The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-09-19

received several hundred more votes
than his only opponent. But because
quite number had expressed no
preference. being persuaded not 10 do
so by few political enemies of Mr..
Erwin, an effort was now being made
TO defeat him for an office TO which
the Democrats of his county had but
two days before elected him.
No question, Mr.. Smiser contended,
could be voted for in that primary,
that was not included in the call.
And the question of INSTRUCTION" or
mo instruction" was not in the call.
Tie call opened the race to every man
who might choose to enter. and sub
mitted to the people the opportunity
to choose between them. Some of the
people lad preferred Mr.. Gordon and
voted for him; others doubtless did
not care to- express themselves as be
tween the candidates: and others still
had refrained from voting instructions
at the instance OF posi- BILE favorites
hid out in the bushes. But the call
read-and the call was the law to
govern the election-the call read
1.-THE person receiving the highest
mum DER of votes for Senator at said cleo
ton shall have cast for him the entire
vote of Maury county at the said con-
vention.
Nothing could be palmer than that.
That was reasonable and not unusual
thing for the committee to do. 1t did
not shut anybody out. 1t was not an
arbitrary or arrogant ruling. 1t was
strictly in line with party usage and
precedent; and it was done by the
recognized and lawfully constituted
authority of the party, and before this
committee had any existence or au-
thority or power. At the same time
this comlmttee was being elected.
Judge Erwin was being elected; and
the action of the old committee today
was simply formal action, declaring
the result of what the people had done
Saturday.
| Mr.. Smiser made an eloquent and
strong appeal against individualism
and partisanship in the committee.
and for fairness and justice. He had
hoped that the advent of the new com
mittee would place the party machin-
cry in fair ana clean hands; he had
hoped that it heralded the day when
the actions of the committee would be
| with an eye single for the best in.
| "a
the whole people, and not for personal
advantage or to even up old political
grudges It was shame that ques-
| tion could not be considered upon its
merits, and that committeeman could
not divest themselves of prejudice long
enough to obey the Will OF the people
expressed through their ballots. 1t
was ridiculous to say that all the votes
for mo instructions were cast
against Judge Erwin, when the wit
nesses were ready at hand to prove
| to the contrary. 1t was an outrage,
after the people had spoken, for a
coterie OF politicians to arrogate to
themselves the power to review and
set aside their verdict expressed at
the polls.
| Mr.. Smiser was fired by the enthus-
| iasm of just cause. His eloquence
was charming anu his logic keen and
clear; but they fell alike upon ears
deafened by prejudice. ara his address
was to jury who had prejudged the
| case.
Consequently Mr.. Groves motion
prevailed, and on motion of Mr.. Amis,
the following delegates were chosen
to 90 uninstructed to cast the vote of
the county: Jno. NJ Grove, j. FL.
Courtney. Chas Forgey, Jno. s.
Brown, E. N. Woolard. J. J. Pogue,
w. E. Ballanfant. J. G. VOORHEES,, j.
B. CRANBERRY. Joe Mcknight, e. II.
Hatcher, Chas. jackson, J. A. Sanders,
N. B. Cheairs, Jesse Tomllnson, Chas.
Hull.
Mr.. N. B. Cheairs moved that a
majority OF the delegation, present
and voting, should control the entire
vote of the county upon all questions,
and it was so ordered.
The committee appointed to canvass
the returns for candidates for the
lower house reported that Jno. q.
Nelson had received 1,117 votes; A.
A. Lipscomb 947. and j. A. Sanders
7O4. And on motion Messrs. Nelson
and Lipscomb were declared to be the
nominees Of the party for Representa-
tives from Maury.
On motion the committee then ad-
journed
The committeeman for the several
districts may be found above. On
Mr.. Groves famous motion to over
rule the will of the people as expressed
at the ballot box, the committee
VOleu DIS lOllOWb UuOSC III AoNOA Va tAAO
motion voting aye those in favor of
allowing the verdict of the people to
STAND, voting no.
e:-Districts No. /, 2, A. 5, 6, Z,
IL, IL. 10. Ia, IS, IS. 10, %, %. "a, 25
Districts 6, IL ana 10 have two votes
each; the others have one each max
ing the total 20.
No :--Districts No. 3. 8, 10, II, IL,
90 and u. District 9 has five votes.
the others one each, making the total
IL.
Not few Democrats, true and tried
Democrats. left the Court House de-
claring that the action of the COM
mittee was ultra wires and absolutely
null and void. and that unless Judge
Erwin should withdraw from the race
of his own free will and accord, they
would support him, as the fair and