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TENNESSEE. 



sent their poll-tax receipts before being allowed to 

 vote, or satisfactory evidence as required by the law 

 that they had paid their poll tax, is constitutional. 



The State brought action to recover from David- 

 son County certain fines, taxes, and costs. The de- 

 murrer filed by the county was sustained and the 

 State prayed an appeal. One Gillem was indicted 

 for a felonious assault and convicted and sentenced 

 to six months in the county workhouse. The costs 

 in the case amounted to $31.65, and were paid by 

 the State. The county received from the labor of 

 Gillem largely more than the amount of the cost in 

 the cause and the State demanded repayment of the 

 costs. The decision of the Supreme Court said: 

 " It is not claimed that any money was collected by 

 the county from Gillem, but the claim is based upon 

 the theory that the county, having received the ben- 

 efit of his labor, must refund the cost which the 

 State was required to pay. We can not concur in 

 this contention. The prisoner having been con- 

 victed of a felony and being insolvent, the State 

 became liable for the cost, and this liability is not 

 affected by his being committed to a workhouse 

 sentence." 



Legislative Session. The Governor called an 

 extraordinary session of the Legislature, to begin 

 Sept. 7, for the purpose of providing against the 

 threatened treasury deficit. 



In his message the Governor reviewed the history 

 of the treasury from the time of the controversy 

 over the "railroad debt." The rate of taxation 

 from 1883 to 1887 was 40 cents on the $100. In the 

 latter year it was raised to 45, of which 30 cents was 

 for State and 15 for school purposes. This rate was 

 maintained till 1894. In June, 1895, a revenue bill 

 was enacted (see " Annual Cyclopaedia " for 1895, 

 page 717), which reduced the rate of levy, abolished 

 many privilege taxes, and while it increased some 

 reduced many others. It was believed that the in- 

 come would be sufficient, especially as it was ex- 

 pected that the new assessment law would add to 

 the valuations of property. But this expectation 

 was disappointed ; the total valuation for 1896 was 

 less by some millions of dollars. 



The Treasurer and the Comptroller, being called 

 upon for statements as to the probable condition the 

 finances would be in by Jan. 1, 1897, differed wide- 

 ly in their estimates, the Treasurer seeing a pros- 

 pect of a deficit of $269,000 unless the Tennessee 

 Coal and Iron Company should pay, in which case 

 it would be $214,000, while the Comptroller made a 

 written statement, April 3, showing a probable sur- 

 plus on Jan. 1, 1897, of $110,008.71 ; and on Aug. 

 11, 1896, he made a statement showing a probable 

 surplus on Jan. 1, 1897, of $73,371, making a differ- 

 ence in his estimates in a period of four months and 

 eight days of $36,637.71. 



The Legislature was in session till Sept. 26. Sev- 

 eral bills looking to increase of revenues were intro- 

 duced ; but the majority appears to have decided 

 that the danger of deficit was not so great as had 

 been feared ; at any rate, they failed to make any 

 important changes in the revenue laws. The only 

 revenue-producing measure was a bill taxing mer- 

 chandise brokers and cigarette dealers, special-priv- 

 ilege taxes being imposed. In order, however, to 

 provide for the interest on the bonded debt, the 

 Funding Board was authorized to borrow money. 



An act was passed providing for submitting to 

 the people the question of calling a constitutional 

 convention. The date fixed for the vote was the 

 first Thursday in April. 18!)7. 



Political. The State Democratic Executive 

 Committee issued in March a call for two conven- 

 tions: the first to meet in Nashville, May 6, for the 

 purpose of nominating 3 candidates for the Court 

 of Chancery Appeals, to be voted for at the election 



on the first Thursday in August ; the second to meet 

 at the same place. May 7, for the purpose of select- 

 ing delegates to the national convention, to appoint 

 candidates for presidential electors, and to nomi- 

 nate a candidate for Governor, the same delegates 

 to compose both conventions. On May 6 the 3 

 judges of the Court of Appeals R. M. Barton, S. 

 P. Wilson, and M. M. Neil were renominaied. 



At the second convention there was some friction 

 between administration and free-coinage delegates; 

 but the great majority were in favor of free coin- 

 age, and the following was among the resolutions: 



"We demand a restoration of the money of the 

 Constitution by a law providing for the free and 

 unlimited coinage of both gold and silver as full 

 legal-tender money at the ratio of 16 to 1, regard- 

 less of the action of any other nation." 



The platform also demanded laws, State and na- 

 tional, making gold and silver legal tender for all 

 debts and prohibiting contracts discriminating 

 against either, the repeal of the 10-per-cent. tax on 

 issues of State banks, tariff for revenue only, and 

 an income tax. 



The delegates were instructed to vote as a unit. 



Ex-Gov. Robert L. Taylor was made the candi- 

 date for the governorship. 



The Republicans held two State conventions. At 

 Nashville. April 2'2. they instructed delegates to the 

 national convention to support William McKinley 

 as candidate for the presidency, and H. Clay Evans 

 for the vice-presidency. The resolutions opposed 

 free coinage, condemned the national administra- 

 tion, favored a tariff to meet the requirements of 

 the Government and protect American industries ; 

 declared also in favor of reciprocity, the control of 

 the Nicaragua Canal by the Government and its 

 speedy completion, and favored such action toward 

 Cuba as would bring the war to an end as soon as 

 possible. The seating of Peter Turney as Governor 

 was condemned in severe terms, the Centennial Ex- 

 position was favored, and an appropriation from 

 Congress was recommended. 



For judges of the Court of Appeals W. R. Turner, 

 P. C. Smithson. and W. F. Poston were named. 



At the second Republican convention, Aug. 12, in 

 Nashville, George N. Tillman was chosen candidate 

 for the governorship, and resolutions were adopted 

 approving the action of the national convention, 

 condemning the Chicago platform, favoring honest 

 and rigid economy in the conduct of State affairs 

 and the abolition of the fee system, denouncing the 

 election laws enacted by Democratic Legislatures, 

 condemning the gubernatorial outrage of two years 

 ago, and opposing the bringing of convict labor into 

 competition with free labor. 



The People's party met in State convention in 

 Nashville, July 28, with about 150 delegates. A. L. 

 Minis was nominated for Governor on a platform 

 condemning Democrats for seating Turney over H. 

 Clay Evans. 



The action of the national convention was ap- 

 proved, though there was a determined effort on the 

 part of a small minority against accepting a Demo- 

 cratic nominee for President. A full electoral ticket 

 was named with the understanding that if the 

 Democrats would agree to withdraw 3 Democratic 

 electors 3 Populist electors would be withdrawn, 

 and a committee was appointed to confer with one 

 of Democrats. The movement for fusion finally 

 failed in October, the People's party demanding 4 

 electors and also demanding that the Democratic 

 nominee for Governor should meet the Populist 

 nominee in joint debate. In reply the Democrats 

 stated their willingness to unite with the Populists 

 on the one great question of finance, and fuse on 

 electors. They offered to give 4 electors as de- 

 manded, the only condition being that they should 



