The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-12-25
In Farnr ofa Convention.

EDITOR HERALD:-You called the
Democratic Executive Committee to
meet in Columbia on the 18th inst to
determine the manner in which the
nominees of the Democratic party shall
receive their nomination.; in other
words to launch the democratic ship
for sailing in 90. As one of that COM
mittee have given the subject some
thought, and have made it subject of
inquiry among my fellow democrats in
districtZ2 and other places. find
large majority for convention, but
find some who think a primary cleo
ton and convention is one and the
same thing; and when the difference is
explained invaribly declare for a della
gated instructed convention. / find the
most of the candidates and Columbia
for primary election. 1 do not know
why this is, unless each candidate is
running on his popularity, numerous
and extensive acquaintance, &c. am
not considering the interest of any par
ticular candidate, neither do l think
any member of the committee should
but look solely to the interest of the
known TO men that will benefit the
people-outside of the christian religion
| AS our government to put on denO-
cratic clothes. We in the South must
cherish our National Democracy as we
do our lives, because it is the only safe
guard to our institutions, and the peO-
pie cannot afford to forget the fights
that democracy has made for them
| SlQC0 1900 TO the Dr6S0QG-an0 ESPECIALLY
| the force bill days.
L, for one of the committee, am OPP
posed to primary elections where there
are more than two running for the
same office, because plurality will not
| give satisfaction. To illustrate. We
now have eight candidates in the field
| for Sheriff. One thousand votes is the
top we can expect to participate in the
primary. Suppose one candidate
should get two hundred votes, and the
other eight hundred votes be equally
distributed among the other seven
| candidates; of course the one getting
two hundred votes would the nominee,
and it is possible that two hundred
votes is all he would have gotten if
only two had been inning. n ma
jority of the votes did not select him,
| which would be undemOcratic.
Another eason is that two or three
districts can and will combine and con-
troll every office in the gift of the peO-
pie. The 9th district alone can secure
every nomination for all the offices
The 9th district has numbers of worthy
men; men who would make good and
efficient officers. But will never give
my consent to give such power to any
locality or district in the county; not
even for district No. %, which district
[ am for against the other "a districts
because it is not fair or right.
| / have always been opposed to delega-
ted conventions without instructions.
because we do not always have true men
IN Ln0nl anu anu represent
tative men they cannot be fair or with
out corruption.
AS we find some for primary cleo
tions and some for conventions, sup
pose we direct that we have a delega-
ted, instructed convention. Let the
committee appoint three to hold the cleo
| tiOn-twO judges and one clerk; let the
voter vote for his delegate and instruct
on his ballot for lhis first and his sec
Ond choice for jthe different offices.
Then let the judges and clerks certify
to the convention the name of the dole
gate elect, and his entire instruction,
and not allow in the convention that
delegate to cast his vote contrary to
those instructions. This is certainly
fair and safe. There we have a CONT BIZ
| nation of convention and primary cleo
ton, and l cannot see that even the
chronic grumb,er could ha' Q aught to
say against it. do not want to hear
the words "fraud, corruption, rings"
spoken in 81 and applied to the demo
cratic party. These words properly be-
| :ong and Justly so, TO the Republican
party. do hope we wont make any
| mistake in directing the campaign and
create dissatisfaction in the ranks of
the party. j. A. SANDERS.
| N. b. / will be in accord with any
manner the majority of the committee
may say is the best way to arrive at the
nomination, of our candidates, If that
be to walk backwards asross the
county, mean the candidates.
J. A. S.