The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-12-06
DAVIDSON COUNTY
GETS INTO LINE
COUNTY COMMITTEE JOINS IN
DEMAND FOR GENERAL
STATE PRIMARY.
Mr.. CARMACK ON A CONVENTION
Senator Scores Effort of Patterson
ties TO 5ecIoud the Real
Issue.
Special to the Herald.

Special to the Herald.
4 NASHVILLE. Tenn, Nov. 2s.-That
the demand for general primary for
the nomination of governor and other
state officers next year is gaining ire
sistabie force is becoming more mani
fest every day. From every county
to which petitions requesting a pri-
mary have been sent comes the report
that sentiment is practically all one
way. In Davidson county, which was
the banner Democratic county of the
State last year, not single member
of the county Democratic committee
has declined to sign the petition and
already more than three-fourths of
the members have signed it. The
press is almost a unit for primary.
In an interview yesterday Senator
Carmack declared that he had taken
the primary cause to the people and
predicted that when the State Commit
tee met petitions from the organized
Democracy of the State would be pre-
scented in such overwhelming number
that the demand could not be ignor-
ed. The Senator also took occasion
to score the subterfuge plan which has
been evolved by the partisans of the
Governor. which is to provide prima-
ries to elect delegates but allows the
old convention plan to stand. The
Senator said:
I'VE shall lay before the State Com
mittee an appeal from the organized
Democracy of Tennessee In behalf
Of nomination by popular Democrat
c vote, the candidate receiving ma
jority of all the votes cast to be the
nominee; and we shall further ask
The committee to respect the views
Of an overwhelming majority of the
Democratic press Of the State"
do you believe such a primary will
be ordered?"
Frankly / fear there VIII be an
effort to placate public sentiment by
. makeshift by providing for the cleo
ion of delegates in primaries, but
eaving the nomination to be made by
convention and giving free play to
III the frauds and trickeries that may
Re perfected in a state convention.
rhe American showed what these
we're when 1t charged during the con-
est last year that the friends of both
andidates were making fictitious con-
ests solely for the purpose OF shut
ing counties out OF the convention so
hat the faction having majority Of
he uncontested delegations might pro-
eed to seat the delegates favorable
) it's candidate without regard to JUS
Ice, right or reason Under the rule
dopted by the last convention one
nan might file notice at the last
loment of purely fictitious contest
nd disfranchise the Democracy of an
ntire county There is no law to
unish such infamy. II may be per-
atrated with absolute impunity. Gov
atterscn did not hesitate to charge.
hen he was denied direct primary
lat It was for the purpose of secur-
lg the nomination by fraud and CHI
anery. I will only say that IL the
ommittee repudiates the plan which
ov. Patterson 80 strenuously advo-
tied on every stump In Tennessee,
wifi be for some other reason than
desire to obtain "the fairest express
on OF the popular will" The con-
,ntion planhas only one advantage
comend It and that is the opportuni-
IS 1t offers for DISTINGUISHING Demo
ats by the ten thousand without yio-
ting any law"