Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-10-24
RULE OR RUIN.

cratic convention have determined to
rule or ruin. They had but ten out
of fifty-one votes. Even before a
ballot was taken, they proclaimed,
we "have got them, we have got
them and intend to hold them," and
yet the ballots showed the above re-
suit. No sooner had the result been
announced than they proclaimed that
the people were not represented.
One refused to serve on the commit
tee to notify the candidates of their
nomination, and Immediately a howl
was raised against the candidates and
the action of the convention. The
howl has been continued from day to
day ever since. Every artifice known
to the crafty politician has been APP
piled to the committee and candi-
dates. Failing in these, threats and
denunciations have been tried, and
the tactics Of "bossism" used with
unsparing hands. This little squad
flor it is the same old set who were
in the minority in the convention)
have even claimed that they have
deposed the regular Democratic Exec
utive Committee of the county, APP
pointed exactly as all other commit
tees in the county have been ap-
pointed by a unanimous vote
Of the convention authorizing the
chairman of the convention to make
the appointment-have read the
nominees out of the Democratic
party and have appointed independ-
ent candidates for the Legislature to
run against the regular candidates.
These candidates are men who have
been honOred in the past by the
party, and who never held an office
until first nominated by a regular
Democratic convention, and who
have spent their lives in denOuncing
as boilers every man who refused to
abide by and support the action OF a
Democratic convention. Can these
gentlemen expect the Democratic
voters of the county to forget their
own teaching for the past forty years
They have thrown down the gage OF
battle to their old mother the Demo
cratic party, not even in sorrow and
in regret, but it is tiippantly an
nounced in their organ in great head
lines as "The Fun Begins" We say
in all candor and frankness it is NJ
fun to us. 1t is no fun to us, what
ever may be the result of the canvass
to be compelled even in one politica
canvass to refuse our support to life
long friends both personal and politi
cal. We part with these gentlemen
now with regret and sorrow, once i
it be only for short time. But wha
is now left to the Demo
cratic party and Committee
nothing, absolutely nothing, but t.
accept the gage so rashly hurled a
their feet. The Democratic party j
an organization in the Nation, in tn
State and in the county, and tina
organization cannot, ought not, AM
will not allow itself to be dictated t
by a minority in the party. Thos
placed in charge Of the canvass b.
the regular organization must, a
; honest and conscientious men, dis
charge their duties as they thin
} right and proper and as they believ
, the convention, of which they ar
, the mere creatures, intended the
. should. TO do otherwise would be t
E prove themselves false to the trust
committed to their keeping. w
believe there is not the shadow of
5 chance for these gentlemen to carr
/ the election, and that they ma
3 ruin, but cannot rule. All they ca
r nope to do is 10 turn over the elet
e ton to the Republicans, and if tn
0 county should be represented in I'll
= next Legislature by two colored RI
y publicans the responsibility will re-
t with them. We have no fear, how
: ever, of the result, for the Democra
t of Montgomery county love the
party and its organization too mucl
to allow any man or set of men to
devide it us to turn over the count
to its political enemies. 1t has bee
n tried before, time and again wit
n more cause Of complaint and Il
q better prospects OF success, but howe'
/. or had pressed, ii has come out Wet