The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1900-09-27
GALBRAITH DENOUNCEs BROwNLOw
Jefferson County Man Declines to Serve on
Republican State Committee.

|
+. w. Galbraith, OF Jefferson county
has declined to serve as member o.
the republican executive committee
named at Nashville at the harmony
conference" last week. Mr.. Galbraitl
who has always been supporter o.
Gibson. was named as BrownlOv
member of the committee, however, hi'
fellow feeling for Brownlow and his
political methods, has developed to bt
of little account. In strong letter to
A. J. Tyler, Mr.. Galbraith denounce'
Brownlow's policy, disclaims any good
to come from the so-called harmony
conference" declares it would be bet
ter to defeat Brownlow in the First
district at the coming congressional
election than to elect him and lose al
districts later, and concludes by de-
clining to serve on the committee. His
letter to Mr.. Tyler is given in full as
follows:
"Mossy Creek, Tenn, Sept. 10, 1900.
"a. ]. Tyler, Chairman State Republic
can Executive Committee, Knoxville,
Tennessee:
"Dear Sir:-I have your favor Of Sep
tember 7th, in which you notify me
that had been named as one of the
ten additional members Of the state
republican executive committee agreed
upon at the late harmony conference
held at Nashville, and in respectfully
declining the honor, hope you will
pardon me for giving you a few Of my
many reasons therefor.
'In the first place do not care to be
associated with q committee, the ma
jority OF which has been named, and is
now absolutely controlled by one man
that the present republican executive
committee is such, has been clearly
demonstrated to my mind by the action
it took in the late Franklin Howell
senatorial contest.
81 realize that executive committees
are very essential to party organiza-
tion, but to be successful they must
strive to carry out the will of the mass
es Of the party, rather than to under
take to dictate to them. AS ! viewed
the late factional fight in our party the
question at issue was not, which had
the stronger following in the state,
Evans or Brownlow, but rather wheth-
or the republicans in the different coun-
ties in the state had the right to select
their delegates to convention, or was
that right vested in the state executive
committee. If the latter, then it seems
to me that the republicans of the state
have been putting themselves to great
deal of unnecessary trouble and expense
in holding mass conventions to select
delegates and sending them all the way
to Nashville to attend state conven
tions.
"In my opinion this, the paramount
question. was not settled by the agree
ment entered into at the late harmony
conference, and the action taken hal
simply delayed, for two years, figh'
that must be inevitably made within
our own ranks. would like to see thu
republican party in Tennessee organic
ed with a view of making the state re
publican throughout, and to accomplish
this we must have harmony, but it car
not be mauled into the patriotic re
publicans OF East Tennessee, whethe
the maui be in the hands Of Hanna
Brownlow or Evans.
eff Mr.. Brownlow's sole object be
as it seems, to control patronage, hi
present organization is an ideal one
but it will never elect q republican
governor, nor will it increase the re
publican representation in congress
from this state, on the contrary, if hi
past policy be continued it is only
question of a very short thine when botl
the first and second congressional dis
tricts of this state will be represente,
| by democrats.
"The strongest plea we now have fo
republican state administration il
Tennessee is ON account Of the out
rageous democratic election law of thi
state, but before we can expect to enlis
! the sympathy of fair minded people i
our behalf, we must first purify on
political methods, and in conductin
our conventions and primary elections
stop following the bad precedent es
tablished by democratic legislature
this can only be done by thorough re
organization of our party. Itmay TAX
several years to accomplish the desire
result, but it will have to come soone
| or later, and the sooner we commend
this the better it will be for the party
The first step in this direction must b
taken by the loyal republicans of th
first congressional district by going
the polls November and voting for til
defeat of Mr.. Brownlow for congress
even though they may have to vote IL
democratic accomplish it. SINGER
ly believe it duty they owe to the r.
! publican party of Tennessee. We ha'
Ialready hopelessly lost the third di
trict through his management, and
will certainly be better, from par'
standpoint, to lose the first district th
time than to lose oil later.
I Therefore, my views being so
As / - A..