Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-20
GIBSON COUNTY,
AssCryine Eeed-How Petty Leaders
Want a Scrub Race-The johnson
StraightOufs-A Refinement of the
Primary Election PrODOSed.

!. ant q Scrub Race-The Johnson
StraightOufs-A Refinement of the
Primary Election Proposed.
To the Union and American:
TRENTON, TENN, March, 18.-A
thorough organization of the Democrat
ic party. in every county in the State,
so strongly urged by you, should be at
tended to without delay. The great
blunder of 1872. was due more to this
cause than any other. 1t matters not
hotC, as much as it does sCheE, a conven-
ton is called. If deferred until aspir.
ants have announced themselves and
eanvassed their districts it will be a
difficult matter to reconcile their con-
flicting Claims.
As you are aware, like thousands of
Democrats In the State, / was not a
supporter of Greeley nor Grant, and in
the Congressional contest for the State
at large, sacrificed my own personal
preferences for the gallant Cheatham
by supporting johnson, because 1 be-
heyed as hundreds of others did, that
johnson did not endorse the Cincin-
natl nominee. Possibly 1 may have
beenof that class 80 chastely designated
by the Banner and ArGldnche, as
Bourbons, but they will find that
large portion of the supporters of
Johnson were of that element and for
the reasons that 1 have assigned. These
will support a regular Democratic
candidate as the nominee
FOR GOVERNOR,
and care not to ask whether he was a
Cheatham man or johnson man, a
Wing or Democrat. What we do Iwish
to know is, that he is not a Radical and
that his Conservatism" does not in
cline him In that direction. We want
a man that will unite all the forces in
the State against the Republican party
and that viii ensure a larger majority
than ever was polled before, and in
looking about for such man, we must
net confne ourselves to any particular
section of the State. The party must
seek the man and not wait for the man
to seek the Office. The position has
been too much degraded of late years
by aspiraIts announcing themselves In
advance of a convention. Again the
candidate selected, should be one of
undoubted ability to cope with the best
talents which the Radicals may bring
out. He must be a good debater and
able TO rally 'the boys" throughout
the State.
SCRUB LEADERS"
In this Congressional district we are
again threatened with a multiplicity of
candidates. Each county has its pros
pective Congressman, and the would
be leaders who seek control of the pol
itics of their respective counties seem
to be ayerse to a nominating conven-
ton, but prefer rather another scrub
race, and for the people to guess at
which is the strongest to beat Num-.
So IN the Legislative race and the
general scramble for county Offices. In
the latter it is imperatively necessary
that We should have county Organiza-
ton, and that gerry soon. Much of our
success in the November. election de-
ponds upon it. With a general scram-
bic for the county ofices-and what
contest is more exciting than that in
which our immediate friends and
neighbors are inter ested?-we cannot
expect 20 recover from the discussions
and aspersions which result from it
before the State and Congressional
elections come off, and then the great
danger is in losing the support of the
disappointed aspirants and their friends,
especially if any unfair juggling has
been resorted to to defeat them.
AN IMPROVEMENT ON THE PRIMARY
ELECTION SUGGESTED.
Many plans have been suggested
through your excellent paper by which
to bring about a thorough coun-
ty organization for the Sc
lection of county candidates, any
of which would be very accept
able; if resorted to in time. But
would suppose at the present time, ev-
cry county in the State has a super
abundance of candidates, and that they
are already bushwhacking it through
the country. The proposition to hold a
primary election in each precinct seems
to meet with some favor, but it has its
Objectionable features, as much so as a
general mass meeting at the county
seat. Where there are several as
pirants for the same Office, as is gen.
orally the case in our county elections,
it is possible that the one receiving the
highest number of votes may be the
weakest and the least competent 70 fill
the office. / should think better plan
would be to take the vote for the first
and second choice for each Office. This
would certainly denote the strength of
each candidate, by giving him the full
benefit of his first and second choice
votes.
A LAST RESORT.
To make it all fair and without re-
sorting to the formula of holding an
election, as the candidates have al
ready announced themselves, l would
suggest that on the first Monday in
April next, the different county candi-
dates meet in convention themselves at
the county seat, and that each select a
man IN each district to ascertain the
first and second choice candidates of
the uoters of each district, and report
in convention ON the last Saturday in
the month their respective ballots, ac-
cording 70 the number of votes taken.
In taking the vote, of course, it should
be restricted to the Democratic and
Conservative voters of the district, I'M
less the Republican offering to vote
will pledge himself to vote for his man
at the August election if nominated.
The chief excellence of this plan con-
sists first, In the fact that the delegate
appointed to the convention is selected
by the candidate himself; and secondly,
in ascertaining the first and second
choice of the district, so that if the
first choice of any district cannot re-
ceive the nomination, it is possible that
the second choice as compared with
other districts Will. The candidates
should be pledged to abide by the de-
cisiOn of the convention, and unless
such a pledge is given their names
should not be permitted to go before it.
In this county we have two candi-
dates for Sheriff, four for. Circuit Court
Clerk, five for County Clerk, five for
Trustee, eight for Collector, and ten
for Register-thirty-four in ala
goodly number, with a far prospect for
the election of Radical to each office.
But our leaders say, let us have a scrub
race and beforethe electionw we can guess
who is the strongest nag to beat the
Radical. Well, these queSsers had
their I'LL of IL in 1879 for COnoresSruan