Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-07-18

The division among Democrats
In Tennessee just now Is very
much strained It exists more among
newspapers and politicians than among
the mass OF the party's voters 1t
would be impossible for any great
number OF people to belong to ~the
machine" and there are very few who
would not ut least claim to be "inde-
pendent" Of ring rule.
Taking the party AS it now stands
there is really no ground for division.
All Democrats accept the promulga-
ton OF the Chicago platform on the
tariff question and the tariff being a
national issue could not ON any sensi-
BILE ground work division in one
State alone. It created no disturbance
during the last campaign. A pro
nounced protectonist, Barnum, of
Connecticut, was made chairman of
the National Executive Committee,
and with the hearty concurrence of
men OF opposite views. like Watlerson
and Hurd, accomplished glorious
success.
There is really, then, no live issue
on which Tennessee Democrats should
not be harmonious, The troublesome
debt question is happily settled. SEN
ator Howell E. Jackson, leader OF
the Sky Blue faction, advises the bond
holders to refund and regards the sos
settlement a iinality. We don't be-
lieve there are one hundred Demo-
Gratis in the State who would. consent
to re0pening of the debt question.
The railroad commission question is
the only thing that threatens party
unity. 1t is in no sense a party ques-
ton and should not be suffered to di-
vide the party. The very fact that
railroad commissions have been estab-
lisbed in States overwhelmingly Re-
publican is proof that it is not a
measure distinctively Democratic. In
all of the States where the railroad
commission question has been agitated'
we have never heard of its being made
party question except in Tennessee
Why, then, all this pickering and
abuse of 50 called Independents ?"
Who are independents" in such
sense as to create any political organ
ization or even party faction?
Where Is it we hear Of these So cali
cd independents" coupled with the
assertion that they are really Republi-
can i'm principle? 1t comes from the
Nashville American and its satellites
and such Republican papers as the
National Review. Does this not look
like deliberately concocted scheme
to disrupt the Tennessee Democracy
And for what pupose The American
wishes to form party it can keep I'M
der its absolute control and that will
submit in every particular to the die
tItes Of political machine OF which it
is the organ. To this end it is trying
TO curry favor with the disreputable
negro element represented 10y Ed.
Shaw, for which it proposes 10 ex-
change those Democrats whom it can't
control and whom it styles @Independ-
ents.' The Republicans of course see
that this sort of thing tends to Dem
ocratic dissolution and they encour-
age it
We don't believe that such a move
ment will be endorsed by the masses.
The voters are for harmony and don't
want any pickering when there is
nothing to bicker about
Remove the machine and there will
be nothing in the way of Democratic
uniIy. But from the way the bosses
are working that delectable concern
just now we think there is no need to
take any trouble about removing it.
Just let it rip and it will run itself
down before the next election.