Letter from William B. Bate to John H. Erskine. Bates writes of his supporters and rivals in contemporary Tennessee politics, 1877 February 7

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Transcription of Letter:

Nashville Feb 7 '77

Dr. Erskine

Memphis

Dear John:

& Margie Magee are at Mr. Brinkley's. I want you, among other of my friends, to call & see them. I have not written to thank you for the interest you took in my late senatorial race. I suppose the result surprises you as it did me & I believe every one, except those who participated in the Legislative action. I never could get a vote (when it would do me any good) from any of your Memphis delegation. Peters & Colyar were the most active against me. Lowe was the only one who seemed to really want me to beat Bailey & he was for Key first. Maddox voted for me a while but did not stick. I am satisfied that a large majority of the democrats of Shelby County [voted?] for me. I believe three-fourths if not nine-tenths of them, as against Bailey, but the will of the people availed nothing-it was defied with impunity not only in Shelby but, I believe, in most of the counties in West Tenn & many of them in Middle. It is believed by my friends that I could beat Bailey from 50-to 100,000 votes in Tenn for Senator, if left to the people.

Had I ran for the long Tenn it is confidentially believed, by my friends, that I would have beaten Gov'r Harris. How this would have been I cannot say with certainty but I know I would have gotten some thirty democratic votes in Middle & West Tenn & it has now transpired that I would have gotten eight, if not nine, of the ten democrats from East Tenn, giving me one half of the elective democratic vote in the Legislature with the Republicans holding the balance of power between the Gov'r & myself. It is now understood, as it was then believed, that H would have gotten Smith & Hill & the balance, most likely, would have noted for me & elected me. Perhaps I was over-sensitive about receiving Republican votes-especially as Govr H's friends after his election, went back on me, almost to a man. Of course, with their constituents for me, I had reasonable grounds to expect a large share of the West Tenn vote, Harris being provided for. In that I was woefully disappointed. As to who caused it & why, you can form your own opinions. You were gone to your plantation, but Rhea worked for me like a Trojan & got up a large petition, which was disregarded by your Representatives, save Lowe and an occasional vote from Maddox & [Calecnau?]. It ought to have controlled the delegation, especially Peters, who you know, two years ago voted for Johnson under cigar-box instructions. Vaughn & Cole were here and did all they could, but to no purpose. Luke Wright was here working actively & effiecently [sic] against me, & one Anderson, your Sheriff, was here, said to be on a drunk, was here saying that the democrats of Shelby were against me & for Bailey. He is the same Anderson, I understand, who I indicted, when Atty Gen. here before the war, for dealing in Lottery Tickets which he let leak out, while here drunk, he lived here, I learned, before the war. There was never a time that the Shelby delegation could not have elected me.

While I regret my defeat personally , I regret it more because it is the defeat of friends whom I wished to serve and could have don so with effect, in case of Mr. Tilden's inauguration, some of them are in Memphis for whom I would have gone any lengths consistent with impropriety & you know well who they are. I hope they will not be cast down, for the hearts of the democratic people of the state are with me.

Renewing my thanks to you & through you, to Sarah as you know to be my friends. I remain with renewed obligations, as ever your friend,

Wm B Bate

Partial envelope from letter, undated