The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-08-21
CONGRESSIONAL MIDDLE.
N. n. Cox and W. J. NhiTthOrne Both
Nominated.
In Calling the Convention to Order,
Splits the Convention In Twain.

udIe LOT congress.
That is how the race for Congress
in this district between the present
incumbent. Col. Cox of Williamson
County, and Senator Whitthorne of
Maury, resulted. That is the final
outcome that nobody predicted or
could see in the beginning. That is
the unexpected which happened.
The HERALD will undertake to
tell, not what this side or that side
claims, but what actually happened.
At 1920 o'clock last Tuesday, per-
suant to the call of the Congress.
siOnal Committee, w. A. Stewart of
Lawrence County, Chairman of the
Committee, called the convention to
order.
THAT our readers may correctly
understand the situation, we will
state, parenthetically-and for their
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mr.. Stewart is a
warm supporter of Mr.. Whitthorne
and quite as earnest in his oppOsi-
tion to Col. Cox.
When Mr.. Stewart called the con-
ventiOn to order he did so in very
few words. He said: "By virtue
of the power vested in me as Chair
man of the Congressional Com
mittee, now call this convention to
order. What is the pleasure of the
Convention"
Immediately Mr.. John Henderson
of Williamson County, one of Col.
CoX's recognized first Lieutenants,
rose and addressed the Chair. "Mr.
Chairman" shouted Mr.. Hender-
son. But the Chairman neither an
swered the call, nor looked in Mr..
Henderson's direction. Mr.. Hen
derson was standing up in chair,
and his tall figure lowered high as
he shouted for the second time,
Mr.. Chairman" but the Chairman
needed him not.
About this time, possibly a mo-
ment before Mr.. Henderson's second
call, Mr.. E. E. Eslick of Giles
County, addressed the Chair, and
was recognized by the Chairman.
This recognition of the second
speaker, instead of the first, was
Kissed
Mr.. Eslick said: "Mr. Chairman,
place in nomination for temporary
chairman of this convention, Mr.. n.
B. Cheairs of Maury."
Mr.. Henderson, still standing in
his chair, again called out, "Mr.
Chairman" but the Chairman with
out recognizing him said: "The
name of Mr.. Cheairs, of Maury, has
been placed in nomination for
temporary Chairman; those in favor
of Mr.. Cheairs will say aye (stOrm of
ayes, those opposed say no (stOrm
of noes). The ayes have it and Mr..
Cheairs will please come forward"
Then pandemonium broke loose.
Mr.. Stewards last words could not
be heard by half the convention,
and when Mr.. Cheairs stepped for
ward matters grew violently worse.
The Cox crowd were furious. They
hoOted and Kissed Mr.. Cheairs, and
every time he raised his hand or
opened his mouth 20 speak, only
made matters worse. To make the
confusion worse confounded the
partisans began to crowd the plat
form, half of them swearing and de-
nouncing the unfair and revolution
airy proceeding and demanding that
Stewart take the gavel and give
them vote by counties, the other
half calling to Cheairs to hold his
ground. There was never a more
unruly mob or disgraceful behavior
in convention in this city. The
leaders of the Cox forces seemed to
be enraged and astounded at the
audacity of the proceeding, and
some of the Whitthorne forces APP
peared hardly less surprised. The
uproar and confusion and disOrderly
conduct cannot possibly be de-
scribed. 1t seemed at one time that
there would be a regular knock
down and drag out fight, and but for
the timely interference Of the police
there doubtless would have been.
When the police had cleared the
stage, some of the leaders from
either side were allowed to remain
for conference, and it was devOutly
hoped by those who had Demo-
cracy's good at heart, that the diff
ference could be adjusted.
derson, D. E. McCOrkle, George
Armstead and r. f. Cotton, as
spokesman for Col. Cox, insisted
that they had been ignored and de-
MED their rights on the floor; that
Mr.. Cheairs had not been elected by
the convention, the convention not
having been allowed to vote; that
he had only been declared the chair
man by man who had usurped the
power to do so; that they would not
rest under such an outrageous
usurpation of power, and that they
would not recognize Mr.. Cheairs as
the Chairman. They asked Mr..
Cheairs to allow Mr.. Stewart to
again take the gavel and to call the
vote by counties, and they asked
Mr.. Stewart to do this. These
gentlemen (Cheairs and Stewart)
retired for consultation with Mr..
Whitthorne and others, and return
ing declined to accede to the request
made by CoX's friends.
The Cox crowd above mentioned
again conferred among themselves
and again approached Mr.. Cheairs.
They made substantially the same
arguments as before, and submitted
as their ultimatum that Mr.. Cbeairs
must either retire from the chair
and allow the vote to be taken by
counties, or else the Cox delegates
would retire from the convention.
Mr.. Cheairs listened attentively to
their statement, asked them if they