The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-06-24

cratic Convention at Chattanooga,
met last Monday at the court house
for the purpose of instructing the
delegates who should attend how to
cast the vote of the county for Rail
road Commissioners.
The meeting was rather of a wild
and woolly Sort not altogether of
very harmonious character, as
diversity of opinion prevailed, pre-
cipitating at times discussions that
might have been somewhat "cool-
er." The meeting was called to or
der by the Chairman, and the bal;
was started a-rolling by the intro.
ductiun of a resolution by DR.. x. S.
Hewlett, which provided that
Maury COunty's vote should be cast
as unit in the convention for f.. l..
Bullock Of West Tennessee, Newt
White of Middle Tennessee, and for
j. w. s. Frierson of East Tennessee,
so long as there was a probability of
the latter's election; but if it hap
pened that his (Frierson's) name
should at any time be withdrawn,
the vote should then be cast for Mr..
Thompson, the present commission
er, as second choice.
This brought Mr.. w. ]. Webster
to the floor on a point of order. He
said that it was not in the power of
the delegation to gag any individual
member and make him vote
against his convi .tiOns and the in
terest of his constituents. He was
elected by the people to go to Chat
tanOoga and cast his vote as his
own conscience dictated, and no
set of men could take that privilege
from him. The delegation, when
they were elected, wero not in
structed to vote for any railroad
commissioners, and he thought it
was wrong, unfair an uudemOcratic
for them to meet and, by majority
vote of those in attendance, say how
the entire vote of the county should
be cast. He thought the resolution
sought to endorse the old cOmmis-
sioners, and he did not think they
should be endorsed. He was. how
ever, in favor of indOrsing Mr..
White, of Giles, for Middle Ten
nessee, and giving the solid support
of the county for Mr.. j. w. S. Frier-
son as a candidate from East Ten
nessee.
f. H. Hatcher, Esq, and a mum.
Der of others differed from Mr.
Webster. Mr. Hatcher said he had
always been taught that the ma
iority rule was democratic, and it
had always been the custom for the
minority to abide by the decision of
the majority, and he though this
was representative body of the
Democracy of Maury County. He
also thought Mr.. Webster was
wrong in not giving his indorse-
ment for the old commissioners.
Although they had not accom-
plished what they might have done
in regard to the regulation of freight
rates, etc, the people were at fault
in not filing complaints before them.
They bad nevertheless done a great
service to the people of the State, by
raising the assessments of the rail
roads and telephone companies
about $4C0,0C0 year. In Maury
county alone, where the Cumber-
land Telephone Company formerly
paid from 81 to SO taxes per year,
they were now forced to pay $500
He for one thought that the people
ought to stand by the railroad com
missioners, and he did not think
, any reflection was cast upon Mr..
Frierson by naming Mr.. Thompson
as second choice in the event Mr.
Frierson's name was withdrawn.
Mr.. Scott Jennings thought that,
as only for delegates would attend
, the convention from this county
they ought to be allowed to cast the
entire instructed vote of the county
DR.. Hewlett stated that the pur
pose of the resolution was to en-.
dorse the old commissioners, but fol
personal feeling for Mr.. Frier5or
, he being native Maury countiau
the vote of the county ought to be
cast for him so long as he had q
change in the convention.
, H. P. Figuers, Esq, said he was
, opposed to gag law" as much al
anybody, but Maury county had
I not instructed her vote on this ques
, tion, and, as this was large repre-
sentative body, he thought it pre-
/ eminently proper that they be al
/ lowed to so instruct. Only few o
the delegates would attend the con
vention, and would it be best tC
leave it to them or give an instructed
d vote for the entire county?
S Mr.. q. II. Hughes said the dele
gates were elected to go to Chatta
nOOga and cast their votes on an,
question as their judgment dictated
He did not think it was in tn
= power of the delegates to instruc
the vote of the county. If this hat
1 been a mass convention Of tn
5 Democracy of the county the
2 would then have had a tight to d
G so.
!. The Chairman overruled tn
e point of order raised by Mr.. Web
g ster, deciding that the majority ha
e right to adopt the unit rule. Nh
= Webster was not satisfied with thi
d decision, and appealed from tn
: ruling of the Char, but the rulin
= was sustained by vote 2215 to 50. .
w. o. Gordon then moved t
amend the resolution under con