Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-08-01
HON. JOHN f. HOUSE..

From the Nashville Banner 25th.
The following is the full text of tn e
letter from Col. John F. House, of
Clarksville, candidate for Congress
this district, to Col. Thos. E. Claib-
orne, mentioned but not quoted in the
Banner of yesterday:
CLARKsvILLE, Tenn, July q, 1874.
Dear Sir: Your favor of the 18th
inst, in which you call my attention
to your address in the Banner of Sat-
urday last, did not reach me until late
last evening.
You say-'The particular reference
is to proposition for fair play in the
convention of the I'd September prox.;
it has the countenance of the Execu-
tive Committee for the 9th Congress
ional District, who has published
note in both city papers, July Ii inst.
Lrequest your approval, etc.
In reply to which | beg leave to say,
[ know of no one in the district who
wishes to prevent the utmost fair
play" in the. convention. | certainly
do not. The chairman of the COM
mittee had right to make the "sug-
gestion" to the people of the different
counties to select their delegates on
the 9th of August, when they meet to
vote for county officers, and the peo-
pie have the right to adopt the sug
gestion, or to proceed to select their
delegates in primary county meetings,
method sanctioned by the immemo-
rial usage of political parties in this
county, so far as | am advised.
call your attention to the fact that
the suggestion of the chairman did
not appear until one week after the
fire of the seven counties in the dis
trict had, through the usual and Gus
tomary method, appointed their dele
gates. | have heard of no complaint
from any one in those counties that
these delegates were not appointed ac
cording to the will of the people of
the respective counties they were Sc
lected to represent.
A majority of those counties did me
the honor, wholly without my solicita-
ton, to express preference for me,
for which [ am duly grateful. But L
claim nothing on this score. l make
no point of the fact that no demand
for fair play was made until after five
counties had taken action and appoint
ed their delegates.
am perfectly willing that each and
every county that has appointed dele
gates, may set aside their former ac-
tion in the premises and choose an en-
tire new delegation, if they see proper
to do So II as matter l0hOtly l0ith
the counties themselves, with which IN
the past | have not thought it proper
to NEEDLE, and with which for the flu
ture L do not conceive that | have any
right to interfere-simply for the reas-
on that / hold that each county has
the undoubted right, without outside
interference from any quarter, to Sc
lect their delegates in either of the
modes suggested. If they suit them
selves in this matter, l shall raise no
objection to their action, and whether
the delegates composing the conven-
ton shall have been selected by the
people of their respective counties In
the one mode or the other, | hold my
self bound to respect the decision OF
the convention, be the same favorable
or adverse to my aspirations.
Should you or any other gentleman
of the district be nominated by the
convention, composed of delegates Sc
lected in either of the ways named, L
shall, with entire good faith and cheer
fulness, support the nominee.
Allow me to cordially reciprocate
the good opinion you were pleased to
express of me in your letter, and to
subscribe myself, your obedient SER
want. JNo. T. House.
To Col. Thomas Claiborne, Nash
vile. Tenn.