Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-02-07
OUR CONGRESSIONAL ANIL JUDE
OLAL ELECTIONS.

EJ
political" For the life of us we can't
see that there would be LESS room for
combinations and log rolling" if sew
eral more months were given to candi-
dates and their friends in which to do
these things, as the Greeneville writer
seems to think.
On the subject of the Congressional
race the Journal correspondent COM
plains that lin the way of political
favoritism the upper counties, and not
ably Johnson, Carter and Washington
have, since the war, had greatly the
advantage" of the other counties of the
district. Now this statement does in
justice to Washington County. Hon.
A. A. Taylor was a citizen of Carter
County, until a few years before he
was elected to Congress, and he is the
only Congressman this county has had
since the war. The only inference that
a reader of the Greeneville letter could
draw would be that the upper counties
of Johnson, Carter and Washington
had been very hoggish in monopolizing
Congressional honors in this district.
Such is not the fact. If we go back to
the war we might just as well go back
before the war. In 1869 the late Hon.
Thos. A. r. Nelson, of Washington
County, was elected to Congress and
this county did not have another Con-
gresham for over twenty five years.
Carter County has only had a Congress
man for two terms since the war, that
of the late Hon N. G. Taylor, and his
son, Ex-Gov. r. L. Taylor. 1t is true
Hon. R. r. Butler served several terms
but he was not elected becaused he lived
in johnson County, but because he was,
when the late war ended, by far the
ablest and most prominent Republican
in the Congressional District.
A few facts as to some of the lower
counties of this district will show that
the upper counties have not had all the
political or Judicial honors. Granger
County has had in Congress Gen. John
Cooke, William NJ. Cooke, Col. Sam
Bunch and William T. Senter, all of
them together serving about twenty
years. Greene County had johnson in
Congress ten years, Pettibone six years,
Patterson in the Senate four years, and
Hons. R. j. Mckinney and Sam Mill
gan on the Supreme Bench. We might
go on and show that some other counties
of the district had had Congressional
and other political as we'll as Judicial
honors, but we have already consumed
more space on this subject than we in.
tended. AS the editor of a newspaper
in Washington County, we feel it to be
our duty TO defend this county from
the charge of the Knoxville Journals
correspondent of being selfish and hog.
gish in monopolizing Congressional
honors in this district.
When we consider the size of Wash
ington County's population, and that it
was the first county settled in the State,
it may be truthfully said that the
county has had less of Congressional
honors than any county in Tennessee
which has any at all. Weonly refer to
the matter because we do not want in
justice done Jul county. To nominate
a man for Congress because he lives in
a particular county of the district or to
refuse to nominate him because he does
not live in a particular county is simply
peanut politics. 1t proceeds upon the
idea that the people send a man to Con-
gress for his benefit instead of their
own. One little corner, of II ward,
in Philadelphia had Charles O'Neal in
Congress for thirty years and until he
died. The Republicans of his district
supported him because they believed
he could do more for them at Washing
ton than could any body else in their
district. VIM. S. Holman, of Indiana,
is now in Congress, and the people of
his district have kept him there for
thirty yearsfor the same reason.
Benton Mcmillan, of this State, has
been in Congress for fourteen wears.
and is elected without a struggle and
without opposition. He is not elected
because he lives in one of the poorest
and smallest counties of his district,
but because the people of the district
believe him better capable of rendering
them good service than any body else.
During the past seventy years Grain
ger County has had a member of Con-
gress more terms than has any other
county of this district, but that is no
reason why she should not have the
next member if the people of this dis
trict believe that n of her SOM would
make a more useful Representative than
any one of the candidates now on the
track.
Away then, we say, with that peanut
politics which would deprive the people
of a useful man in Congress because
his home is in the same country or the
same end of the district which has al
ready had the Representative!
What the farmers, mechanics. day
laborers, Union soldiers of this district
want is a man in Congress who can and
will attend to their business and have
their claims paid. They know Mr..
Brownlow, who has lived in Hawkins,
Hamblen and Washington counties,
can and will do more for them than anv