The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1882-09-29
The Primaries,

| The "Primaries" held last Saturday over
| the county to appoint delegates to the Con
gressional Convention which met in Pulas-
| XII Wednesday resulted most of them i'll the
| selection of WhitthOrne delegates, but few
| resulted in the selection of Whitthorne
delegates, this being the case i'll the Sd, 22d
and 24th districts, and in the 9TH 9th and
9th there were contesting delegations
As to the last three we do not understand
the questions involved except in the 9th
the Columbia Districts, where we were
present. The call for the primaries direct
ed the "sub-cOmmitteemen for each civil
dist" to "open and hold said election be-
tween the hours of and / p. NJ" and this
was generally construed to mean that the
delegates were to be selected by ballot and
the polls kept open from , to o'clock
so that all could have a fair chance to vote.
The anti-Whitthorne men, so construed the
call and were very active in getting out
their strength They heard, however, that
the Whitthorne men, fearing their strength
intended to abandon the idea OF ballot
and to assemble early, put their own man
in the chair, nominate ticket, vote viva
vOce and have their man announce that the
ayes had it and then suddenly adjourn.
The anti-Whitthorne men determined to
oppose this vigorously and demand a free
vote by ballot in accordance with the call
and fair count and unless this was done to
with the call.
Promptly at o'clock, II. t. Gordon,
Esq, one of the Subcommittee and a Whit
thorne man called the meeting to order in
the Circuit Court room, the room being
crowded with men of all classes and par
ties and he called upon P. IL. Southall,
Esq, to act as secretary. n motion was
Immediately made that certain men, the
list being read, who were announced to be
Whitthorne men, should constitute the del
egates, and that the vote be taken viva voce.
The question was raised that no chairman
had been selected, but this Mr.. Gordon
promptly ruled was not well taken, decid-
ing that he himself was the chairman au-
thorized to preside over the
meeting. Mr. Webster, DIR. Robt. Pillow,
DIR. Harlan and others insisted that
ballot he had, calling attention
to the wording of the call, and to the fact
that it was impossible to tell, with the room
crowded as it was, who were entitled to
vote, or who were voting, or how the vote
was conducted fairly they would support
the nominee of the Convention, whoever he
might be, but that unless this was done
they would have ballot box opened in &C.
cordance with the call and hold a regular
and fair election.
Loud calls of"Question! Question:" were
made, and the question was put and receiv-
Whitthorne men claiming that they had the
majority, but the Chairman Immediately
ruled that the "ayes" had it, whereupon the
other side demanded a division, which he
expressly refused to give, and a motion to
adjourn was made and put and announced
carried, and the WhitthOrne men left the
room.
1t was then announced from the court
house window that "poll' would be I'M
mediately opened at the Sheriff's office, and
all Democrats of the 9th district were invit-
ed to coma forward and vote for delegates
to the Pulaski Convention in accordance
with the call.
Benz. Harrison, Esq, f. c. Frierson and
Isom Sellers were made judges, and c. c.
Sykes and T. B.. Kelly clerks, and the
election was held by Hugh Sellers, sub
serving on the same commit
tee with Mr.. Gordon. The names of all
voters being taken down as in a regular ell
ection.
The following anti-Whitthorne delegates
were selected, receiving 215 votes, none be-
ing cast against them:
DELEGATES.
F. B. HEMPHILL,
DIR. J. 7. AKIN,
DIR. w. c. SHEPPARD,
J. E. r. CARPENTER,
w. J. ANDREWS,
w. c. TAYLOR,
VIZ. WOOD.
ALTERNATEs
S. C. CARMACE,
w. S. FLEMING, JR.,
E. f. ERWIN,
WALTER AKIN,
DE-. R. HOLDING,
f. II. HATCHER,
r. q. IRVINE.
A number of men, who went into the first |