Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-11-04


MR. EDITOR feel a very deep interest
on the subject of the management of our po-
itical conventions, so / venture to write
again on the Same subject.
"My God and my country" looks well OF
it sounds well on the stump; in
decd. it is motto worthy of the noblest
patriot But we hear men cry my God
and my country" on tho stump, when, if
you will walk behind the screen, you will
hear them insulting that God in the vilest,
bitterest manner. Enter into their conf
dence in the political convention and its
workings, and you will find there is nothing
so low, 80 dirty, so mean but that they are
ready to stoop to it, in order to cheat and
defraud their countrymen out of their choice,
and hoist themselves or some of their spe-
oial friends into place over the choice Of
the people, and in violation of all rules Of
decency. / have heard it argued for men of
that class, that they are not scrupulous about
their conduct, and will thus gain an advan-
tage over an opponent. Think for a mo-
ment what this course leads to. You ad-
vance a man of such vile hypocrisy, such an
utter want of honesty; then when he has
received your assistance, he is ready to turn
on you like a serpent and devour you like a
vulture, to please some new made friend, or
to advance some other ends for himself A
dishonest man is not to be trusted IF his
dishonesty appears in the political cOnven-
ton, it can be found elsewhere. The party
that resorts to dishonest men or means
in order to get an undue advantage over an
adversary, may make temporary gain but
it will surely serve as a club IN the hands OF
an enerny in the end
Now, it appears to me, that the people
ought to take hold of these conventions
Everybody. That it lisa duty we owe to
Our God and our country" and let the
people say who shall run for places of honor
and trust We often find candidates wrang-
ling over the manner in which their claims
shall be settled just as if the Office belonged
to the men who would declare themselves
candidates. Sometimes they arbitrate the
question of who shall run. Wen, this will
do when the people are careless, but really
it is question belonging to people, and
hey ought, through their conventions, to
settle such questions by calling such men as
will best serve the country to become can
diiates ard officials The man who would
shove himself on party is generally IN
worthy Of thu nonor lie seeks. He knows
it himself, and for that reason he shores.
\ lawyer who will openly declare that he is
the best lawyer III the country, is certain to
be set down as an ass and fool, and very
correctly, too. The physician who trum-
pets his Skill declaring that his powers to
heal disease are greater than all others, may
deceive for time,. both the ignorant and
unthinking, but the close observer and
! learned declare him to be miserable quack,
trihing with human life, while the profes
sion will have no confidence in him, and it
| will all be true. The minister who boasts
| that he can save more souls,
and preach better sermons than any.
| body else, will at once Rair
the reputation of bigoted hypocrite, and
that righteously too. Such ought to be the
case with politicians The man who boast,
| what he can do, and what great man he is
and what powerful ability he has, is no
worthy of confidence, and it is net safe fol
the people to place it in HIM. A political
| convention ought to be- conducted with hon
| esty and dignity, and be the peoples meet
| ing. In calling candidates they ought te
| call the man who will best serve the coun
| try. 1t is no difference how bad somebody
wants an Office. Sometimes the man who
| wants it worst, is the very man, above al
others, who ought not to have it. It is nc
| difference how long he has been in office
The very experience he has had. if he ii
| honest and faithful, the better qualities hin
| for the duties of the Office, and we are look
ing for servants and not for pensioners
who are to hold the position, get the pay
and done service in return.
Now, in conclusion, allow me to say, tina
if one of our parties should adopt rules o.
honesty and dignity in her conventions and
elections, and whenever q man resorted Il
dishonesty to throw him overheard. it would
be but short time until that party would
command such respect and admiration tina
| its movements would be invincible.
t- WILL A. MoTEER.