The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-07-06

The independent candidates fol
county ofices, who were candidates
before the primary, or who took active
part in the primary. have placed them
selves In an indefensible attitude be
fore their fellow-citisens. In these re
marks we have no reference to Mr.
Walker, candidate for Register. or Mr..
Nicholson, candidate for Sheriff. These
gentlemen have just as much right to
be candidates for these Offices, as any
Of the nominees have. And while the
Herald, because it is a Democrat and
participated in the Democratic pri-
mary cannot support them, is no reason
why we should becloud the situation
and include them in a criticism which
thew do not deserve. But the other
geutlemen-Messrs. Houser, Worley
and Grove. their attitude is indefensi-
BILE. for the reason that when man
goes into a primary or nominating con-
vention, asking for the nomination
and promising to support the nominee,
he is in honor bound to support the
nominee unless he can prove, clearly
and satisfactorily that he has not nad
a square deal" Now to claim tna'
one has not had a square deal, and 10
prove il. are two very different propo-
sitions. Any defeated candidate can
claim that he has been cheated out OF
his right; and most of them do make
that claim in one form or another
Senator Carmack is about the only one
that we can recall who has shown the
grit to take his defeat without muir
mur or complaint. But the people pay
very little attention to these sore toe
complaints. minus the proof. And the
proof in this case, or these cases mas
mot been. and we do not believe will
be. forthcoming. In addition to all
that. there is a rule in Chancery Wnicn
the people we think will require in |
this case. And that is, that all who |
come into this court, asking rellef,
must come with clean hands. That |
is. that a man must not be guilty of
what he complains of in others. And /
these independent candidates, even If
they could make good their fearful APP
peal that the sanctity of the ballot box
had been polluted. should be able to
raise their hands to high heaven and
swear that they themselves had not
done likewise. Can they do 1t? VIII
they do 1t? Will their political rec
ords bear 1t out? We do not mean to
make any charges against these gen
tlemen, or any mean insinuations. The
Herald does not expect to take any
part in the mud throwing Of this cam
paign. What we do mean, IL we can
make ourselves perfectly plain in this:
That according to our best informa-
ion and belief they are Just as guilty !
rs the men they accuse. Or to put Ii
differently IL you please. the nominees
ire no more guilty than the independ-
,nts. We believe the "unholy agree
nent" Mr.. Houser weeps so much I
Ibout, is all campaign talk. We be-
ieve IL what he says is true, and he {
new 1t, he would prove It. II he does
lot prove it, 1t is because he cannot do ,
%. II he cannot do so, he has no t
light to bolt the primary on mere sus- {
,icion or unsubstantiated report And {
Is for the righteous indigna- I
ion of Messrs. worley and S
rowe against money and whis-
icy in elections, certainly these q
do not expect the people of 7
faury county to take them seriously q
hey have never been known to weep 3
efore for such scenes and crimes and +
hiugs. Truth is, and we say It hon g
silly. from the best information we \
ave been able to obtain. this last pri- /,
nary was as fair and clean and honest h
primary as has been held in Maury I,
nuuty In many years. c
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