The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-05-25
A POLITICAL PowWoW.

a Democratic convention. 1t was
political powwow, where pandemo-
mum reigned supreme,
It is passing strange that men can
get so drunk on political excitement
as to behave in so shameful a manner
as many of the supporters OF Mr.. Fat
terson did at that meeting 1t is
strange that politics will so turn ones
head that reasonable men will become
so unreasonable; and that in political
conventions men will stand for things
that in their sober, cooler moments
they must condemn, and in others 90
condemn. We looked on at the proceed
ings Monday and saw men on the Pat
terson side of the house, participant
ing in the rowdism that ensued, and
marvelled and wondered how they
could so far forget themselves, and
what they owed to themselves, to So
ciety, to their party and their country.
And we could come to no other con-
clusion than that they were drunk on
political excitement, and that when
they got sober they would be at heart
ashamed of their part in the proceed
ings.
We do not take any partisan view OF
the matter. We do not pretend to
saw that the argument was all on one
side We do not purpose to belittle
in the least the contention of the Pat
terson people for the count by new
districts. We do not blame them for
entering their protests. But the man
ner of their procedure has the CON
demnation of all orderly, conserva-
tive people, and we know full well can
not be reconciled with the consciences
Of some of the men who participated
in it.
The whole point was, whether the
election was called to be held in the
old civil districts or in the new II
| The delegates from the old districts
we're allowed seats, the Patterson
forces were hopelessly in the minority.
If the delegates elected from the new
districts were seated, both sides claim
ed the majority. The question had to
be settled before the first vote could
be taken. Mr.. James H. Ramon, as
honorable a man as there is in Maury
county. not of his own seeking, nor
vet by the choosing of any faction, but
NV virtue Of his Office as chairman OF the
county committee, was in the chair
and had to make the ruling which
would settle the question, absolutely,
/ one way or the other. 1t was doubt
ful question. to say the least of 1t,
Construed according to the literal
meaning of the English language, and
applied TO the only districts having
legal status, it was, as Mr.. Webster
argued. plain enough. But taken in
connection with the well-known intent
of the makers of the call, it meant
I lust the contrary. Whatever the com
mittee may have said, we believe II
will not be seriously controverted that
what they meant to say was that the
election should be held in the old
civil districts. We do not believe tbs
committee had the new districts in
their minds when they voted upon the
resolution. We know the drawer OF
The resolution did not have the new
districts in his mind The intent OF
the law-maker certainly is entitled tc
as much if not more consideration
than the technical wording of the law
itself If there was any doubt as tc
what the law makers meant, the unin
structed delegates were willing anc
proposed to leave the construction tx
the lawmakers themselves But the
Patterson men were not willing tC
this. Neither were they willing fol
the man, elected by the democrats o.
Maury county as their chairman anc
who by virtue of his office was actinf
chairman of the meeting, to decide
it according to his conscience; but i
must be construed their way and tht
count must be according to their con
struction, or the convention must DE-
turned into a bowling mob of politica
rooters while they made farcical pre-
tense of carrying out their cut an(
dried program That action will D'
indefensible before any fair, impartial
democratic committee on credentials
Mr.. Ramon decided the question
Monday just as he had decided it
week before What kind OF a mar
would he be. to have decided it on'
way before the election and anothe
way after the election? II the Patter
son men had wanted to do the fai
thing, why did they not enter thel
! protest to the chairman's decision
MsSS=@S=S=S 77==7===7=>===5@'S