The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1905-10-05
Snap Conventions.


The counties Of White, DeKalb and
Morgan are contemplating unfair and
action. State machine in
auence in these counties has forced
local committees to call mass conven-
lions for October to elect delegates to
the State convention to be held next
spring. These are three small coun-
ties in Tennessee politics. They are
recognized as being more or less domi- |
mated by the men controlling the State
machine, but this is no reason for this
influence to cause the Democracy of
White, DeKalb and Morgan to stain
itself with snap conventions and flash
pan delegations.
tits we'll known throughout the State
that Hon. NJ. r. Patterson, candidate
for Governor against Hon. John l. Cox,
has promised to deliver his first cam
paign speech at the Vendome, in Nash
Vile, on October 8. This is just three
days after the machine would phil off
the conventions in White, DeKalb and
Morgan. In other words, Mr.. Patter-
son will be given no chance whatever
at the Democrats of these counties.
He will not be permitted to address
them before they are to be irrevocably
bound to his opponent.
No fair. minded Democrat is going to
approve Of these questionable methods.
In fact, unless there is a change in the
date for these mass conventions so as
to give Mr.. Patterson the right to
address the people of these counties,
every fair play loving Democrat in the
State will be found denouncing the
influence responsible for this trickery.
It is possible that State machine poll
tics in this State control in these coun-
ties, but it is apparent from this undue
and unfair haste the machine is simply
afraid to trust the people there. 1t
would seem that the machine has rea-
son to believe that if Mr.. Patterson is
permitted to speak to the Democrats OF
White, OF DeKalb and of Morgan they
would promptly turn down present
leaders and listen with willing ears to
the West Tennessee candidate. The
machine knows how vulnerable it is
before the people and by resorting to
this outrageous piece of business in the
counties mentioned it confesses both
its weakness and its cowardice We
are surprised that Democrats anywhere
should stand for a yoke of this sort
and we doubt very much if these snal
conventions will really represent thu
good citizens of these three counties.
1t will be remembered that Mr.. Pat
terson asked the State committee for
gubernatorial primary. This reques
was refused and no explanation offered
It is possible that the contemplated
action in White, DeKalb and Morgan
makes the reason of the refusal plai
! to the people of the State. It is prob
able the State machine saw many littl
working bodies like the committees i
these counties willing to do tn
machines will at the expense of Dem
ocratic fairness and to the exclusio
of the peoples right. to make
selection.
But the Democrats of Tennessee ar
lovers of fair play between candidate
SEEKING their Endorsement They wan
to see the men, hear the men and kno'
the men before binding themselve
blindly to any single one. "a fai
, fight in the ranks" is the cry of Ter
nessee's Democracy, and if one of th
of the candidates fails in observing th
rules OF the game he gets in the en-
what he deserves-a good trouncin
. from the people.
Il Gov Cox's friend, therefore, hay
made a mistake in establishing th
flash-pan methods. Ii they persil
they may carry White, DeKalb an
Morgan, but the utler unfairness pra
ticed in these three counties will dl
$ lgust more Democrats with the machir
< than the petty victory is worth. b
a sides, it shows at the outset that I'll
, machine expects to fight Mr., Patterso
with tricks and chicanery, thus demon
strating the immediate necessity IL
the election of Governor on q pla
form like that promulgated by M
D Patterson.
Q The State is demanding honest ele
q tions; Gov. Cox has teclared for hol
t est elections. If these snap CONVEX
d tons are sample, they won't serv
: for the element of dishonesty is
s them Just as much as it would be in O
unfair count at the polls. Commerce
a Appeal.
NEWS. SCIMITAR MITES