Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-07-24
To The Republicans of Har-
din County, Tennesseei ,

~
reelection as Register, and would
be thankful for every vote | can
get. The rumor that / have drawn
off, or will draw off, is not true, as
intend to continue in the race to
the end, and the report that | am
running in the Interest of some
other candidate, is without founda-
ton in fact. / am not able to can
vass the County, as my opponents
do, owing to an affection received
in the army, and |, therefore, adj
dress you this circular letter. L
was not candidate before the pri-
mary election, for the reason that
| remembered the primary of some
two years past, in which campaign.
the man who fairly and squarely
received the nomination for Rep
resentative, was set aside by few
men who assumed authority they
did not possess, and brought forth
another man for the party to vote
for, a very worthy and able man,
by the way, but who was not cans
didate before the primary election.
Now, if a few men can assume such
authority in one case, why not in
anothers and even had | received
the nomination in the primary,
there is no assurance that all at
tempt to set me aside would not
have been made by a few men
who have their own favOrite for
the place, and who, at least, seem
to think that they carry the repub-
lican party of Hardin County in
the hollow of their hands, and who
presume to dictate who shall, and
who shall not, be nominated and
elected to Office; and for these rea-
sons | was not a candidate before
the primary.
/ am well aware that some peO-
pie will condemn me for running
outside of the primary, and that |
will be vigorously denounced by
some few men who now set them
selves up as ideal Republicans, but
who have been on most every side
of the political fence, and been
members of most every political
party that has existed since the
war, and to the latter class | would
calmly, kindly, and without malice
aforethought, respectfully say, gen.
tlemen, | challenge you to publish
your political records by the side
Of mine, either in our county paper
hor in any manner you may choose.
Let us compare our political rec
Ords both during and since the war,
and see which one Of us has been,
and is the most consistent Repub-
lican. If / could not show bet
ter and more consistent record rs
a Republican, than some few men,
who have for personal reasons, ta-
ken special pains to denOunce me
for presuming to run for the office
in opposition to the man whom
they prefer, would hang my head
with shame. | have heard of men
being Republicans for revenue on.
ly, hut Fam not that kind of man
| am simply like all other true Re-
publicaifs of the County, a Repub-
lican from principle, and freely ae.
cord to every one, the same priv
lege / ask for myself, in politics
religion, or any other matter,-that
is,-tO think and believe as | may
think best, believing that no man
should be condemned simply fol
the reason that he does not see
things, politically, religiously, oil
otherwise, as they appear to me
| have no experience in mud-sling
ing, as disreputable political war
fare is termed, and do not intend
to resort to any such methods; il
others see fit to do so, that is theil
business, not mine. l do not claim
to be smart, or anything of the
kind, and while it is possible that
l may be mistaken, yet / believe
that the Creator has endowed me
with talents sufficient to defend
myself in a matter of this kind, in
an honorable manner, and intend
to use them in self.defence, in pub
fishing to the world, the political
records of certain would-be ideal
Republicans, who have been de-
nouncing me, and who seem to
think that their ideas only, repre-
sent all that is truly good in the
republican party and who seem to
have forgotten the old saying that
people who live in glass houses
should not throw stones. If rec
lected to the Office, l intend to
give the business my personal at
tention, and would have done Sc
all through the present term, had
it not been for sickness and death
in my family. The fact that | have
employed the daughter of Mr.. Ben
net as my Deputy, and who by the
way is a competent and worthy
young lady, leads some people tC
believe that there is an understani
ding or arrangement between Mr.
Bennett and myself, or with his
daughter, that in case he is defeat
ed and | am elected to the office
either he or some of his cOnnec
tons will attend to the business
of the Office; but pledge my word
of honor, that no such an arrange
ment was ever thought of by me