TENNESSEE. 



for the public schools and the charitable institu- 

 tions, and the compensation of coal-oil inspectors 

 otherwise than by fees; and expressed sorrow at the 

 death of Senator Harris, " the tallest, strongest oak 

 in the Democratic forest of Tennessee." 



Benton McMillin was made candidate for Gov- 

 ernor by acclamation, no other name being men- 

 tioned. 



The convention refused to approve the course of 

 the Railroad Commissioners by resolution or by re- 

 nomination. The candidates chosen were : N. W. 

 Baptist, J. N. McKenzie, and Thomas L. Williams. 



A Populist State Convention met at Nashville, 

 July 6, and adopted resolutions declaring allegiance 

 to the Omaha platform and opposing fusion of the 

 national party, recommending that the next national 

 convention be held at least thirty days before either 

 the Democratic or the Republican. They favored 

 the enactment into laws of ten measures of reform 

 which were formulated by the State Committee in 

 Mav and approved by a subcommittee appointed 

 by the Democratic State Committee. These were : 



" 1. To restrict the operation of the Dortch law 

 to the four largest counties, viz. : Davidson, Shelby, 

 Hamilton, and Knox. 



"3. Take the authority to appoint the election 

 commissioners from the Governor, and require the 

 Legislature to elect a State board of three election 

 commissioners, one of whom shall be selected by the 

 State executive committees of each of the three 

 most prominent political parties in the State, to 

 serve without compensation. Said board to be em- 

 powered and required to appoint three election 

 commissioners from each county, each State com- 

 missioner naming one. 



" 3. It shall be made a felony for any person or 

 persons to print, send, or cause to be sent out, or 

 distributed any fraudulent ballots for any purpose 

 whatsoever. 



' 4. To so redistrict the State that the number of 

 circuit judges may be reduced not less than four 

 and chancellors not less than two. 



" 5. The duties of Adjutant-General and Govern- 

 or's private secretary shall be performed by same 

 person, allowing only one stenographer. 



" 6. Clerical force at the Capitol be reduced at 

 least 35 per cent. 



" 7. The further abolition of fee system and its 

 abuses. 



"8. Reduce fees of clerks and assistants of both 

 branches of the Legislature. 



" 9. Each State official shall be required to make 

 all contracts for printing, on State's account, for 

 his office, and publish same, after verifying them to 

 Comptroller. 



" 10. All visiting committees appointed by the 

 Legislature shall be required to make to the Comp- 

 troller an itemized statement of all their expenses 

 while actually on duty, and same shall be pub- 

 lished." 



Other demands were for revision of the assess- 

 _.ent laws, reduction of official salaries, county 

 ocal option as regards road building, and the re- 

 quirement of receipts for all taxes as a prerequisite 

 ' o voting, not of poll-tax receipts alone. The Demo- 



atic party was condemned for refusing to insert 



j its platform demand for the ten measures agreed 



pon by committees as stated above, and theLegis- 



.ture for issuing bonds and creating unnecessary 



BBces. 

 A motion to nominate a candidate for Governor 



v&s at first voted down, but on reconsideration it 

 3revailed, and Robert N. Richardson was nomi- 

 lated. 



The Prohibitionists met in State convention at 

 Nashville, July 7. The resolutions declared alle- 



'ince to the principles of the party; and after 

 VOL. xxxvin. 46 A 



declaring that the organization sustained President 

 McKinley's policy in the war for Cuban indej>end- 

 ence, said further : 



"But it points with alarm to the total official 

 indifference to, and complicity in, our legalized 

 liquor traffic, that is daily more destructive to life 

 and property. 



" It looks with amazement and indignation upon 

 the army canteen, when our brothers and eons, en- 

 listed to serve their country, are detailed to do duty 

 as bartenders ; debauching their own moral sense anil 

 debasing the noble young men and boys that hare 

 gone out from our homes in the interests of hu- 

 manity. 



" It protests against official corruption growing 

 out of frauds at the ballot box : " and further : " We 

 heartily indorse the activity of the New York 

 ' Voice ' in investigating and exposing the saloon 

 attachments to various eminent educational institu- 

 tions in our land ; and we would enter our most 

 emphatic protest against any system of education 

 which sanctions or suffers the presence of the bar- 

 room or pool room in or about any educational 

 institution of the land, or about the camp at Chicka- 

 mauga Park." 



W. D. Turnley was nominated for Governor. 



The State Republican Convention met at Nash- 

 ville. Aug. 17. The resolutions were mainly 

 devoted to State issues. They recommended 

 changes in the Constitution in regard to the courts; 

 abolition of the poll tax as a requisite for voting; 

 prohibition of direct or indirect double taxation ; a 

 non-partisan Board of Pardons ; election of the Sec- 

 retary of State, Treasurer, and Comptroller by the 

 people at the same time with the Governor, and of 

 the Attorney-General and reporter at the same 

 time with the Justices of the Supreme Court ; modi- 

 fications of the registration laws; changes in the 

 official ballot ; restoration of the power of appoint- 

 ing election officers to county authorities, and 

 other modifications of the election laws ; abolition 

 of the fee system ; a non-partisan Railroad Commis- 

 sion ; the withdrawal of convicts from the coal- 

 mining business ; a non-partisan jury commission 

 in each county ; repeal of laws depriving towns and 

 cities of local self-government ; publication of 

 printing accounts of State officers, and of itemized 

 statements of expenses of legislative visiting com- 

 mittees ; and a law providing for the adoption of a 

 better system of accounting by the various officers 

 who collect or receive the public revenue, under 

 which prompt periodical returns shall be made 

 under oath, and under which, by reason of checks 

 and counterchecks, it shall be impossible for any 

 officer to steal from the people and conceal the fact 

 for years, and then go unwhipped of justice." Res- 

 olutions were passed also declaring for the rej>eal 

 of the civil-service law, and in favor of the appoint- 

 ment of Capt, J. W. Baker as commissioner to the 

 Paris Exposition. 



The nominations were: For Governor, James A. 

 Fowler ; Railroad Commissioners, Zack Taylor, R 

 A. Haggard, and James A. Greer. 



The official count of the election gave tl 

 ing figures of the vote for Governor : McM 

 Democrat, 105.640; Fowler, Republican, 72.611: 

 Turnley, Prohibitionist. 2,411 ; Richardson. Pop- 

 ulist, 1,733. N. W. Baptist received the highest 

 vote for Railroad Commissioner, and is thereto 

 elected for the term of six years; J. N. McKem 

 came next and will hold the four years term ; and 

 Thomas L. Williams will serve for two years, 



The delegation in the House of Representatives 

 of the Fiftv-sixth Congress will stand 8 Democrats 

 and 3 Republicans; and the Stale Legislature. 28 

 Democrats in the Senate and 77 in the House; 5 

 Republicans in the Senate and 23 in the House. 



