The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-12-17
One or Two Conventions.

Shall the judicial and gubernato-
rial candidates be nominated next
year at one convention or shall there
be two? This matter will, at the
proper time, be determined by the
state executive committee, but since
it is being so freely discussed, if you
will permit Il will give mine opin-
ion" The advocates of one con-
vention insist that it will be a saw
ing Of both time and money, and
that all the nominations can be
made just as well at one as two.
The advocates of the two claim that
custom of the party has established
two conventions and that the civil
and political nominations should be
kept separate so that the former
should be kept, as much as posi-
bic, free from political influence. l
see no necessity for two corven-
tions and 1 believe policy, as well
as expediency and economy, dictate
only one. 1t is presumed that if
we have one or two conventions the
constituents thereof will be demo
Gratis and the nominees for the Judi
cfal offices will be thorough demo
Gratis all the same in either event.
And with this view of the case l am
unable to see how the candidates
would be less politicians in the one
case than the other. Is il because
that lawyers would probably main
ly compose the Judicial convention
are less politicians than the masses
generally? Is not the reverse rath-
er the case? But it may be answer
ed that no platform would be adopt
ed at the judicial convention and
therefore the candidates would not
be "tied down" This leads me to
say that there should be no plat
form adopted at either convention
more than the endorsement of the
national platform and the endorse
ment of the two administrations
national and state. Surely upon
such a platform every democrat in
the state could stand. The whole
party would be united and a victo-
ry call along the line" would be as
sured. Have one convention and
as soon as organized and commit
tees appointed let the committee on
platform retire and do their work,
and while thus engaged let the con
vention proceed to nominate the
judicial candidates, and after this
is done and the report of the plat
form committee shall have been dis
posed of let the candidate for gov
erner be put forth And whether
the platform is such as suggested
above or should embrace specific |
questions, the judicial candidates
would not necessarily be bound
thereby, as they were nominated |
prior to its adoption, but the guber-
would be as his nomination !
was subsequent. In answer to the |
point of ''party custom" forming |
two conventions, l would say that |
while 1 acknowledge that we have a
precedent in the two conventions of |
1878,a custom is hardly established |
by that one act. But even if such |
should be the fact, times have ma
terially changed since 1873, and to |
quote the familiar latin maxim, !
'ten1pOrG nautantur, ct nos naaItGmur in
Ills In 1878 the state was zone |
sidedly" and positively democratic,
now it is so but not 80 decidedly. |
1t is important now that we take
no unnecessary risks. We should |
adjust our sails carefully and pru-
IDENTIFY and then we may have a |
smooth sea. The program of the as
tute and sagacious republican lead
ers is to have one convection com |
posed not Of lawyers only of that
party but of the masses and to offer |
the voters of the state a judicial tick
ct composed of three democrats and |
two republicans and a republican |
for governor-thus three of each |
if we present five demo-
Gratis from a conventiOu composed |
mainly of lawyers it would not take
much acum en- to foretell the result.
We must avoid all preJudices and
if possible. I remember
too well how an impression that q
certain distinguished gentleman
was the lawyers candidate for judge
to his defeat. If we
have a special convention for the ju-
licial candidates suchan impression
will, fear, again prevail. have
attended every state convention
since and including that of 1867
except the judicial convention . of
1878. If there shall be two con
7entions in 1886 l can only afford
20 attend one, as hundreds of others
the state will likewise
10. We will leave the judicial con-
zen ton to the lawyers, who would
n either case largely control the
Judicial nominees, as l would my
elf be much influenced by them.
CONSERVATIVE.
Fair View. Dec. IA. 'S5,