Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-08-16
REFORM THE PARTY.

the election Of Judge Holt Republican
nominee for Appellate Judge in the
9th Kentucky District, over Judge
Reed, the Democratic candidate, in a
district that had hitherto gone Demo-
cratic by majority OF $500, says:
In the result there is a lesson--se-
we're, but deseryed-to demagogues
and wire-workers; to men who, re-
gardless of proprieties, trample on the
sensibilities and prejudices OF those
who believe that there are some things
more sacred, more to be regarded,
than mere party success. This defeat
is notice served ON political bum
mers, hirelings and professional Office
holders that it is time for them to take
up march to the rear. They have
presumed once too often ON the toler-
ance and good nature of our people. II
the party is to succeed it must cashier
some insubordinate self-styled leaders,
and select its best men for its highest
positions.
Some narrow-minded, bigoted par
tisans may consider this defeat party
calamity, but the people of the State
at large will ON the contrary hail il as
the first indication of a brighter and
better day. Hereafter a nomination
will not be all that is required to Sc
cure an election. The party needs
publication, and there are men brave
and intelligent enough TO undertake
the work.
There is good deal in these re-
marks that, in general way, applies
to Tennessee politics, and the condi-
ton of the Democratic party in this
State. We can truly say with the
Courier-Journal that "the party needs
publication" and we hope there are
men "brave and intelligent enough to
undertake the work."
A band of domineering demagogues
have constituted themselves the DEM
ocratic party in Tennessee and try to
sustain themselves in power by ma
chine methods in public bodies and
unstinted abuse of all who presume to
differ with them. If paper ventures
to criticise the actions of this ring it
is straightway pronounced Republi-
can in disguise and there is no epithet
too vile to be applied to the individual
who is not in accord with all its
schemes and Vaccinations.
1t would certainly be a desperate
remedy for these evils to turn the
State over to the Republicans, and we
do lot wish to be understood as en-
couraging any disaffection from the
Democratic candidates for State offices.
The true interest of the Democratic
party is what we have in view and we
sincerely believe that unless these
Tennessee swash-bucklers are rebuked
and the despisable means they en-
ploy to control politics, done away
with, they will ruin the Democratic
party in this State.
One of the fruits of these methods
was seen in the defeat of the Demo-
cratic nominee for Trustee in David
son county last week, and the decreas-
ed majorities for the other candidates.
Commenting on this unexpected result
the American says:
Impracticable methods, cOercive in
their character, if persisted in, will
have the effect to disintegrate the par
ty. There is too much intelligence in
this community for hectoring self
constituted leaders to manage party
affairs. Ignorance and bigotry cannot
and will not control intelligence even
IN party matters; that few men, or a
single newspaper, or convention even,
shall do the thinking for an enlighten-
ed people, and give the word of COM
mand and apply the lash TO all who do
not obey orders, even as to matters of
form or as to the mode o. organizing is
rs offensive to intelligence as it is
wrong in theory. Intelligent men are
fit subjects for reason and argument,
but the party lash has lost its power,
and to attempt it is so offensive that it
often drives independence into Oppo-
sition.
Ignorance misapprehends party re-
latiOns. To belong to a party does not
mean that the right to think and talk
and act have been surrendered to
the party managers. To belong to a
party gives no license to blatherskite
ON the stump or the ignorant publish
er of a newspaper to chastise for sup
posed party delinquency. To vote
with party in no way subjects the
private citizen to public criticism and
censure. Men voting with a party,
and not candidates for Office, are only
private citizens, and as long as a man
is a private citizen, to quit the party or
not to vote, or vote Tor part of the
ticket, 10 right and publicly making
criticism is a social offense, and is only
done by uncultured people. This mis-
take by self-constituted leaders, and
constant personal assaults upon pri-
vate citizens, has had the effect to ali
enate many intelligent men. This
mode of conducting party politics
always produces disintegratiOn. 1t
may do among an ignorant people.
but will not do among an intelligent
people.