Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-07-02
DEMOCRATS IN COUNCIL.
A secret ConcIave.
The County to be Governed by Town
Clique.

Early in the forenoon of yesterday, it became
noised around that few gentlemen claiming
| to represent the unterrifed Democracy of this
| county, wereabo to assume an important task
that of saving the good people of Knox county
the trouble of selecting their county officers, as
they had expected to do at the ensuing August
election The matter had been kept profound
secret except with the invited few, and ortho-
dox Democrats or Conservatives were noticed
tramping around town in search of the head
quarters of this self-constituted clique, acting in
the capacity of guardians for the good people.
We do not know who were present,
but have no doubt that the leaders
were the same who led in legislating
Judge Jones out of office with view of = eat
ing position for some one of their friends as
Judge of a Criminal Court. They are the same
men who provided for an Attorney General for
Knox county, with view of getting rid of Col.
j. NJ. Thornburgh. Although there is not ex-
ceeding half dozen of these men, they act as
if they held deed in fee simple to the voters
of Knox county, and as if the said voters must
not think of acting contrary to their will
They held their meeting in the office of Capt
John Nj. Brooks, and after exchanging notes,
and discussing the claims of various gentlemen
whom they graciously cOndescended to present
to their wards, the voters of the county, they
agreed that for the Office of sheriff. A S. HUI
diburg may be voted for, but that the name of
Mr.. William Lewis must be dropped.
For the office of Attorney General it was de.
cided that the people may vote for j. c. j. Will
liams, but they must not vote for Mr.. James
King or for Major l.. a. Graft
Dick McCallum and J.C Mynatt, Esqrs., APP
Deared before the committee of simon pure
Democrats humble suppliants for the privilege
of being voted for for the Office of tax collector.
Esquire Mynatt being young man it was de-
cided that he could afford to wait, and the peo-
pie are informed that they may vote for our
genial friend Dick.
Captain James Boyd seemed TO be in high IA
vor in the caucus and without opposition it was
decided that he would be a proper person to
vote for for trustee.
It was further decided that j. NJ. Yarnell,
Esq, might be voted for for the Office of County
Court CLERK. Thus in this secret conclave, from
which even Democrats who had not been pre-
viously invited were excluded ticket is made
up for the people tovote for. Heretofore the
people of Knox county have made merit the
test for office-now the will of a self-constituted
committee, appointed by little town clique, is
the law by which voters are to be governed.
The Whites, the McCammons, the Craigs, the
Halls, the Crippens and the Barrys were select
ed by all the people at the ballot box, and the
fidelity with which they performed their va
rious duties is evidence sufficient to prove the
wisdom of the old-time way. Now we see
few men gathered in a private room in the Sec
ond story of a building, with closed doors, die
tating to the people who they shall vote for for
the various county offices. Here is civil SER
vice reform for you. Here is true Democracy.
Here you see something Of the denominations of
a secret caucus system against which virtuous
Democrats have inveighed with so much i'll
hypocricy.