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

The newly elected Maury County
Democratic Executive Machine. dictat-
ed to or influenced by a few poliu-
clans on the outside. are seeking TO
rob Judge Erwin of the votes OF this
county for Sena tor, to which he Is
fairly entitled.
That is all there is to it. 1t is a
plain. simple case of attempted politi-
cal rape. After all the brush is out OF
the way, all that is left is the bare,
brazen proposition to take from Judge
Erwin the 81 votes Of Maury county
that the people gave him last Sstur-
day.
Mr.. Cheairs, in his remarks, told
parrot Joke, in which the final con-
clusion of the parrot was, that this
is hell" The pertlnency of the joke,
though Mr.. Cheairs did not seem to
see it, was that the parrot had raised
the hell on that boat, and the narrator
was doing the same in the Democrat
ic party in this county.
Mr.. Grove descanted at len 9Th upon
how long he had served the party; the
inference being that he thought his
undisputed possession of the 25th dis
trict gave him the authority to con
cede'' Maury county to some other
county at his own sweet will and
pleasure; and it happened to suit Col.
Grove just at this juncture to concede
the Senatorship to Lewis county.
The Herald holds that no coterie OF
politicians have any right to give
Maury county away. 1t is a custom
more honored in the breach than in
the observance The people are tired,
dead tired, of being ruled and ridden
by agreement between the bosses.
We have no prejudice against Lewis
or Perry or any other county. There
is no disposition upon the part OF the
people of Maury to crowd out the
people of the other counties or deny
them their just rights. Judge Patter-
son was chosen from the small county
OF Hardin. Attorney General Boyd
from the small and republican county
of Wayne. Attorney General Garner
from the small county of Lawrence.
But no county is entitled to any
Office. 1t is not nearly so much
question of county lines, as OF men
and not nearly SO much a question OF
men, as of principles. And the people
have the right to choose the men who
represent their principles, all agree
ments of the bosses to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
But the questions discussed by
Messrs. Cheairs, Grove and VOORHEES,
were mere side issues, not really ger
main to the real question. Mr.. Smiser
spoke to the real question, and mad
an argument In favor OF Mr.. Erwin
that no man on the face of the earth
can successfully answer. An argu-
ment that would have won the day il
the committee had been open to rea-
son and inclined to act without pIeju-
dice and for the party's good.
That part of the cali that relates to
the Senatorship is couched in these
very few words:
.sThat at said election the voters shall
by ballot instruct as to their choice
for Senator and Representatives. and
the persons receiving the highest
number of votes for Senator at said
election shall have cast for him the
entire vote of Maury county at said
convention.
Nothing could be. clearer than that ;
and we would not insult the intelli-
gence Of those who seek to override
it, by believing for one moment that
they do not understand it.
THAT at said election, that is at
the primary last Saturday. 'the per-
son receiving the highest number OF
votes for Senator shall have cast for
him the entire vote Of Maury county
at said convention - that ia. the
convention to assemble at Hehenwaid
next THURSDAY.
That is the call that was issued by
the committee. Who doubts or ques-
tions the right or power or authority
of the committee to issue that CALI
VINO will deny that 1t was strictly In
accord with precedent and fairnessf
Under another pararsgpn In the
same call, the candidates for represen-
tative were chosen, and this commit.
tee declares were duly elected and are
the regularly chosen nominees of the
marty. And, they are; but they are
no more 30 than is the Senator.
Under another paragraph in this
same call, this committee itselt-that
now has grown so great-came into
existence. They are no more entitled
to the places they occupy than Judge
Ewrin is to the votes Of this county.