The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-10-19
INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE
FOR SENATOR

FOR SENATOR.
Capt. w. C. Webb, of Perry, who
was defeated for the nomination for
Senator, has declared himself an in
dependent candidate. Well, if Capt.
Webb had been nominated, there
would have been Independent candi-
dates against him, doubtless, and, for
our part, we had rather undertake the
Job of defeating the valiant Captain
as an independent. than to FISK de-
feating some stronger Independent
with him. 1t is not the first time Capt.
Webb has shown his Independent
colors. if we have been correctly in
formed as to his political record.
Capt. Webb was turned down be-
cause the Maury county delegation did
not think it safe and prudent to nomi-
nate him. There had grown up in this
county a strong prejudice against him
because, though southerner, he mad
worn in the war between the States,
the color of the invading foe; and
moreover, because he had been Cap
tain in Hearst's cavalry, perhaps the
most offensive band Of invaders and
plunderers that infested the South.
The fact that Capt. Webb could show
good record since the war, could not
remove the resentment towards him
for his war record. There was a per-
feet storm of protest from the Old
soldiers against his nomination, and
the delegates from this county were
not willing to ignore the wishes OF the
Confederate Veterans of Maury. They
did not think it right to do so; they
did not think it safe to do so. And in
addition to this serious objection, Maury
at this particular time was deeply con-
cerned over some local legislation for
this county, to be passed by the next
General Assembly, and an active mem
Der, interested in that special legisla-
ton, was wanted for the Senate.
Maury had no candidate for the Sen
ate, and il Perry had offered an ac-
ceptable man, Maury would have sup
ported him. But Perry came here in
structed for Capt Webb first, last and
all the time" and when, after confer
ence with the Maury delegation, it was
delicately suggested to Capt. Webb
by one of his own friends,
that he could not be nominated, but
that some other Perry county man
might be, he was not willing to pur-
chase harmony at that price, and prac-
tically forced the issue of Webb or
nobody from Perry; placing his own
personal ambition higher even than
the right of Perry or the interests
of the party.
AS to the Hohenwald agreement. 1t
never should have been made; and the
convention did right to abrogate it, or
ignore it, and teach politicians that
such machine methods shall not pre-
vail. When that resolution was be-
fore the convention at Hohenwald
four years ago, the editor of the Her
aid. who was member of that conven-
ton, opposed the resolution, as I'M
wise, untra wires and void, and half
the vote of Maury county was cast
against it. The Herald has opposed
it from then until now. 1t has never
been ratified or endorsed by any as |
sembly of Democrats in this county, |
or by any assembly of Democrats in
the district in convention assembled. |
The agreement has never been ratified |
by the district, and there has never
been time when the Democrats of
Maury were not ready to repudiate it. 4!
Monday was the first chance they had, |
and they simply refused to be bound |
by so unreasonable a contract.
Not that Maury cares for the office,
or that it has any prejudice against |
either of the smaller counties, or that |
it is not willing to give them fair
divide But to say that handful of |
men in one county may meet togeth- |
er and name a man, and instruct for |
him FIRST, last and all the |
time" and that all the Dem
ocrats of all the counties are
bound to support tb9t man, regardless
of who he is or what he stands for, is
absurd, and certainly not for the best
interest of the party or the people of
the district.
The Herald is in receipt of informa-
ton from Perry, from a perfectly re-
liable source, saying that Capt. Webb
does not get his encouragement from