Old Tom

Boss Edward Hull Crump, of Memphis, Tenn.. once offered to guarantee a bright young Washington attorney a handsome law practice if he would settle in Mistuh Crump's town. All the lawyer had to promise in return was to develop an intelligent, invigorating opposition to the all-powerful Crump political organization. Nothing came of this ingenious idea for keeping the Crumpets in fighting trim, so Ed Crump had to go on putting up with Tom Collier.

Tom Collier is as well known in Memphis as Ed Crump himself. He acquired his pronounced dislike for the Crump machine from his daddy, a white-bearded Confederate veteran who owned valuable property in Memphis and refused to pay taxes to Crump collectors. Tom Collier, who is a lawyer by avocation, devoted years to not paying taxes, finally lost much of his family's rich inheritance after 32 years of litigation and 750 tax suits. Between times he kept in trim by running barefoot in the early morning, accommodated the local photographers with outlandish poses (see cut), regularly ran for office against Crump candidates, regularly lost. (He served two terms in the State Legislature before Mr. Crump came to power.) Last week, for the third time, Mr. Collier again stood for Congress.

Against old (62) Tom Collier were two other negligible independents and Mr.Crump's brassy, psalm-singing Police Commissioner Clifford Davis. The vote: Tom Collier, 520; Clifford Davis, 30,300.Declared beaten but unbowed Tom Collier on election night : "If the people of Mem phis want to remain cowed and contented, that's their business -- but I won't. I'll be in there fighting again."

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