Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1870-10-13
CANDIDATES.

DcclueS tue TCBuIdE HOiHluCSO vi II lNC
publican and Democratic parties, there are
now two independent candidates for Con-
gress in the field. Hon. n. G.. Taylor and
Mr. w. Z. Gillenwaters. The former is
well known to the people of this district,
and it is not our purpose to speak of his
claims at this time in the future we may
have something more to say in regard to
him. Dir. Gillenwaters is a promising
young lawyer of Hawkins county, and a
brother of the Hon. f. f. Gillenwaters,
Judge of the Circuit Court. So far as
ability is concerned he would make a very
respectable member of Congress. In pol
itics he is Republican, and had lie receiv-
ed the nomination of the Republican par
ty, we would have supported him heartily.
In becoming a candidate for Congress, Mr..
Gillenwaters has only, in our opinion, ex-
ercised a freemans right to aspire to any
Office for which he deems himself qualified,
and every man has an unquestionable right
to vote for or against him as he pieases.
But there are grave questions involved in
this campaign, compared with which the
mere claims of individuals, feelings of an
tagonism toward candidates, or even con-
siderations of friendship sink into insig-
ni6cance. 1t is not a question of personal
claims or of individual preferences, but a
question of national policy, in which all
are interested. and upon the success of
which our whole future, as free, prosper
Gus and enlightened people depends.
The question is, shall the Republican
party maintain its present proud position
as the leader Of civilization, the champi-
on of liberty and the implacable enemy to
slavery of every kind and complete the
work it has begun of establishing free
schools, freedom of speech, freedom of the
press and freedom of the ballot throughout
the land, or shall it surrender every thing
for which we fought and for which thou
sands of our bravest and best laid down
their lives on the battle fields and in the
dungeons of the South, that they might
leave to posterity a country u%npolluted by
the foul breath of human slavery and free
from desrotism of every kind. We are
no advocate of revenge of bloodshed, or of
violence, but we do insist that it is the duty
of every Republican to maintain at the
ballot box the principles for which so much
has been sacrificed upon the field of battle.
We have the same enemy to contend with
now that we met and ~oyerpowered then.
The Democratic party is using every exer-
ton to secure a majority in the x Con-
gress. and it is the duty of Republicans to
prevent a result of this kind by every
means possible, and every Republican
should consider before withdrawing his
support from the regular nominee, whether
that act may not lead to the election of a
Democrat. The experience of the past
few years has taught US many important
lessons. By allowing ourselves to become
divided upon questions of small impor-
lance, we turned the State government
over TO the hands of the Democracy, and
the manifold evils which have grown out
of that single act of folly, should be warn
ing enough to us to be careful in the flu
ture how we allow the claims of individu-
ais to ~overshadow the more important
Issues involved in the campaign. We be-
lieve Mr.. Gillcnwaters to be a gentleman
in every way qualified to gil the position to
which he aspires, and had the choice of the
convention fallen on him. we believe it
would have been n wise choice; but the
convention thought otherwise and selected
another man. We have therefore, with a
certainty of success upon one hand, and
danger of defeat upon the other, but one
course to pursue. That course, however
d'stastcful to some, is the one which wis
dom AID reason and common sense dictate.
We must stand by the nominee of the par
~ OF allow that party to be defeated. We
cannot afford to submit to the latter, and
prudence demands that we adopt the for
mer.
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