The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-09-09
Aug. 81, 1874.
Something about Conventions.

To the Editor of the Morristown Gazette:
wish to say few words through
your columns to the people of Hamblen
and Granger counties, regardless of par
ty, with regard to Conventions For
the last few years, the little caucuscs
calling themselves conventions, have
been conducted in such manner as to
thoroughly disgust every honest fair
dealing man. They have been nOtIfing
more than mere 8 cliqlIcs," brought to-
gether in interest of certain individuals;
and they have, regardless of the will of
the constituency they pretend to repre-
sent, nominated their pets to office. 1t
has utterly ceased to be Il question of
fitness for office, and the only question
now is, which man can by wire-working
and maneuvering, get the greatest num-
Der of personal friends appointed as del
egates to such Conventions? IIigh-mind-
ed, honorable men stand no sort of
chance in such a Convention, and the
consequence is, that the very men who
ought to be elevated to office are ex-
cluded. The man who is possessed of
that high moral sense that should char
acterize our public men, scorns to en-
gage in the low, dirty work necessary to
| secure the nomination of the so-called
! Conventions; and should such man
dare to become an Independent candi-
date, he is cried down as "disorgan-
! izer" Is it not time that this state OF
affairs should cease? 1t is to be hoped
that the time will soon come when hon
orablc men viii stand fair chance; and
when knaves and tricksters will no long
er fill three-fOurths of the offices of profit
and trust. / am not opposed 20 Conven
| tions, but 1 am opposed to the. little
" cliques'' that have been calling them
selves by that name There are several
gentlemen from each party who have
announced themselves as candidates tC
represent the counties of Hamblen and
| Granger in the next Legislature. As
the election comes off in November,
there is nonecessity for either party tC
be in haste about selecting candidate
! Let the candidates come out and min
| with the people, give them their views
upon the various issues of the day, tel
| them what measures they propose to ad
vocate if elected, &c. This would give
the people. an opportunity to see and be-
i come acquainted with them, and of course
enable them to judge the more, correctly
with regard to their relative fitness foI
the position. The candidate who is un-
willing to give the people time to con
slider, but who wants COauentjoA imme-
diately, simply expect to gain some un-
! fair advantage thereby. After the peo-
/ pie have had an opportunity to see the
candidates, and hear their respective
views upon the issues of the day, let the
parties in every civil district in the two
counties, hold primary meetings, where
it can be decided who is their choice,
and delegates appointed to cast their vote
in a Convention. BY this means the
wishes of the people can be made know n,
and the men who are really the choice
of their party would be the candidates.
The 1st of October is early enough for "a
OohNentloH, dS tHeTe NouIu then ne am
| pie time to canvass the two counties
certainly think there should be waking
up on this subject. Let Conventions be
made better or abolished entirely. The
people are getting tired of a little clique
of ten or twenty men in a county die
tating to the rest whom they shall vote
for. Ishould be glad to hear from 9th
ers upon this subject, and perhaps
shall say something more anon.
& NJ II