Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-07-08
ENTHUSIASTIC MAss AEsglNH ii
sTATs-CsEDi! DEM
NaAfs.
A LARGE AND HIGHLY RESPECTABLE DEL
EGATTOE or STATE-cREOiT MEN FROM
ALL PARTS or THE COUNTY
PRESENT.

ALL PARTS or THE COUNTY
PRESENT.
Delegates Sent to the Convention Next
Tuesday to Nominate a Candidate
For Governor.
The county mass meeting of State
credit Democrats, which was called
to meet at the court house in this
city ON Wednesday last, was even
more largely attended than the
most sanguine men OF the party
had anticipated.
BY the time the hour of II IN. ar
rived, the large Circuit Court room
was comfortably filled and the ear
nestness and enthusiasm depicted
on the faces of all showed that they
were determined and conscious of
right doing in the actions they were
about to take. The number of
prominent and intelligent citizens
from the various country districts
of the county was a subject of COM
ment, and was sufficient and
marked REPUTATION of the unfounded
assertion that nobody in the coun-
ty, outside of GAINESVILLE, was i'm
favor of repudiating the late SOB
platform and sustaining the Legis-
lative settlement.
Judge Charles G.. Smith. Chair
man of the County Democratic Ex-
ecutive Committee, called the
meeting to order and in a brief ad-
dress stated the object of the meet
ing, which was to select delegates
to attend the regular State Demo-
cratic Convention, which has been
called to meet in Nashville next
Tuesday, July 18th. He stated
what action had been taken by the
| recent Convention that made the
coming Convention lcct-ssAry. The
platform there adopted was against
all true Democratic principles and
could not hn supported by any
Democrat VINO wished 10 preserve
his party and its grand cardinal
doctrine, tae IN iintenanc1 OF the
public faith anil credit. He then
declared the convention in order
for business and called for the nonI-
ination of Il permanent chairman.
Major Thomas f. Henry nominal
ted Capt. Polk G johnson for per-
manGnt chairman, who WAS unani-
mously elected aud On taking the
chair made stirring and eloquent
address. We can only give Il
meagrc synopsis of his seatiing ar
raignment Of the party who would
call themselves Democrats and yet
had openly and detiantly gone back
on every Democratic principle in
regard to the settlement of the YeXed
question. Mr.. johnson said:
GENTLEMEN The State Credit
Democrats of Montgomery county,
who are determined to fight for the
settlement of our debt made by the
together to-day for the purpose of
selecting delegates TO the State con-
Vention to meet in Nashville on
Tuesday, July IL. This convention
will meet for the purpose, and will
nominate candidate for Governor,
and adopt platform of principles
for our party. (Applause.)
On the 10Th of June joint con-
VentiOn met in Nashville, called to-
gether by the executive committee
of the Democratic party and the ex-
ecutiVu committee of the Indepen-
dent party. Where the Democratic
executive committee found author
ity for calling another party into the
convention and council o! the Dem
ocratic party know not, but ii was
done. The two parties were called
together for harmony, in the hope
that they might unite and thus de-
feat the Republicans. 1t was also
proclaimed that they intended to
settle the State debt.
Although many good Democrats
could not approve of the joint call,
yet they were willing to do almost
anything in reason to re-unite our
forces and make combined attack
upon the Republican party, thus in
surfing its total rout and utter ami
hllatiOn. For this reason we atten-
ded the convention. We attended
in good faith and hoped conclu-
sion might be reached by which all
persons who had ut any time in the
past called themselves Democrats
might unite and present il solid
front to the enemy.
Our hopes, however, were not to
be realized. Instead of harmony
we found firm determination not
only to ignore every principle on
the debt question heretofore held by
the National Democracy, and by
the Democratic party of Tennessee,
but to ignore them in the most in
sultiug and overbcaring manner,
not even giving us decent hear
ing. Everything WAS to he rushed
through with lightning speed, and
if we were to remain we could only
do so by an unconditional surren-
der OF every principle held on this
subject By US for years, and this sur
render to be made to the distin-
guished gentleman, John Ii. Saw
age.
What did we ask? What did we
demand? Did we ask them to en-.
dUrse the 60-3-4-5-6? No. Did we
ask them to yield any principle? |
No. Did we ask them 20 stand by |
the honor and good name of the
State. No. We demanded moth
ing, but simply asked some ground |
on which we could stand without |
violating every principle for which
we have commended, and we, if al |
lowed, promised to march with
them to victory. We were willing
they should lave the candidate.
We asked that the debt question be
dropped and reiuitted TO the people
in the election of Representatives To
the next Legislature. We stated |
that Il mere declaration of a conven-
ton could not repeal an act of the
Legislature, and if they hoped any
relief from the act complained of it
could only be secured through The
TO be elected in Novem-
Der. 5000. -..-. -..4i.-
This reasonable and fair request
was refused, and platform adopt !
ed upon which l cannot and
will not stand. (Applausc.) Then
what should l have duneY 1T was
NV lutV tO lpaNp Tho cpn Vaution