Evening star., 1938-07-29


what is going on this very year in
Tennessee in the senatorial contest.
there came to mind Immediately this
correspondents dispatch from Ten
nessee on October s. 1886, which read,
In part, as follows:
The story of Shelby County is we'll
known all over the State 1t has been
investigated before by committee of
the United States Senate, but this
year all records for daring in election
fixing were broken in the Democratic
primary just few weeks ago.
Consider these facts:
81. Burgin DoSsett was running for
the nomination for Governor and had
the Endorsement of the two Democrat
ic United States Senators and the
Governor of Tennessee. He received
throughout the State. with the ex-
ception of Shelby County, about 81
per cent of the vote. His opponent,
the successful contestant, beat him in
the ratio of about to l.
go to Against in Shelby
80. In Shelby County. which in
cludes the city of Memphis, Mr. Dos
sett was beaten by ratio of about
60 to !. In the entire county he re-
ceived only 861 votes, While his oppo-
nent received 60218. 1t must be borne
in mind that Senator McKellar, who
Endorsed Mr.. DosSett and lives in
Memphis, must have had more
strength than the three votes in his
own precinct which were cast for his
man against 200 for the opposing cam
didate
"3. Next, there is the case of Harvey
Hannah, running on the same day,
August 6, in the Democratic primary
for member Of the State Utilities Com
mission. For 25 years he has been
in public service and is well known.
He actually had a majority of $1,000
over his opponent, Leon Jourolman.
in the entire State with the exception
of Shelby County.
81 When the Shelby County votes
were sent in it was found that Mr.
Jourolman had 59,434 and Mr. Hannah
only 1908, as result Of which Mr.
Hannah lost the nomination by 1000
votes
Nowhere in the United States
where election fixing goes on has any
political boss dared to put out results
that present such absurd ratios.
The methods used in Memphis are
described in official proceedings of a
committee of the United States Senate,
which heard sworn testimony in Oc-
tober, 1880. Negroes are voted in
large numbers. There is very little if
any secrecy in the voting, which is
often conducted on the sidewalks AMI
not in booths. Voting is permitted
without checking up to see if the voter
is on the registration list. Dean John
Randolph Neal Of a law school in
Knoxville, Tenn, testified that he saw
Negroes march from one precinct to
another and vote over and over again
"On August of this year the same
DR.. Neal visited Memphis and was told
at many polling places that the vote
was the lightest in years, PROBABLY not
over 25 per cent of the registered
voters, but when the returns were az
nounced the largest Democratic vote
ever cast in Memphis was reported.
Word of Boss Is Law.
For long time the city of Merl-
phis has been dominated by political
boss. His word is law He controls
the election machinery and local Off
Cials generally to whom appeal might
ordinarily be made for protection of
an honest ballot. To-Day he is closely
allied with the Democratic national
organization and it is freely reported
in the State that he expects to give
Mr.. Roosevelt out of Shelby County
whatever majority is needed to make
sure that TenneSsee's electoral votes
are cast for President Roosevelt"
1t remains to be seen whether the
Senate Investigating Committee will
carry through this time what Senate
committees have failed to do before
when conditions in Tennessee have
been brought to their attention. There
have usually been plenty of denun-
Citations, but very little action finally
results. 1t is significant that the
Roosevelt administration has played
ball with the Memphis political ma
chine right along and has. not repudi-
ated that machines support of the
New Deal.
Copyright, 1889