Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-09-23
FROM CHEATHAM COUNTY.


EDITORS CHRONICLE: To S. D.
Power, Esq, under communication
dated at Ashland City. and delivered
to us in your issue of last week, we say
in the language of Shakespeare
Thou contest in such questionable shape,
I'll speak to thee"
In the first place, says Mr.. Power,
I'VE will say that several of the gentle
men whose names appear to the article
(from T. A. Turner and others) were
not in Ashland City on the day of the
so-called 'pow-wow. We grant it
for the thing soas done an corner, :"
and hence the result and we assure
the gentleman that scores of others
''a0ho acre not IN ashland that day,
know thoroughly well-as from the
record how things were done" and
hurrah for Moody and the primary
election all the same Mr.. Power says
''only two men who live in Ashland
took part in the convention He fur
Their states that he had about as much
to do with the convention as any one
else, after it was gotten up, being elect
ed chairman" Very we'll. Well see
after little what he had to do, or
could do as chairman. Again says
Mr.. Power, in the first place the Ex-
ecutive Committee ordered primary
election at the time of the county cleo
ton, but not as the gentlemen suppose.
to find out the choice of the people for
Representative, but to ascertain the
wish of the Democratic party" Now
there is perspeculty for you'll I ask
every body to read that clause again,
it is so self explanatory The Ececu-
tire Committee lodnted to ascertain the
a0tsh-but not the choice of the Demo-
cratic party
Second-"The election was not held
in accordance with instructions from
said committee, for the simple reason
that the committee gave no instruc-
tons as to how the election should be
held, or who was to hold it, or to whom
returns should be made" Mr.. Power
objects to the primary election because
it was not held in accordance with in
structions, then kindly comes to the
rescue, and says positively and definite
" there were no instructions as to how
the election should be held, who should
hold it, nor to whom returns should
be made, and we all know that in the
absence of directions, custom is the
law.
Mr.. Power says there were 1882
votes cast in our county election, and
of this number r. Ell. Moody received,
as / have been informed, AGO." There
may have been LISP votes cast in the
county election, but there were only 612
votes cast in the primary election
Mr.. Moody getting 400; Mr.. Dunn 1885,
aud Mr.. Inland AZ there being good
many Democrats in favor of Mr.. Leech,
of Dickson county, who did not vote.
Mr.. Power next says, There was no
opposing candidate and it occurs to
me that it required a pretty strong
nerve in any aspirant to have submit
ted his claims to an election manipu-
lated and managed by his opponent.
Here Mr.. Power is again very ambig-
uous. He says there was no opposi-
ton, yet speaks of IAN election being
manipulated by his Il Mr.. Moody's 81
opponent" Whom he refers to as the
manipulating opponent" | know not,
unless himself, Che being one of the
committee that ordered the primary
election for we all know his aspira-
tions, and know that he has long been
like "Barkis." Mr.. Power says :
1.-THE favorite of the gentlemen has
been so eager for Office and manifested
such anxiety for one, that | thought it
best to let him and Leech run it out
alone, and with the overwhelming ma
jority that would be piled up against
him, I thought he would never bother
the people of Cheatham county again. "
We deny that Mr.. Moody has ever
| asked Office at the hands of this coun-
ty more than once. Two years ago he
was a candidate in this Floaterial dis
trict, but submitted his claims to con-
vention at Charlotte, Dickson county,
where he was defeated by the Hon. j g.
J. Pollard whom he heartily and cheer
fully supported. Nor do we admit
that he has ever bothered the people
of Cheatham county," having always
paid his just debts and retained money
enough to be this day in good credit.
Mr.. Power says: II opposed the
convention on Monday morning when
1 was first approached upon the sub
ject, and persisted in my opposition
until | learned from the number and
character of the men demanding a
convention, that it was useless to op-
pose it; hence | yielded my opinions
to expressed wishes of the hard listed
yeomanry of the county, who were here
from every district in the county, but
one, and nothing but an expression of
their preference for a candidate in
public manner would satisfy them"
Mr.. Power magnanimously con-
cluded to give the hard listed yeoman
ry chance. Let US see from his own
words how he did it. He has informed
US that he wanted to let Mr.. Moody
alone, and let Mr.. Leech pile up an
overwhelming majority against him,
subject him to "a more than Waterloo
defeat!" Yet, says he, in his article
announcing to your paper the doings
of his convention, "the house being
called to order, on motion S. D. Power
was elected chairman How disin-
terested But let's go further, Mr..
Powers own words: "On motion of
Col. w. A. Shaw, which was unani-
mously adopted, the Chairman APP
pointed committee consisting of two
from each civil district to present to
the convention a suitable person as
candidate for the lower house of the
next legislaturel" Now, understand
n