Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-10-14

looked for the coming of your threat
eued manifesto. 1t has appeared, we
have read it aud still survive and it
wildly called to mind the fable of the
in travail, when expectation
was on tip-toe. everybody expecting
some huge monster worthy of such pa
rentage, when 10 and behold out
came a mouse. So in this case
mouse has made its appearance, aud Il
small one at that.
Seeing the poetieal quotation of tho
gentleman, was forcibly reminded Of
4 quotation from the same author, and
doubtless those not oonversant with
the facts, and having heard the threats
Illuminated by the fifteen" or a por-
ton of them at least, would have
thought that they would
"a tale unfold whose lightest word
Would harrow up thy soul; freeze thy
Make thy two eyes like stars start from
Thy knotted and combined locks TO part,
And each particular hair stand ON end,
Like quilts upon the fretful porcuptne."
Mr.. Turner says that "tho thing
(the conventiou) was done in corner.
How will you reconcile this with the
assertion in your first article that "af-
ter canvassing around and finding out
who were Moody's friends and who
were for Dunn, after getting the clan
all Dunn men," If this was so how
could it have been done in corner.
Take either horn of the dilemma, one
or the other must be wrong, both can't
stand together. This more fully ap-
pears when we reflect that the pub
lished proceedings of the convention
shew that a motion was made to ap-
point additional committee men, which
prevailed, and four Of the gentlemen
appear as such additional committee
men, and suppose that one of the if
teen will not deny rising in his place
and making a speech in support of
Moody's candidacy. That looks like
doing a thing in a corner Mr.. Turner
says scores hurrah for Moody and
the primary all the same" Grant it !;
scores are about as high numbers as
Moody's adherents will ever reach.
As for Dunn, hundreds hurrah for
him and the convention, the primary,
Moody and the fifteen to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
still insist that the primary was
ordered to ascertain the wish of the
Democratic party for Representative,
and not as to the whole body of the
people. Republicans as well as Demo
Gratis, and hence it was opposed in the
committee on that ground j, e., that
in public election Republicans as
we'll as Democrats would vote, and
that they would vote for the man least
acceptable to the Democrats. And
Mr.. Turner falls into error when he
puts my objection to the primary upon
the ground that no instructions we're
given by the committee as to how it
should be held. simply refer to this
(want of Instructions in answer to him
when he says that the election was
held according to instructions, to show
hiul that he was in error. In trying
to show ambiguity in my language heis
only playing upon words, and trying
to draw a distinction where there was
no difference. The primary was Mr..
Moody's bantling he brought it forth;
he nursed it and engineered it through
the committee, being a member thereof,
and why he did not give it a name,
and have the committee clothe it with
authority by selecting disinterested
parties in the various districts to at
tend to the matter and have returns
made to the committee, is his con-
Germ not mine. Perhaps he preferred
the course lie followed, by going
through the length and breadth of the
county, and himself appointing the
holders of the election. This is not
intended to cast any reflection on the
parties holding the election, for |
know some of them and know them
to be high toned gentlemen ; but refer
to it simply to show how abnormal the
proceeding-the only candidate in the
field to manage the whole thing. Mr.
Turner says that in the absence OF
instructions, custom is the law" That
may be so when custom becomes hOary
with age, or when the mind of man
runneth not back to the contrary >
but did we ever have such an election
before? If not, there is no custom
about it. Our law provides how our
elections shall be held, and the vari-
GUS contingencies provided for ; but in
no case to authorize a candidate to
have anything to do with them. Our
Sheriffs are authorized by law to hold
popular elections; but so jealous is the
law of the purity of the ballot box
that when he is a candidate he must
SIdhu dSluCs anu SOluC UuC VloC hdS "
perform that duty. In all candor
would ask when the custom of a can
didate managing an election com.
menced? and where and how long
Echo only answers.
And here | would inquire if it has
ever been customary with any of the
parties that Democrats should take
part in Republican Conventions, OF
Republicans in Democratic Conven,
tons? / think the rule should apply
with equal force to party primary
elections. And now we have il Cheat.
ham county the strange anomaly of q
candidate claiming to be the nominee
of the Democratic party when it is no.
torious that, in the primary election
upon which he bases his claims
Republicans voted for him the same
rs Democrats. | opine such prac-
tice has never been attempted before
Mr.. Turner says that in the primary
there were 6l2 votes polled; that OF
these Moody got Ago, Dunn 105 and
Hiland II, many Democrats favoring
Mr.. Leech not voting" | will inform