Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-24
MAuRY MOVING

Court CLERK, and ten Tor lax Collector.
This makes forty-three in all, while
there may be the rest of a hundred who
do not appreciate printers ink. On
MonGay, the 18th inst, there was
gathering of candidates at the
courthouse, to ascertain show many
would manifest a spirit of har-
mony" The Herald and Mail speaks
of it as "a full meeting" al
though it notes the absence of eight
candidates. OF these absentees,
two sent in word that they
would acquiesce, and one was under
STOOD to refuse submission to a conven-
ton. One of those present fatty an
nounced that he would not submit,
while another made a proviso that he
would submit only to fair convention.
If the forty-three announcements COM
prised all the candidates, this would
leave a certainty that thirty-fve CT
them were pledged to the results of
the meeting. None but candidates
were admitted to this meeting, except
H. P. Figuers, who acted as Secretary.
After passing a resolution to postpone
the choice of Legislative candidates till
after the August elections, most of
those present favored the Nick Aiken
plan in regard to county offices. This
plan, assuming that the people are dis
satisfied with both conventions and
primary elections, was as follows:
Suppose all the aspirants meet in
Columbia and deposit with some per-
sons elected by them, a sufficient
amount of money, say SIS each, to pay
twenty-five men lone in each district)
to take the vote of the county. In Sc
lecting men to take the vote, let each
candidate place the name of some man
in the LIST civil district in nomination
and then elect from that number, and
when they have thus elected a man IN
each district, provide each of them
with the names of all the asplrants, a
ballot-box locked and handbook,
and instruct them to visit each voter in
their respective districts, and without
expressing any preference for any can
didate, urge them to place their votes
| in the box, at the same time taking
| down the name of the voter. And
when they have completed their duties,
| let them meet in Columbia, select
| Judges from their own number, count
| the votes, and see that the number of
votes in each box corresponds with the
list of votes In each district, and there
by give the people their choice, and save
thirty-fve candidates $50 each"
The adoption of the following reso-
luton indicates that this plan was de-
termined on, except thai the people Sc
lect the district canvassers, instead of
the candidates doing so:
Resolved, That the Chairman and
Executive Committee recommend that
the delegates elected by the people on
the Ist Saturday in April. shall take a
| lock-box to every Conservative voter;
and that the candidate having the high
est number of votes, be declared the
nominee of the party, and that the del
gates meet in Columbia to count the
votes and declare the nomination the
lst Monday in May, and that the dele
| gates shall not take the box around
sooner than the last week in the month
Of April.
This, we suppose, might be called the
canvassing system, although, if each
district be thoroughly canvassed, II
would amount to about the same as a
primary election. If We mention some
objections to 1t, it is with a view to
other counties which have taken no &C.
ton yet, rather chan as criticisms on
Maury. If any Democrat fail to vote
in a primary election, it is his OWL
fault; but in this canvassing system
many might be given no chance t.
vote. How many, or how few, of the
stray settlers in distant hooks and cor
ners viii be visited, depends on ont
man. the canvasser. The safeguard
and checks secured at the ballot-box by
a corps of officers and chaIlengers-anC
initiated at The primary election-ar'
entirely wanting in this new canvass
inc system. With all respect for th'
GOOD intentions that suggested tn,
scheme, it savors strongly Of one-maI
power. Besides, the task imposed Of
the district canvasser is an Oneroui
one. 1t is exactly the work Of regu
lar paid assessor, but haste bedoneinf
single week, instead Of several months
He must ride up and down every hill
and hollow, visit every farm house, and
then be obliged often to traverse field
after field to find the voter at the pillow
Is not this expecting too much Of hui
man nature in one week: The maj
who Will conscientiously do this work
is entitled to an Office for indefatigabl,
industry and self-sacrifcing integrity
The people could not do better thar
elect him, and throw overheard the
whole army of aspirants.