The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1872-09-25

/ aDiue us aCtlOH-lH OlHcT WOA
whether he meant fair play. III
had told me that be would defer
mine the question when he reach
ed Nashville. l accordingly ad
dressed polite note to him dealr
ing to know whether he would b.
a candidate for tho nomination, anC
| if not nominated, whether D,
would respect the action Of tb'
convention, adding that haviDG
asked this much, it was but dnt
him to say that my name wonld IL
before tho convention, and | woHld
abide it's decision, whether for lne
or against me. This polite note
was delivered to him IN his room
by my friends, Capt W. B. Walt d
and Maj. J. NJ. Hawkins. His re.
ception Of it was that Of q -.
| guard. lie said ii was shallow
subtel fuge," and declined TO give
me a written answer, but stated TO
these gentlemen verbally that h had
had nothing to do with getting up
the State Convention, and that its
action would not govern him in
his course as to being a candidate.
| had, in the meantime, left the
city. | say that his conduct was
that of a blackguard, because be
did not observe The courtesies of d
gentleman. Ny note was entirely
respectful The information sought
was such as / had right to ask for
our personal relations had never
been disturbed.
Col Burch, the Chairman Of the
Democratic Central Com mittee, had
called meeting Of the committee
at their rooms the day previous to
the assembling Of the State Con
venlion, l am informed by mem
bers of the committee that after
the regula ar business WIS disposed
Of, the member from Warren (Col.
Tom Murray suggested that, as
that committee were sTecialIy
charged with The work Of
ORGANIZING AND HABMox.zING
the party, and 10 that end had call
ed a State Convention of the party
t. nomira.e a candidate for Con-
gress and ina>mu, Ii as trouble was
threatened by rumors upon the
street that one OF the prominent rs
pirants was l.kely to become a dis
y refusing to abide the
action Of the convention unless it
was favorable to him, he therefore
proposed a resolution instructing
the Chairman Of tt,c Com mites =, :
address polite note to each Of the
aspirants, asking hem whether or
no; they would abide the action OF
the convention. Col. Murray was
himself a dciega'e from Warren
coun'y, instructed 20 vote for J"hn-
son, waich he announced his pur-
pose t" DO, if he was before it sub .
iect to ila action. The passage of
the resolution was warmly opposed .
by Johuson'5 lriends on the com .
and was finally Withdrawn,
with the positive assurance that he
would not oppose the action of the
/
Toe night previous to the con
vcntion the most OF the delegates
arrived The friends of all parties
were very active in trying to ascer-
Tain who wouId likely get the most
votes. 1t was we'll ascertained that
Johnson's friends were in fhe mi
nority, and that be could not be
nominated. The only doubt ex-
pressed by my friends was whether
could get it in the event the two
birds rule was adopted, as was the
Usage of the party. Propositions
we're made to my friends by some
II the friends of Mr.. johnson, to
get me out of his way by securing
ne an app intment IN another
direction. The overture met with
10 encouragement.
At an hour fixed the convention
at the capitol, and was
by Col. John c. Burch,
be Chairman of the Democratic
Central Committee, and an avo we'd
rohnson man. Col. Cooke, of East
Tennessee, on motion Of johnson
Ielegate, was called temporarily
0 the chair The usual commit
ees were appointed on permanent
Several delegates,
to the nomination of Mr.. r
ohnson. asked to be excused from
erving. Then for the first time
was positively known that he
ad inspired his friends with the
pirlt of disorganization. But the
went on. 1t was a
obIe body Of free men who were
OF to be intimidated. They per-
scted their organization, adopted
le TIVE thirds rule as necessary
} a choice, nominations were an
ounced in order, and finally |
elected and made the standard
carer of the party by unani-
lous vote. q
A fairer convention was never !
cid. No man who knows me I
4HoF |