The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-10-07
CONGRESSIONAL.

The Congressional Democratic
Executive Committee, met accord
ing to call at the Bethel House last
Tuesday evening, canvassed the re-
turns of the recent primary election
held in the several counties of this
Congressional district, and officially
and formally declared Col. Cox to
be the nominee.
There was no objection made be-
fore the committee, to this proceed
ing or this decision. Democrats
who participated in the primary are
therefore estopped, we should think
for further complaints. For, in our
humble opinion, when man goes
into primary or nominating con-
vention, he is morally bound to sup
port the nominee.
1t is an open secret that a good
many Democrats in this district
don't enjoy voting for Col. Cox.
And they hang their objection,
mainly, upon the charge that the
Colonel "buys his votes" This is a
very reprehensible thing to do, if
the Colonel does it. But the official
returns would indicate that if that is
the way he gets his votes, a distress
ingly large proportion of the rank
and file of the Democratic party is
for sale.
What are we to think of our sister
county of Giles, for instance, when
they give Col. Cox a majority over
as good a man as Y. w. Ewing.
Did they sell out to him? Is that
the kind of cattle Giles county
Democrats are? In a staid old
christian county like that, have the
white folks fallen so low?
These are neither idle nor sar-
castle, but serious questions we are
asking. For if the charges against
Col. Cox are true, then the worst
that may he said of him is that he is
on the level with the people he
represents; and if that level is as
low as his enemies would have us
believe, then the government by
the people" idea is a delusion and a
snare, and the patriotic sentiment
that the "voice of the people is the
voice of Gnd,' is a horrible mockery
and hideous lie.
The HERALD is not the champion
of Col. Cox. We confess he has
some habits we do not admire and
some election methods we do not
endorse. But in defense of the peo-
pie Of this Congressional district, we
hazard the suggestion that possibly
Col. Cox does not do everything he
is charged with doing; maybe his
faults are exaggerated; perhaps he
does not buy any more votes or
voters than some other people do, or
would if they could. Peradventure
the people are not as bad as these
charges against Col. Cox would
make them appear.
At least we hope so. And one rea-
son for the hope, is the absence Of
the proof to the contrary. The
primary was held with the ex-
pressed understanding that no cor
rupting influences should be used. If
any were used, why did not some Of
our clean handed gentry report the
shocking outrages to the committee?
If the people were bribed and the
primary debauched, how is it that
no friend of fair elections would
stand up before the committee and
expose the rottenness? The COM
mittee met with open doors, ready,
willing. and some Of them even anX-
ious to set the verdict of the primary
aside, If sufficient reason could be
shown. Any citizen had the right
not only the right but an implied
invhation-to appear before the
committee. But none did.
These complainers are theoretical;