed over the appointment of district at | torney in Tennessee. one championing | the cause of one man, and the other | has another candidate. Both threaten
 to resist the confirmation of anyone | except lnelr own canuludte to tnls place.
 The prohibition question split the party in Tennessee. and after the en- tering wedge had been made, the growth ot the differences has been aug mented, it is declared, by ambitious politicians who sought to profit by the
 situation, who could never have ob- 1 tained their desires in any other way. Patterson Aspires to Senate 1 Senator Lea, who is himself a com promise candidate. owing his election to a number of republicans, who con- trolled the balance of the power in the legislature, will come up for re-elec- ton in 1916. Ex-Governor Patterson, it is said, is pluming himself to oppose Lea, and all others who seek the sen- | ator'al toga in that election. Cover nor Patterson has recently turned pro- hfbitionist and many Tenensseans re- cause which heretofore he has always
 consistently opposed, as bold bid for
 the vote of the controlling faction-the | fusionists-in that contest
 1 It is also said that Governor Hooper has senatorial asplretions, but there is 1 some question among Tennesseans in Washington as to whether the governor Hcould control the same vote for senator that he can undoubtedly control for governor In an election for United States Senate, the belief of Tennes- scans here is that the prohibition ele- ment of the democratic party in the state would not vote for republican. Tennessee is democratic normally by about S3U,000," they say, "and in na-
 tional elections it will stay that way. and in ali probability will vote along
 the same line for United States Senator.
 It is the state contests where the fu-
 sion hurts"
 |
 tertained by all who follow Tennessee
 politics. The division in that state may
 be within it's borders and concerning g
 only state offices and affairs. but it is
 raising a rumpus. so far as national patronage is concerned.
 | From tie signs of the times both
 Tennessee and Mississippi are to have senatorial elections in 1916 that will
 be as stirring and vigorous and at tended with all The spectacular details ] that characterizes the contest now go- ing on in Alabama