Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-10-25
THE PRIMARY.

lnere is no question winch mas
been before the people about which
there has been, and is so much mis-
understanding as the question of a
primary in this county, The ques-
ton which has even made a few of
our Democratic friends and caused
them to nominate Independent can
didates for the Legislature, against
the regular nominees of the Dem
ocratic party. The impression has
been attempted to be made, and
doubtless has been, with a great
many, that appeal after appeal, and
request after request he's been made
to the Democratic Executive Com
mittee to call primary election for
Senator, and that they have arbitra-
rily and without cause refused to
call one and are refusing the right of
instruction to the people of the coun-
ty. In fact public address has been
issued to the people to this effect
with great many nance fn.n'9d at
the bottom of it. Now great many
people, in fact all the people probably,
except the committee itself, will be
greatly surprised to hear that up to
this good moment, M request and no
app Of any kind hP . ever been pre-
scented to the committe from any
body of men, or even single DEM
ocrat of the county, except the COM
munication of Gen. Quarles which
was presented yesterday. 1t is true
that the GAINESVILLE Democrat in its
editorials has said they would have
primary-that the Executive Com
mittee should call it, and if they re
fuse it would depose the committee
and they would call it themselves,
but as stated above, no application of
any kind has ever been made to the
committee, except the one referred to.
The question was brought before the
committee by Esq. ]. p. Howard,
who requested the chairman to call
the meeting and after discussion,
pro and con, the committee bya vote
Of thirteen to four decided that they
had nothing to do with the election
of Il United States Senator and it was
not their duty to force upon the peo-
pie primary, which they believe a
great majority of the party did not
wish, but it was simply their duty to
conduct the canvass presented by the
Democratic Convention. They did
not, and have not, denied the people
the right to instruct their Representa-.
tive5 at any time or place, or in any
manner they see proper, but simply
left this question where the COnstitu-
ton, the Democratic Convention
and the heretofore universal usage of
the party left it, to the people them
selves. The cry was at once raised
against the committee that they were
usurpers and autocrats, and the edict
has gone fol IN from q Self-cOnstituted
committee--realIy only the minority
in the convention-and their organ
the Democrat, that the committee has
been deposed and that these gentlemen
without constituency and with no
shadow of authority from any source
except themselves, and the rulers Of
the Democratic party Of the county.
The very address they publish is a
fraud itseli-not an intentional fraud, !
for we have great respect to the gen
tlemen originating and who prepared |
the address, but in their partizan zeal
for Senator Harris, they have per-
mitted their imTagination to get the
better of their judgement, and they
have assumed that the great body of
the people think as they do, and
have printed great many nam-s to !
the circular address without the
knowledge or authority of the SUP
posed signer3. We venture the as