The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-08-07
THE ELECTIONS.

THE ELECTIONS
The battle is over, the agony is
ended. the beaten candidates have
all retired gracefully from the field
many of them saying no doubt,
like the fox in the fable, "the grapes
are sour,'any how" Others of them
can see very clearly how they might
have been elected if We have
looked over the field. and have come
to the honest conclusion that any
one of the many aspirants might
have been elected by "a large and
increasing majority" If - the
people had voted for them. But as
the people did not see fit to vote
for them, we are decidedly of opin-
ion they are defeated for this very
reason. We therefore advise all
the defeated candidates to heartily
thank their friends for past favors
and to ask an increased continue
tion thereof in the future-I they
still have aspirations. TO those who
are elected, one and al, the GAZETTE
tenders hearty congratulations and
assurances of its kindly and inter
ested support-at least until the
opening of the next regular cam
paign, at which time, if the GAZETTE
sees proper so TO do, it will again
come 10 the front Tor rather till
when it will hold its present posi-
tion in fronO and - keep its
hands off, so far as its neighboFs and
friends are concerned-and let the
candidates fight their own battles.
But. TESTING aside. the election
last Thursday, especially in Hamblen
county, was a most remarkable one.
So far as we knew before the cleo
ton. not one of the candidates pre-.
tended TO rely upon party affiliations
and party lines to elect him. A lot OF
the very best men in the county aspi-
red to fill the county offices. No
serious charge could be brought
against any one of the whole lot.
For weeks before the election they
labored-all-earnestly for success.
But no one labored-uo one dared to
labor, to draw party lines. We opine
that the people gave them to under
standthat party could not win this
time.
In two of the cou nty races there
were single handed races-there be-
ing a Republican and Democratic
candidate in each racial good
honest popular gentlemen-and in
this Republican county, the Demo
cratic candidates won in both in,
stances. One jolly, good Jim Thomp-
son winning by the unprecedented
majority of 533, while modest Geo.
Crouch only won by II. Party did
not-party could nOt-do it. Nor
did party win in any of the other
races. True, our neighbor, Ki Will
liams, a Republican, was elected.
But il his Democratic friends had
forsaken him in his hour of need,
has plus Al would have been turned
into large minus. We listened to
the counting Of the vote at Morris
town where 442 were polled; and
we are sure that there we're not ex-
ceeding half dozen str aight party
votes in the entire lot. We learn
that this was q marked feature of
the election all over the county.
But one of the chief matters OF IN
terest in this county was the race
for Circuit Judge. Judge Rose.
who is known as a good lawyer,
with hand as cold as frog, and a
most awkward shake, and who is
known to those who have taken
pains to inquire to have generally
voted with the Democrats, but who
never was worth cent to the party
as a politician. was the fayorite
here. His opponent, Col. Meek,
known as a nice gentleman, fair
lawyer, a good electioneefer and a
strong party man, was his opponent.
Having at least $500 of a party ma
jority to work upon. his election in
other days would have been a GER
tainty. But Rose Is elected by a
handsome majority.
What does it all mean? 1t can
mean only this. that hereafter in
this county, party-mere party-will
not do to count upon. The people
are going to select their officers for
their ftness and their moral worth.
Hereafter. the fact that q man has
been Democrat or a Republican,
will be small factor in the calcula-