The Tennessee Situation
January 19, 1895
Summary
A Tennessee Governor loses an election and refuses to step down from in order to keep the power with whites.
Transcription
The Tennessee Situation
Tennessee is about to add to the crime of murder that of robbery.
The trial of the fiends who conspired to, and finally murdered six colored men alleged to have been implicated in barn-burning resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
Richardson and Smith, the murderers were acquitted, although there is hardly in this country today a fair-minded person who paid any attention to the facts in the case but what believes them to be guilty.
Hon. H. Clay Evans, the Republican nominee who was elected Governor of Tennessee, both as an actual fact and upon the face of the returns has not yet been inaugurated and Gov. Turney, the defeated Democratic nominee complacently violates the constitution and the law and refuses to relinquish the office as a candidate for which he has been defeated.
The Democratic members of the legislature are a party to this conspiracy, although many of them have refused to be led into committing perjury and violating the most solemn obligations which a man can take.
It is the intention of these men to have a contest before the legislature for which be it remembered there is no authority under the Tennessee constitution thereby delay the time in order that usurping Governor may continue to hold the office.
This is revolution and it becomes an open question as to whether or not the people will attend it.
On the heels of this, comes a delegation of the business men from Tennessee asking the government to make an appropriation for government exhibit at the exposition to be held in this state in ’96.
With the Republicans in the ascendancy in the 54th Congress and enough members of that Party in the Senate to talk such a measure to death, it seems to be inconceivable that the liberal-minded Democratic white men of Tennessee should be so stupid as to allow such a condition of affairs to longer continue.
We trust that Hon. H. Clay Evans will fight it out to the finish, and go to any length to secure the office to which he has been honestly and legally elected.
Tennessee is about to add to the crime of murder that of robbery.
The trial of the fiends who conspired to, and finally murdered six colored men alleged to have been implicated in barn-burning resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
Richardson and Smith, the murderers were acquitted, although there is hardly in this country today a fair-minded person who paid any attention to the facts in the case but what believes them to be guilty.
Hon. H. Clay Evans, the Republican nominee who was elected Governor of Tennessee, both as an actual fact and upon the face of the returns has not yet been inaugurated and Gov. Turney, the defeated Democratic nominee complacently violates the constitution and the law and refuses to relinquish the office as a candidate for which he has been defeated.
The Democratic members of the legislature are a party to this conspiracy, although many of them have refused to be led into committing perjury and violating the most solemn obligations which a man can take.
It is the intention of these men to have a contest before the legislature for which be it remembered there is no authority under the Tennessee constitution thereby delay the time in order that usurping Governor may continue to hold the office.
This is revolution and it becomes an open question as to whether or not the people will attend it.
On the heels of this, comes a delegation of the business men from Tennessee asking the government to make an appropriation for government exhibit at the exposition to be held in this state in ’96.
With the Republicans in the ascendancy in the 54th Congress and enough members of that Party in the Senate to talk such a measure to death, it seems to be inconceivable that the liberal-minded Democratic white men of Tennessee should be so stupid as to allow such a condition of affairs to longer continue.
We trust that Hon. H. Clay Evans will fight it out to the finish, and go to any length to secure the office to which he has been honestly and legally elected.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Cord Fox
Citation
“The Tennessee Situation,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed February 19, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/90.