The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-09-23
TO BE CONTINUED.
DIR. Sam. L. Loves Address,

The appearance of an Independent cam
didate for Congress IN the person of SO
prominent a parsonage as the present Dem
%ocratic State Auditor; a gentleman long
identified with public affairs, and belonging
to perhaps the most extensive family con-
%nection i'll Western North Carolina, is an
event of sufficient Importance to create curl
osity to see what he says for himself. We
take an extract from his circular address, OF
which some ten thousand copies have been
distributed in the West, We understand.
DIR. Love says -
Deep seated dissati ~Sfaction and discon-
tent exist in the ranks Of the Democracy of
the District with the machine mode of man
ufacturing candidates employed by the
Ash,ilie clique; and the Convention sys
tenn as manipulated by this clique. is be
coming odious. From the foundation o
the government 10 the time when the Ia
mented Plato Durham was elected 10 Con
gress (and counted out of his e~lectionj the
people of the mountains employed no such
machinery as the present convention system.
Then there was..no manipulation Of cliquesoT
rings; the DeoDte selecte1 their Representa-
%tives, voted for and elected them, and the
excellence Of their selections show that the
people made few mistakes.
The abuses Of the convention system, as
manipulated by the AsheviIle clique, ar.
fast leading to the abolition of that system
and a return to the honest modes of our
fathers. The Democratic vote colt the Eighth
District is about I6, 000; the Democratic
vote Of the county Of Buncombe is less than
wo thousand. Giving Buncombe credit
for the brilliant talent which Eliminates
her, it may modestly be claimed that in ev-
cry one OF the other ninetee2 counties Of
the District there can be found one or two
men capable of representing the people IN
Congress: and yet the practices of the Ashe
Vile clique have led to the practical dis
franchisement af nineteen twentieths of the
counties of the Eighth District, and Of sew
en- Fights Of the voters of the district, and
Buncombe county has become the State of
of B~uncomhe, with nineteen tributary coun-
ties submissively doing her will. For a
period of little short Of forty years the
Eighth District has been represented in
Congress by Buncombe men. and during
that period but two other counties have
furnished the Representafive-CaldwelI
and Henderson representative was a Bun
combe man. Duly impressed, doubtless,
with the Imperial significance Of the lately
attempted presidential third term movement
the present Buncombe representative Of the
Eighth District has served his tourH term
of two wears, receiving for his services per
diem and mileage) some fifty thousand dol
lars; and no.withs: anding hat his last term
was positively to he his last, he is once
more before you for election, opposed by
another Bupcombe man. in accordance with
the eternal fitness of things. In othe- Con
gressional districts the most eXacting rarely
ask more than a second term, In this Dis
trict the claims of other aSpirants and other
counties have been repeatedly urged, but
in vain. 1t being distinctly proclaimed two
years ago by the present Representative,
that that WAS the last time he would ask an
election at the hands of the people. popular
sentiment on both sides of the Ridge cen
tered upon the Hon. Burgess 5. Gather, of
when the Convention assembled, it Was
found to have been manipulated as Of yore.
and the friends OF Mr. Gather and other
aspirants surrendered in disgust. the
meapre vote given to Gen. Vance two years
ago should have admonished him that the
patience ofthe people was well nigh exaus-
ted but the i~nvincibility OF the machine
was believed in by him and the Ashevilie
CLIQUE, and the promises given and the
claims Of other portions Of the district were
whistled down by the winds at the risk OF
the disruption o! the party in the district.
Colonel Gather aid other aspirants wolld
not descend TO the arts Of the d~emagugue
to secure q nomination.
The Democracy of the District are sick
and tired of the domination of the Ashe-
vile clique, nor are they disposed longer
to submit to the arrogant claims OF any one
county or any one man. or any single family
of men. IF the Asheville eli que shall insist