Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-10-26
A Card.
Friends and Fet{O1c Citizens:

| F19e9lG9 and -FettO1c Citizens:
I address you now simply to ex
plain matters in regard to things
connected with my candidacy that
some of you may not fully under
stand.
was solicited by friends to be
come q candidate for office, and
offered my services as such. Be
lieving that a legislative office al
! the present time should not be made
a partisan question, my services
were offered to the whole people of
Montgomery county, and to no
especial party. The conventions of
the two wings of the Democratic
party met on the End of September,
and it was the hope Of myself and
others that they would harmonic.
But they did not, and though
shall not attempt to discuss the
question now, as to whose fault it
was that they did not, | will say
that it was not mine, for l was not
q member of either convention, and
took no part in them.
After it was found that the two
conventions would not harmonic,
several names were put before the
regular Democratic Convention,
my own among the number. After
this was done, and the candidates
were required to pledge themselves
10 support the nominee, several of
NV friends who were delegates in
that Convention came to me upon
the street asking me to withdraw
my name, stating that they knew
the Convention was ''packed"
against me, and that | stood no
chance whatever for nomination.
Having had no opportunity of
knowing any thing personally in
regard to it, and not being suffi-
GENTLY DESTROYS of Office to submit
my name to any packed CUnVen-
ti0n, whether packed in my favor
or against me, asked my friends
to withdraw it. In the mean time,
without knowing what was being
done in either Convention, | was
nominated by that of the indie
pendent Democratic party without
being required to obligate myself in
any manner, was informed of the
fact. and accepted the nomination.
Had any of my friends came to me
from that Convention with the
same information that was brought
to me from the other, as regards to
its being Hpacked, )" I would have
asked them to withdraw my name.
Both Of these Conventions were
composed of Democrats, both claim
ing to stand upon the same plat
form as it was adopted by the Nash
vile Convention, and both repre-
scented the people from ali parts OF
the county.
No one can say, with truth, that
the Independent party are not Dem
ocrats, for they have publicly pro-
claimed that they stood squarely
upon theState Democratic Platform,
endorsing fully its candidate, large
number of them being lifelong
Democrats. After the two Conven-
lions had nominated two Democrats
who claimed to stand upon the same
platform, and after Judge Rice
withdrew from the race, leaving
only one Democratic candidate in
the field who endorsed the State
Platform and its candidate, why
shoulda second Convention be called
for the purpose of putting a second
in the field, if union of.
the party was so much desired ?
One reason was because the indie
pendent Democratic Convention
was composed of the people, the
hard fsted farmers and 9th
er working classes, and uncOn-
trOlled by certain politicians who
claim the right to rule all political
and are ever ready to
denounce as fraudulent, all that
they do not control.
1t is often the case that conven-
lions are not held at all, and really
thew are not deemed necessary,
unless there are a multiplicity of
candidates of the same party in the
field who are opposed by only one
of an opposite party, and then
is held to decrease the
number in order to guard against
defeat. The convention of October
the 18th increased instead of lessen
ing the number Of Democratic cam
didates, and should the party be
defeated, the managers of that con-
ventiOn alone will be responsible for
it.
And since they have endorsed
this split in the party, and made
the gap wider by putting a second
candidate of the same party in the
field, why should they now raise
such a hue and cry about the bad
effect it will have upon State and
National politics?
I, ,~f l,n = 10 ]
local question confined to the county,
and can have no influence whatever
outside of it, and ! do not think it
should be made a partisan question
among the people simply because
there are one or two professional
politicians who desire to make itsO.
| am no disorganizer, or politician
in any sense of the word, but did
what | hOnOrably could to unite
the two wings of the party, and
withdrew my name from the con-
vention two years ago for the sake
of harmony, as car be proven by an
editorial in the CHRONICLE of that
time.
While there is 50 much talk about
the "split-up" of the party, | will
ask, why was it not considered split
up last summer when there were
several candidates Of the same purity
running for County Judge, Clerks,
etc. And l remember very well
when, some few years ago, one Of
cur noblest and best citizens (jrWin
Beaumont) run as an independent
for Sheriff without split
ting up the party, and was endorsed
by majority Of the people.
My opponents, so far as know
them, are honorable and clever gen
tlemen. ] know nothing against
them, and even if | did would not
name it for the purpose of obtaining
votes. But / feel that it is my duty
to correct one or two statements
made by one of them in his circular
of Oct. 18th. When he says he was
nominated by a convention that
represented the people OF the county,
and that | was nominated by con-
ventiOn that did not represent the