Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1886-07-08
THE HAWKINS COUNTY CUES
TON.
A Near view of its IntrlnsIc Merits.

cation to the Rogersville Herald written
In answer to imputations made by the
Holston Rsriep, upon Republicans of
Hawkins county. The writer was a del
egate to the Jonesboro convention, and
gives to the winds, the Democratic charg-
es Of fraud and packing in that county:
. What particular objection is 1t. that
the Reriep has to the manne Of Col.
Browns nomination? Is he going Ito
fight 1t out on that liner We see IN the
last four or five issues, and in fact ever
since the convention, he has had his back
up higher than his head, making the
same vague and general charges of
packed convention fraudulent dele
gates instructions violated" etc. 1t is
difficult to see, from his declarations,
just what frauds were committed. or by
whom, or in what way; but we gather,
taking the whole of what he has said,
that the wrongs, whatever they were oc-
Cured in this county.
One who reads the vehement assertions
of this gentleman without having O pre-
vious knowledge of how our county con-
vention was held, would be naturally led
to n of three conclusions; either that
the convention itself was composed main
ly of men who were not fair representa-.
tives OF their party, being placed there by
schemers In the interest of Col. Brown;
or that both the chairman and secretary
issued credentials to a set of men who
were eve appointed by the convention;
or, that the convention being properly
constituted, were imposed upon, and In
duced to appoint a set of delegates to
Jonesboro, who deceived them, by acting
differently from what the convention
supposed they would at the time Of ap
pointing them.
But If he afterwards investigated the
plan of holding the Convention and Its
proceedings, he would be surprised to
find that no one Of these were the case;
by direction from proper authority pri-
mary meetings were held in each civil
district in the county, and in this way,
the delegates composing the county con-
vention were selected; o precaution to OBJ.
tain a fair expression from the people,
not used even by the Democrats, whose
convention the Reriep holds up as O mod.
cl of fairness. Passing in review before
his mind the men, one by one, who com
posed the. convention, he would see an
assembly Of good men; business men of
intelligence, having the good of their
party at heart.
Disappointed in his first conjecture,
the person we suppose would be apt to
pursue his investigations a little further.
lie would naturally say to himself, 1t is
impossible that all this wild clamoring
about fraudulent delegates can be with.
out some colorado prctext. He would
next inquire and find precisely how the
delegates were appointed, and how great
would be his disappointment to see, that
the identical men who attended the
Jonesboro convention, were each and CIV.
cry n Of them appointed and constitut.
cd such, by the actual vote of the county
convention; pursuing in detail the pro.
ceedings Of the convention in appointing
the delegates, he would discover, that
when the list Of delegates were read to
the convention, and 1t was proposed to
adopt that list, the direct question was
raised, and generally discussed by the
members, as TO what strength Col. Brown
would have, and how much there would
be for Judge Hacker; and it would be
clear to him that If there was any one
thing the convention did, which they
knew and understood perfectly well, Il
was, that when they appointed the dele,
CATION they did to Joncsboro, they knew
they were seniiing men who were almos
q unit fos Cob Brown.
Still he won sssry to persuade himsel.
that there must be some plausible foun
dation for all this cry of scheming an6
wirc-pulling. He could not imagine tina
1t was all no more than an attempt to i'm.
pose upon the public credulity. He would
say to himself, l have seen, that he who
is my friend, was too Incorporate in hi
zeal; but am l TO find that he is no NOR,
ingenious?
He would next apply himself to- care
full perusal of the credentials. Here a
last he would hope to meet with a solu
ton of the enigma. But now to his increas
ed astonishment, would be added a feel
ing Of Indignation, at the unexpected dis
covery, that the credentials had not i'm
posed a single restraint upon the delegate,
but left them free TO act as they pleased
He would find 1t plainly recorded by the
secretary who was al ardent supporter oil
Judge Hacker, that the motion to instruc'
received no second, and was not put to
the convention at all.
If he happened to be q man of quick
impulse and violent temper, he could NJ
longer refrain from pronouncing these
clamours, to be the dishonest articles o.
an unprincipled opposition, to an assem-
bly, who at least were entitled to receive
a fair and candid examination. How else
he would say, could the author of then
have been tempted, to vent such lout
censures upon O convention, who seem
not only to have conformed themselves t.
the usual plan, but even added a new pre-
c%aution-the district meetings-a power
full safeguard to the sentiments Of the
people, and one unknown to the Demo
Gratis themselves, and never practiced by
them?
If however, he happened to be a mar
of calm and dispassionate feelings hi
would probably indulge q sigh for the de
generacy of the public press. He would
lament that certainty which is the beauty
of all discussion, that precision and i'm
Partially so necessary to q right under
standing of the true merits of questions
and that m~anliness which seeks to pur
suade. by arguments addressed to the un
derstanding, rather than mislead, by ex
citing the passions. And especially woulc
he deplore Its dignity, seeing that men,
honor is handled with a recklessness, un
worthy the most veritable shysterof a pc
lice court.
II Republicans built their hopes of sue
cess upon the OBJECTIONS in the opposite
party, they might easily point out ant
show precisely, the frauds they hav,
committed, in the sense in which 1t il
charged upon the Republicans Of THU
county at present. Whenever they hav,
considered an election of sufficient i'm
portance 10 them to have q candidate il
the field at all, q few of them got togethcl
as the true blues" and whether they
made q nomination for president Of thu
United States or a district constable 1t wa!
done without any pretext of first consult
ing the desire of the masses. We nigh
refer the Reriew To the fact, which h,
could not have the effrontery to disput,