The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-08-21
THE CONGRESSIONAL MIDDLE.

The partisans of Col. Cox and Mr..
Whitthorne, have placed the Demo-
Gratis of this Congressional District
in serious dilemma; and by their
too ardent support of these gentle
men have brought about a condition
dangerous to Democratic interests.
1t is much to be regretted-and by
the Democratic masses it is greatly
regretted-that the convention call
ed to meet here last Tuesday, was
not run more in the interest of De-
mocracy than it was. 1t is a pity
that in that house full of Democratic
delegates, no man found the courage
to subordinate the personal interests
and political ambitions Of a man, to
the furtherance of Democratic prin-
ciples and party organization. Such
conventions cannot but tend to party
disintegration; and nominations by
such methods cannot hope to carry
the full strength of the party.
Our news columns give an impair
tial, full and fair report of the pro-
ceedings of both conventions.
The HERALD cannot endorse either
of them. Mr.. Stewards refusal or
failure to recognize Col. COX's
spokesman, must be condemned by
all fair-minded, right-thinking men.
The next mistake was made by Mr..
Cheairs, in accepting the Chairman
ship under such ruling, and the
third mistake was by Mr.. Whit
thorne in allowing the ruling to
stand. There can be no palliation
or excuse for this unprecedented and
most arbitrary ruling, or for the in
sistence with which Mr.. Whit
thorne's friends claimed the advan-
tage it gave them, and neither for
county pride nor party harmony will
the HERALD stultify its conscience
by unqualifiedly endorsing con-
vention organized and proceeding
under such rule.
On the other hand the action OF
Col. CoXs friends, viewed from q
party standpoint, was as reprehensi-
BILE as the other. There was no pro.
per Justification, no sufficient good
reason for their leaving the conven-
ton when they did. The HERALI
knows and esteems the gentlemen
who led the bolt. They are gentle.
men, and they are Democrats. But
they lost their heads, and they die
a very rash and foolish thing. i
Mr.. Stewart had offended them-ol
ignored them-they should have ap
pealed from Mr.. Stewart to the con-
vention. If Mr.. Stewart had beer
revolutionary and unparliamentary
partisan and unfair, the way to have
rebuked him was not by running
and leaving the organization and
party machinery in his hands, bu
by appealing from partisan chair
man to that conservative elemen
always to be found, even in the mos
partisan convention.
The convention would not hav,
sustained Mr.. Stewards ruling. A
reconsideration could have beer
had, and the selection of Temporal
ry chairman again brought befOr,
the convention. If this had been at
tempted, and Mr.. Cheairs had ruleC
against it, an appeal to the conven
ton from the ruling of the Chair
would have settled it. There was
parliamentary and easy way out o
the difficulty, and to bolt a conven
ton because the pro tenn &c o6ict
Chairman mistreated them, is un
iustifiable, ineXcusable, reprehensi
BILE. The gentlemen who did that
have doubtless repented it. Having
taken a sober second thought, if the!
were called upon to act, they woult
act differently now no doubt. As i
is, they have placed their candidate