Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-02
DELEGATES TO THE STATE CON-
EVENTTON


seven weeks off. and the question be-
gins to be asked, Who shall set the
datefor the county conventions to send
delegates? All that is wanted is the
date, as such conventions are usually
held at the county seat. The State
Convention meets August 10, only
thirteen days after the August cleo
tons, and it is a nice question, to be
decided by local considerations, wheth-
er it viii be best to hold the county
conventions for State delegates before
the August campaign wakes hot, or set
their date somewhere between August
and August 19. In counties near
Nashville it may be advisable to adopt
thelatter plan, while in distant counties
the former may prove best. But who
shall name the time in each county,
after proper consultation on the sub
ject?
The convention that met in Davidson
last week was sufficiently representa-
tive perhaps to have appointed dele
gates to the State Convention, and also
to the Congressional District Conven-
ton. But it was not called for any
such purpose, and did not do so. 1t
confined its work exclusively to the
August elections. 1t has given us n
county campaign committee, which, by
the same logic, would be limited to the
August election. Shall this committee
call the necessary meetings to select
delegates to the State Convention
which viii cut out the work of Novem-
Der? For various local reasons, that
may or may not apply to other coun-
ties, we are disposed to give an afirma-
tive answer.
On May 4, 1872, Davidson county
elected delegates to the State conven-
ton of May 9, which nominated Gov.
Brown and sent delegates to the Balti-
more National Convention. That Da-
wilson county meeting of May 4, ap.
pointed a county committee. There
were no divisions then, and we find or
that committee the following names:
10. C. Hamblin, Col. VIM. Demoss,
w. H. billiard, Pat Walsh, J. B. Jeup,
w. A. Glenn, Robert H. Hill, III. A.
McClaughelty and Jas. F. Chiffon.
1t will be noticed that this committee
represented all the elements which
afterwards split so unfortunately.
Again, On Aug. 10, Davidson county
held convention for the appointment
of delegates to the State Convention
that nominated a Congressman and a
Presidential Eiector at large. This
second county convention did not dis
turb the committee which had been
appointed May 4 for the State cam
paign. Does this committee still exist,
or is it superseded by the committee
now by county convention
that did not touch on State matters:
We have not consulted a single |
member Of either committee, and give |
our opinion for what it is worth. 1t is
the ordinary rule Of all organizations, |
civil. or political, that an Of |
fetal holds his station till successor
is installed. Such has been the uni
form usage with political committees.
In accordance with such usage we have
seen the State Committee of 1872 set
the date for the State Convention this
year. Does the County Committee of
1872 still exist for the similarly simple
of calling Z meeting to send |
delegates to that State Convention?
1t may be urged that they vacated
their limited authority when they fail
ed to call the recent county convention,
which was gotten up by the spontane-
Gus cooperation Of the people. On
the other Eand it may be insisted that
the matters coming before that cOnven-
ton were truely local, and so they held
aloOf The practical difficulty lies in
the fact that We are now making the
political transition from the old consti-
tuition to the new. This is the first
general election Of county Offices since
1870, and We are now for the first time
accommodating the political machinery
to the cLanges in the dates of elections,
made by the constitution OF that year.
In some other counties the old COM
mittees have called the county conven-
tons, and may be formally superseded
by new committees without any such
question arising as in Davidson. The
bridging over of the old and the new
must be determined by the local sur
of each. As to Davidson
l. We are of opinion that one county
committee is ample for all purposes.
The authority of the new county COM
nittee is unquestioned, while that of
1872 might be disputed by some.
,. The new committee are fresh
from the people, and representative of
the reconciliation of all classes.
8. The old committee appointed
May 4, 1872, were divided to some ex-
tent by the subsequent discussions of
that year and were not altogether har-
which could hardly be ex-
pected under the circumstances.
For these reasons we think the gen.
aral sentiment Of Davidson county ex-
poets the new committee to proceed
with the work before US, and in its dis
,retion issue the call and set the date
FOR the county convention to send dele
gates to the State and the Con-
yressionaI district conventions. There
would, however, be no harm done by
with the old committee,
md also with the Congressional Com
~