The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-05-24
OSCAR TURNER
10 TIE VOTERS OF THE
PFPST C0NGR ESSfON1L DIS
yRlCT or KENTUCkY


Having received assurances that II is
.he desire Of MY friends that ! should
make the race FOR Congress, | have con
cluded to again become a candidate to rep
resent the people of the First district in
the Congress OF The United States. l
have served the Democratic party ever
since my hoy hood. defending it from IT.
nek. no matter from whence il came and
advocating Is principles beeause be-
ieved that the great fundamental princi
pies Of Democracy were essential 10 the
welfare Of the country, the preservation
Of the rights Of The States and the hap
piness OF the people. | have reloiced Ia
orr party triumphs and sorrowed at its
defeats, and would not imperil its success
TO crafty any personal ambition.
In my last race for Congress | took the
ground that there was aeeesSitg lor a
e,nceHtion; hat the Democracy ought 20 be
left free and untrammeled by any conyeu-
ton TO select their representative. Oth-
ers took the position that a convention
sras necessary TO prevent The election OF the
Radical candidate They held The conven-
ton and nominated Judge Boone. After
( giving Rin the prestige of nomination.
/ they were not satisfied 10 leave the can
vasSto him aud ne, to be eoEdacle on
honorable tsras but just on the eve Of the
ell, ciion when lliey became satisfied /
would be ected by the Democracy many
public speakers all of them aspirants J
took the stump against me, when they
knew it was Impossible for me 10 meet or
reply 10 them. rs was engaged with my
opponent IN joint discussions. a these
gentlemen raised the hue and cry that If
the Democracy divided Oh me, the Rad zeal
candidate would be electeds-lpd some of
them resotted - other things that ! viii
not now notice. The election came on
anl the record is made up Now let
rs who wss right. II [ misled The
people, l ought 60 be condemned; u I tgts
r9ht then 1 apPeai ~ the iopers II ruth,
justice and fltirasss 10 stA.d bg ne. Let the
record speak.
In spite OF all their Efforts and tue
fstlsehoods with which the district WAS
flooded just before The election, notwith-
standing Judge Boone was appealing for
an endorsement, and urging that II had
always been customary TO eadorse the
members OF Congress, which influenced
hundreds 70 vote for him, seveus housaud
Ave hundred and forty z ,540l gallant
Democrats went 10 he polis and cast their
ballots for ine. Col. Houston, tle Radical
nominee, received 5, 1856 votes, thus il viii
be seen that [ received u majority Of ], l04
votes over Houston. iYjs1e, then, sgas The
necessity .foy convention But IL was
gucd that there ought 10 be but one Demo
critic candidate that two running would
iniure the party. Let as see filden re
cclyed Il, 6I9 votes, chtch igas dH utcregse
~ ). $50 over the vote vi Gov. McCteary,
the largest Democratic vote ever pciled
in the FIRST district. The party, then,
was benefited instead Of injured. IAas
a Is shoaH ~ tie o5ieiH record that 40 con-
rentioa iefs uecsssqrg aHd NJ party 1lot ~
Jared. Then, was ! right or wrong and
who deceived the people Was II /, or
these gentlemen who hunted mc down on
the eve Of the election stabbiug me IN
the back and inducing The people TO be-
heyc that the convention was necessary
Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again,
Tn eternal years OF God are her $;
But Error, wounded WRITINGS in pain,
And dies among its worshiPpers.
l told Che people my vote would be IN
creased over enc thousand 10 WAS in
creased over the vo;e / received III l67 I, +
II9 votes. | publish herewith q table
taken from The Official vote, showing NY
Increased vote aud the increased vote 81
the Democratic party, which / hope every
candid gentieman viii read and from
which it viii 5e seen that ii Judges Trim
ole, Boone and myself had run through
and the Democratic vote had been eqaal-
IL divided, e1cb gite scoutt iae. ftccjCsd more
rotls thaH he Radical cla,idate. Bnt every
oae knows that there would have been no
equal division, for Judge Tumb!e showed
in the Paducah convention that he had
tut little gth--n0t being able 10 car
ny even two counties in the convention.
after eanyassing the whole district
l have said this much in defense Of my
self. have never opposed conventions
fafig lflf fsiIp Is
jefferson did, that conventions arc Pollt
ical evils, only to be resortcd TO when
necessary 10 insure party success, to carry
4 n great principles for the benefit and
the interests Of the people. suppose
Thomas jefferson ought 70 be good IA
thority with gentlemen who profess 10 be
Democrats
As to the falsehoods that were circnla
ted on the eve of the election against me,
The only notice 1 shall give to them is, 10
refer the people 10 the vote III my own
county and precinct where 1 have lived
Tor over thirty years. In 1871 beat
Judge Boone in my precinct, oyet ) 70 l,
aud in the last race my vote in my pre-
cinct and county was almost dou iied- |
there are six candidates for
Congress IN this district, ana aspifants
" hO have not yet announced themselves.
Now l have this proposition to make TO
them, and TO the various county Commit
tees There Is a general election to be
held the hrst Monday ia August next; let
Z poll be opened 1T enca voting place and
a vote BE- taken Of the Democratss parry,
for their choice for Congressman, AMI
whoever receives the most votes, let the
others get out OF the way. Ii amy ntE
receiveS more votes than. Do. shall not
be IN his way-por would l desire tue
track. | should not wish to be forced
upon the party by tie trickery OF con
vention. Is not this fair aud does IL not
leave the power in the hands Of The aeept,i
where tie constitution places il LIT
every man vote for his cn0iec.
But it is urged b. political trickster
in Paducah, that / Alright receive less
than IA majority of the Democratic vote
and yet get the track. Suppose we all
run through; would not the candidate re-
ceiving the largest number of votes be
the congressman. whether he receives n
majority of tile party on not The con
stitution does not require that a man
shall receive 4 majority Of the whole
vote, but gives IL 10 the candidate who
receives the largest number OF votes cast
Does not this convention trickster know
that Judge Bosue when he was first elect
ed, lacked $3.50 votes OF getting a major
ny Of the Democratic party and aid he
egsr suggest q han The propriety Of resigaiag
and ietttaJ some man run rho could get a et1
jortyS oh, no. il was all right then.
lie received his certificate, and served out
his time, although he was elected by %
minority OF the Democratic vote by SOM
thousands, aad IA nority OF those vino
did vote. Yet one complained. Is not
the plan Istsggest as Tara for as for
another, AMI is IL not fai.cr than . cou
vcntion2
Let us see suppose a convention is
be.di Que Candidate goes into 1t lacking
only few votes OF majority Of the
whole Democratic vote Of The district; the
baiance OF the vote is divided between
three or more candilates, one sof whom
would only get seven votes (which viii be
the case If d convention is heidi. Every
man knows that under convention rules,
All the minority candidates can throw
their strength 10 the candidate who only
received seven votes and give him the
nomination, ihus beating the strongest
man. and defeating tire wiilof the people. +
No sueh trickery can be played OF under
the plan lsuggest OF primary election, +
if fairly conducted Let the people make
the choice al the AUGUST election and the
strongest 'maif IN &c, .'he nomination. 1t /
he r0fe Be- furry taken, and fairty reported.
let US have Eotrickery.