The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-10-04

Congress for the State ct large 10
endapgering the interests of the State
in more than one regard. The most
prominent evil at present il, that the
attention Of the people is being
drawn away from our State Legisla-
ture. This branch of our State gov
ernment-by far the most important
of the three-is considered by ths
masses the most Insignificant; and
yeti is more important to the State
of Tennessee to have o wise, judici-
GUS, thinking, economical and hon.
est Legislature, than to have a good
delegation in the National Congress.
To arefecting mind this proposition
is too patent to admit of an argu-
ment. The excitement concerning
the election Of G ongressman for the
State at. asrge, MS mp to fever heat
and not the slightest manifestation of
interest is being made in regard to
the class of men that are to make
laws for the commonwealth, during
the next two years; and the conse.
quence, we fear, will be, that the
State will have q lsw-making body
wholly incompetent TO transact her
business, If, indeed, the inertness and
iethargy on the part of the people,
and the multiplicity of Democratic
candidates, does not result in impos
ing upon the State the curse of a
Radical Legislature, In this, and
some ofthe adjoining counties, there
are nine or. ten Democratic candi-
dates in the field for Representative,
and four or five for .Floater. The
Radicals are united and have but one
candidate each for, the respective
places, and. unless conventions or
primary elections are held, nomina-
tons made and the nominees sup
ported by the conservative element
of the country, they will elect their
men. In this county we have nine
Democratic candidates for Represen-
tative and four for Foater. 1t is the
general impression that the Radicals
will suppress the names of their can
didates until just before the election.
Their strength, as developed in the
recent judicial election, is about two
thousand five hundred. The full vote
of the county is about six thousand
five hundred. This leaves four
thousand votes to be divided be-
tween the nine Democratic candi-
dates. twill require nearly three
fourths Of the full conservative vote
to elect. But, the Democratic can
didates are from different parts of
the county, and it is at least possible
that each one will carry his immedi-
ate neighborhood thus rendering it
impossible for any one to carry the
required three-fourths ofthe Demo-
cratic vote. On the other hand, the
Radicals will vote, for their man in
solid phAlRnx. With these facts
staring us in the face, the people
are callous and Indifferent and seem
willing for the State to drift back in
to the arms of the Radical Delilah,
there to be shorn of her strength. The
race between the aaspirants for Con-
gress for the Stateat large is on every
tongue, but not one word do we hear
in regard to the man who is to rep
resent us in the next Legislature, al
though, to the people directly, it is
matter of much more Importance.
Ourionly salvation is ID q convention
or primary election. On account of
the recent unpopularity of county
conventions, the Democratic Execu-
tive Committee have deemed it best
to have primary election, to occur
on the second Saturday in this month.
With the present surroundings we
believe such an election would be
more expedient than q convention,
for the reason that the masses are
busily engaged in gathering their
crops, and it will be more convenient
for those who live . long distances
from town to go to their precincts
and vote, than To ride ten or fifteen
miles to a convention. Have the peo-
pie interest enough in the welfare of
the country to give few hours time
to the advancement of public inter-
est; or will they let it go back into
the hands of the Radicals by default?
We shall see, on the second Saturday
i'm this month. e. f...i,. ....i