The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-09-12
To the Democrats of Hardeman C0un
ty Especially and of the 26th
Senatorial District
Generally:


ing statement of facts:
Upon our arrival at Savannah,
we elected W. A. Caruthers chair
man of our delegation, and as such
he cast the 90 votes of Hardeman
County for J. g. Jackson, as in
structed by our primary. The vote
of McNairy County, also being in
structed for J. G. Jackson, as long
as he should be before the conven-
ton, was also cast for Jackson by
it's chairman. Hardin County cast
four of it's twelve votes for Jackson,
the other part of its vote going to
w. r. Tuten, as did the solid vote
of Decatur and Benton Counties.
This gave Jackson SO votes, Tuten
81 votes. Many ballots were taken
with the same result, showing seven
maj ority for Jackson on every bal
lot. But Jackson, notwithstanding
this majority, was deprived of the
nomination by an unjust and I'M
democratic rule, adopted at Selmer.
requiring two-thirds to nominate.
This rule was contrary to all demo
cratic precedents for years, and
whether so intended or not, pre-
vented the nomination of Jackson
on the first ballot. During the
evening of Tuesday, Mr.. Lockman,
of McNairy, made a motion to re-
woke the two-thirds rule and to give
the nomination to the candidate
having the majority, which would
have resulted in the nomination OF
Jackson upon the next ballot, but
@. A. Miller and J. r. Reaves op-
posed this motion and voted nine of
the twenty votes of HardemanCoun-
ty against it, this number being
represented by proxies held by them
and by j. L. Foote, G. A. Black, J.
A. Wilson, Jr., and j. w. Jacobs,
together with their own votes, and
with the votes of Benton, Decatur,
part of Hardin and McNairy, de-
feated the adoption Of the majority
rule and prevented the nomination
of Jackson. The ballots taken aft
er this showed a continuation Of the
same vote, Jackson SO, Tuten 81.
Motions were made by us to refer
the question to a general primary,
or TO submit it to the Senatorial
Committee, or to submit to any So
luton that was just and honorable
to all parties.
The first day tuesday passed
without any change in the balloting,
and the convention reconvened on
Wednesday. When the first ballot
was called on Wednesday morning
and when the name of Hardeman
was reached, Chairman Caruthers
announced the vote of the county,
90 for Jackson, as he had done on
all previous ballots. The vote of
Hardeman county was then chal-
lenged by j. r. Reaves, who, with
G. A. Miller, John L. Foote and J.
w. Jacobs, insisted upon casting
their vote and the votes Of those
whose proxies they held for Tutan.
The chairman of the convention or
dered tie vote of Hardeman record
ed as cast by Mr.. Caruthers. An
appeal was made by them from the
decision of the chair, and the con-
vention overruled the chairman
thus allowing part of Trademarks
delegates to bolt their instructions,
which were to vote for Jackson as
long as his name was before the con-
vehtion, and the vote of Hardeman
was recorded 12a for Jackson and
y for Tuten. Remember, fellow
Jackson was in the ma
jority until some of his own home
delegates, who were instructed to
vote for him, deserted him. 1t is
due to @. A. Black and J. A. Will
son, Jr., to state that they refused
to bolt their instructions and voted
for Jackson until the last.
At this junc!ure, considering that
the convention had overruled the
Instructions to its delegates by the
democracy of Hardeman county,
and desiring to carry out your will
and wish, as expressed in a legal
primary, we denied the right of any
body whatever to nullify its obliga-
lions upon us and we refused to sub
nit to what we deemed an outrage
lpon the democracy Of Hardeman
and we reasoned to them
hat if the action of a democratic
was not binding how could
he action of a convention be bind
ng? We stated to them that Jack
son, having received a maj ority of
he votes on the first ballot, on the
asst ballot and on more than 1000
Intervening ballots, we considered
lin the choice of the democracy of
he Goth Senatorial District, and ap-
oealed to the loyal democrats all
over the district to rally to his sup
port at the November election.
We wish to say for ourselves in
conclusion, that we are and have
)een lifelong democrats and we
lOld the unity and the integrity of
he democratic party as above the
laims of any individual whatever.
tut we consider the gross disregard
f its mandates as expressed through
is primaries and the fragrant viola
ion of its instructions and the
upon its time-honored
recedents to be far more hurtful to
he party than anything else, and we
hlnk that any unfair methods to de-
eat the will of the majority should
OF be allowed to pass without the