Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-02-27
OUR QUARREL WITH THE DEMOCRAT

between editors OF newspapers is in
bad taste and must be annoying to their
readers. When, therefore, we again
bring up the controversy between this
paper and the Democrat we feel that il
should be done withanappology. It is
done put the whole matter in as cor
rect light as possible.
The Democrat, as everybody who has
any acquaintance with that paper
knows, has long posed as the only truly
Democratic paper in Clarksyille, deny
ing to its local contemporaries any voice
in the eparty's affairs We hayeLo obiec-
tion 70 its amusing itself in that way,
and are perfectly willing that the
politics Of the CHRONICLE be judged by
its utterances and the record of its edit
or. But coming into the possession of
the fact that one OF the proprietors OF
this too utterly utter Democratic pa or
was Republican, we deemed it in
order 10 acquaint the world with the
fact, and did so. At the same time we
offered to correct the statement if il was
not true. He has never directly denied
it, though he has sought by sundry sui
teriuges to dodge the issue. There is
ample and reliable testimony to the fact
that he was a Blaine man during the
last presidential campaign,
We have repeatedly stated that we
know nothing to the personal discredit
olthe gentleman alluded to, and wouldn t
publish it il we did. We have spoken
only of his politics, and wish only to
point cut the incongruity OF such ST.
mon pure Democratic paper-one tn; t
gathers up It's skirts from the contami-
mating touch OF boilers, scratchers and
anti-railroad commission men-having
Republican proprie. or.
To counteract the effect OF this dis
closure Mr.. Bell, of the Democrat, is
making very strained attack on the
political position of the editor of the
CHRONICLE. He tells nothing new,
nothing that was not publicly known,
nothing that he has not before pub
lished every time he got an opportunity.
Nothing, i'll fact, that WAS not revealed
by the position OF this paper during
the last campaign and subsequent to
that time.
Six months ago when the CHRoNIcLE
asked the Democrat why it excluded u,
from the party on account OF our record
on the railroad commission question
while it admitted the Courier-Journal,
it answered with an explanation which
was in substance as follows: "The
Courier-Journal only advised that the
Democratic candidates for railroad
commissioners be scratched and you
advocated the election OF the Republ-
can candidates.
The editor OF the CHRONICLE is will
ling that his record in this regard be
blazoned everywhere and cried from
the house-tops. He has good company
and plenty of it among the best Demo
Gratis in Tennessee.
But now Mr. Bell brings this matter
up as new revelation and couches it
in such language as to be misleading.
He said in his paper two weeksag that
this editor "voted three -fourths of the
Republican ticket at the last State cleo
ton" He counts that there were only
four names on the strictly State ticket
one for Governor and three for railroad
commissioners. There was general
election at the time these State officers
were elected, and this trick of words to
which he resorts is calculated to convey
the impression that the ticket this edit
or voted was largely Republican.
All we ask Of Mr. Bell is that he tell
the exact truth In plain language,
susceptible of but one construction.
He knows that this editor voted
for every Democratic nominee from
President to tloater except railroad COM
missioners, If he proposes to say any
thing about the matter he should make
this complete statement and not resort
to language that is likely to be miscon-
strued.
Mr.. Bell may think it is smart to be
tricky, but we ask nothing of him in
regard to US except that he tell the
truth, and the whole, plain, unvarnished
-