Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-05-31
THE OOLLEOT0RsHIP.

EDITOR INTELLIGENCER:-You are doubt
less aware that there exists in this county Il
wide spread disahection among the demo-
Gratis, particularly in Clay and in Sni-a-B Bar
townships, in regard to the same person hold
ing Office continually, and perhaps as Mr..
Mountjoy, who has made All excellent and
most efficient officer during his wo terms of
Office as collector of the revenue-although
all will admit no better than his predecessor
he seems to be a bright and shining target for
the attacks of the disaffected.
No sooner had Mr.. Mountjoy announced
himself as . candidate for reelection than it
was clearly made manifest to many prOmi-
nent democrats that q suitable and available
man must be selected to either defeat him in
the primaries, or give him an opportunity to
prove conclusively that he had an actual ma
1ority of the voters of the county for him.
thus to avoid a conflict in the general Novem-
Der contest. which they we'll knew would
bring no good to the party, should an indie
pendent candidate be put in the field, As had
been threatened.
1n looking over the whole field their minds
centered upon DR.. P. H. Chambers rs a man
pre-eminently fitted for the place, not only as
to qualifications, but with q character which
could stand the most scrutinizing test, with
out q spot or . blemish, and doubly invulner-
able from the fact of being free from the
smoke and faint of previous political con-
tests.
made his appearance as y candidate for the
Office. l have known Mr.. Beattie for n num-
Der of years, and In all that time | have never
heard anything to his discredit, neither pre-
judicial to his qualifications or his character
rs a number one, hospitable gentleman, but
for some unaccountable reason Mr.. Beattie
fails to command the strength necessary for
the work to be done.
Not long after the announcement of Mr..
Beattie the friends of Judge James w. Har-
rison seemed to get together, and well know
ing that Judge Harrison had beaten MIR.
Beattie previously for the Office of county
court Judge. they urged upon the Judge his
claims to the Office, predicated perhaps too
much upon the fact that he had defeated Mr..
Beattie, MIR. John E. Corder, and also Mr..
Henry Thiemsn for the office of county Judge.
little dreaming that those victories were rs
"dead sea fruit to turn to ashes in his mouth,
The Judge with his ability to defeat seems
unable to heal over the scars of battle, or in
any way to conciliste his rivals, and this fact
seems to unfit him to go into a contest with
that willy and successful prince of cleo
tloneerers, Geo. NJ. Mountioy.
Mr.. Editor, under our form of government
there Is no kind Of question about the right
OF any man to run for Office so long as he
meets success and encouragement, but will
the people be satisfied with a plurality vote
gained by one so long in office, over three
others entirely without the eclat and machin.
cry of Office to aid them!
Would they not be better satisfied with Il
majority vote, which in my mind would put
the matter entirely beyond cavil. Then it
seems to me 1t behooves the party to try and
draw OF two of the weakest candidates, no,
by a commission which always determines
the diplomacy and skill of the agents, but
never the strongest of the principals, but by
frank and candid advice instead of to fatter
and deceive them, as is too often done. And
II Mr.. Mountjoy can beat the strongest man
in a fair election. which l am sure lie will try
to do, then 1 think we should all acquiesce,
ss it seems to me we want harmony in the
general election, and that the ambitions or
personal piques of any democrats should not
be allowed 10 stand in the way of that peace
and harmony. Now it appears to my mind
that to give this matter q fair test the most
and only candidate which has been !
suggested is DR.. P. H. Chambers, for the
reason that his qualifications are unquestion- |
ed, his moral character is above reproach, /
without a single blemish; he goes into the (
with not a single explanation to make; !
he would be the only candidate who could |
divide MIR. Ms strongholds of Lexington |
and Dover, and also Middleton, from the fact
of his personal popularity In those three
LoWnships, whilst he has made in other parts
Of the county gains which are acknowledged |
by persons who have can yassed the county to |
be unprecedented. solely on his reputed good
and general standing at home, as |
we'll as his unquestioned qualifications. Mr..
Beattie, l think, is little welded to cleo
pioneering, and could, / think, be easily per-
'uaded of the track, provided a courteous |
effort was made in that direction.
As to Judge Harrison, I do not consider
him a possible candidate, for the reason he |
has no strength worth mentioning in Lexing-
ION, the largest township, none of any con-
In DOver-his own homeland but |
little In Middleton; his only strength l can
hear from being in Davis and Freedom, both |
small townships, and q few scattering unde-
votes in the vicinity of Odessa are |
to him of a once large following which
are melted and gone from him rs mountain
'nowsb before an August sun.
Mr.. Editor 1 always regard it bad policy to
underestimate an opponents strength. We 1
must remember that Mr.. NJ. has q sure and |
certain following all over the county; it Is no
:hild's play to beat him; we can't beat him
three candidates in the field; we can't |
10 it with two; and I am sure Mr.. NJ. would
enjoy u victory over one opponent much bet
:er than to merely have it to say he had beat
an one gentleman with two other gentlemen
hung on to his coat tails.
Now, can't we get these two gentlemen,
Who seem so anxious to beat each other that
fear they lose sight entirely of the main /
hing to he done, and let us unite on DR.. P.
d. who seems 10 carry so much
mild and quiet enthusiasm-and l am sure
DR.. Chambers will be successful, and no little
II the credit will rebound to Messrs. Beattie
md Harrison, and then Mr.. Mounljoy will
nave had q fair chance to prove his strength,
md If he beats us let us throw up the sponge
ike honest men and end this business in the
RENt FL = UncrC |