The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1906-02-22
CROCKETT MAY HAVE PRIMARY.
Realize the Utter HOpeleSSneSs of Judge
Bonds Candidacy, and Strongly In
dOrSe the Manly Platform of
the Congressman.

bOhu Cahuluacy, ana StfOngly III
dOrSe the Manly Platform of
the Congressman.
Milan, Tenn, Feb. ia strong in
timation has come to Gibson county
that the Crockett county democrats are
very much disgruntled over the early
action instructing for Judge John r,
Bond for governor. Since Patterson has
been overwhelmingly instructed for by
Gibson, Upton and Dyer counties, and
the Crockett county people have be-
come acquainted with Patterson's great
platform issues and his manly attitude
on all public matters OF interest to Ten
nessee, strong following has grown
up for him in Crockett. Added to this,
the utter hopelessness of Judge Bonds
gubernatorial candidacy has helped to
create a mighty sentiment in Crockett
that the county's earlier action should
be rescinded, and the people allowed
to vote their preference. The story
comes from Crockett that a movement
is on foot to ask the county committee
to rescind its former action and call a
primary where the people can vote di-
rect. This sentiment is rapidly grow
ing.
Judge Bonds real friends in the
county now see the futility of his race,
but it is believed Cox and Bond both
are keeping up the fight, trusting that
with the first withdrawal of one the
strength Of the other will come to him
as direct legatee.
Hon. Spiral Hill, of this county, who
is leading campaign for Patterson in
the counties of this section of West
Tennessee, has inst returned from
Nashville, and tour of some of the
adjoining counties. Col. Hill says that
Patterson will be practically nominated
by April 10, and he is of the opinion
that Patterson will be the only name
presented to the state democratic con-
vention at Nashville on May 30.
News from Madison, which several
months ago was considered doubtful,
is now assuring that in the coming
primary Patterson will receive a ma
! jority, and in the final run off provided
for by the committee between the two
highest candidates Patterson will be
the overwhelming choice. The reports
from Weakley county indicate that
Patterson has grown rapidly in
strength in that county since his two
speeches at Dresden and Martin. A
month ago it was thought certain that
Cox held the best of it in Weakley, but
the sentiment is now rapidly changing
to Patterson, and with whirlwind
campaign of half dozen speeches in
the smaller towns Of Weakley just be-
fore the battle that county will go for
Patterson.
Gibson was the first big West Ten
nessee county to instruct for Patterson,
and its 1900 democratic voters are in
tensely partisan to his cause and are
lending their influence to broadening
his list of county adherents in West
Tennessee.
Out of twenty-three counties in Cox's
instructed list only ten are democratic
ones. This, with the Commercially
peal's expose of Watt Brownlow's letter
to "Dear Artie," exposing the rela'
4 tions of the republican boss and Cox,
is too strong dose for West Tennessee
democrats to swallow.
The snap action of the republican
county of Hardin in instructing fol
Cox last Monday is causing laugh al
over this section. 1t will be remem
y bered that in the late lamented cam
paign of 1896, when Jimmie Harri
: thought he was running for the nomi
{ tion, that Hardin county was the frs
y in the state to instruct for his hopeless
. cause. Arch McDougal, who was th
chairman of the county committee
without notice to the voters of Hardin
Il assembled himsel and dozen adher
! ents in the courthouse at Savanna
% one day, and the bakers dozen solemn
u ly instructed for Jimmie, and the res
of the state laughed. Hardin has
peculiar habit of getting in the sinkin
10 boat.