Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1870-10-20
THE SENATORIAL CANVASS.

In another column viii be found the
proceedings of the Republican Convention
which assembled at Ellzabethton on Friday
Of last week, to nominate a candidate for
Senator in the 1st Senatorial District of
Tennessee. 1t will be seen that Col. s.
X. N. Patton, of this county, received the
nomination. After the nomination was
made, Mr.. Snodgrass, of Carter County,
announced himself an Independent candi-
date and expressed a determination to run
on until the day of the election. We pre-
sumo Mr.. Snodgrass will do so. 1t is char
acteristic of men who are determined on
holding Office to force themselves upon the
people and while claiming to belong to this
or that party they are willing to suffer a
defeat of the party rather than see a rival
candidate elected. We consider the Con-
~yention held at Elizabethton to have been
a fair expression of the will of a majority
of the Republicans in the counties com
posing the first Senatorial district. If any
were opposed to the nomination of Col.
Patton, they had every opportunity of max
ing their opposition known before the
Convention, and their failure to do so is
not the fault of Col. Patton or his friends.
And their refusal to abide by the decis-
ion of the Convention, is more the result
of a captious personal antipathy to the
nominee, rather than from any higher feel
ings of patriotism or a desire for the sue
cess of the Republican party in the pre-
sent campaign. Mr.. Snodgrass and his
friends are fully aware of the fact that to
run an independent candidate at this time
will result in the election of the Democrat
ic candidate. They have no hopes of elect
ing Mr.. Snodgrass. They know that de-
feat is certain-that success under such
circumstance is impossible and when they
support MIR. Snodgrass they are contribu-
ting that much towards the election of a
Democrat. We are willing to admit that
Mr.. Snodgrass has a perfect right to run,
that any one who chooses has an unques-
tionable right to vote for him, but we
trust when they have done so, knowing as
they do, what the inevitable consequence
must be, that they will have the modesty
to ask nothing further at the hands of the
Republican party of this district. Men
who have no control over their passions
and allow personal dislikes and an insa-
table greed for office to overshadow every
more worthy consideration, are not to
be intrusted with the leadership of any
party. They belong to the rule or ruin
class of politicians. and their partizan as
ISOLATION and influence is as dangerous as
it is unstable and unreliable. The Re-
publican party cannot hope to succeed so
long as such men CONTROL its destinies.-
Had Col. Patton been defeated in the Con-
vention, he would nave submitted to the
decree and supported the nominee, how
ever Objectionable to HIN personally
Had Mr.. S~nodgrass received the nomina-
ton, both he and his friends would have
claimed the race on the ground that he
was the nominee of the party. He can
now have but one object in view in run
ming and that is the defeat of the man who
defeated him in the Convention for he
knows that he has no more chance of be-
ing elected than he has of being made a
bishop.