The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-04-29

Giles county boilers and w. B. Ro-
I bine, holding the proxy Of Chairman
Harwood were admitted to the room.
Both gentlemen stated that they had
been instructed to accept a half vote
in the interest Of harmony. thus set
ting the dispute.
The Maury county contestants were
admitted next There was such rush
for the doors that score Of persons
were in the room almost as quickly
as Chairman Smiser and Mr.. Burns,
and were not excluded. Mr.. Smiser
was represented by E. H. Hatcher and
Mr. Burns by w. J. Webster.
| Mr. Webster spoke first. Starting
on in an undertone that was scarcely
audible throughout the room, he grad
ually warmed up. He reeounted the
circumstances under which the boiling
committee was organized, and without
contending that it had been elected
by the people, asserted it's right to rep
resentation.
Mr.. Hatcher, speaking calmly and
with emphasis, addressed the commit
tee in the interest of Mr.. Smiser. He
cited the committee to the facts, show
| ing that Mr.. Smiser and his ticket had
received 1864 votes in the November
election of 1905 at which time the OBJ
position had not dared to put out a
ticket; that the total vote cast for Gov
ernor Patterson in this election was
2,050. He declared the right to elect
the committee rested in the people: !
that the people had spoken, and that
no gathering of citizens, whether two
hundred or more had a right to say
what the members Of that commit |
tee should think on any po-
litical subject; that il Chair
man Smiser by any act or |
word of his had vacated his office,
which he denied, that it rested with
the committee to name his successor
and not to gathering of his politi-
cal enemies, which represented less
than one tenth Of the voters who had
participated in the November election.
Mr.. Webster replied to Mr. Hatcher,
to force Mr.. Smiser to say
or not he would participate
in the primary, how he voted in the
last Governors election, and to d. !,
vu1ge other information of a similar ,
nature. To all such queries Mr.. Smi-
ser replied that he was not on the wit ,
ness stand, was not compelled to graft
y Mr.. Webster's curiosity and had no
Intention of being catechised by his
political enemies
Mr. Hatcher replied to Mr.. Webster,
lfter which w. j. fowler, Judge Cor
Ion, Newt Due, Mr. Smiser. Jesse
romlinson aud others had something
o say, some of them but little and
thers much
The Frame Up.
Thirty minutes elapsed before the =
ommittee was ready to report. There :,
vere two reports, this being expected. !
Iessrs. Norsythe and Lambert, Patter-
on followers, brought in majority
eport giving to Mr. Romine and Mr.. =
owler, from Giles, Mr. Smiser and
Ir. Burns, from Maury, half vote
ach. Mr.. Rucker, who is an anti-ad-
man, brought in minori-
report, recommending that Mr. =
miser and Mr.. Romine be seated. 1t
as moved and seconded that the ma &c
rity report be adopted, there being 3D.
, second to the motion to substitute pu
e minority report
TomIinson Excluded. vo
The majority report also recon- cli
ended that the committee refuse to he
Give the proxy OF Chairman ]. G. In
obbs, which was held by Jesse Tom aD
lson. This was another good move, ele
Mr.. Tomlinson would unQues- We
'nably have voted with the minority VIII
d he been seated. In refusing to DO
cognize the PROXY the committee
led that it had been transmitted over tee
} telephone. and should have been POI
itten. The proxy was given to Mr.. 4
tia, who was authorized over the spe
ephone to sign the name of Mr.. Hu
bbs. and was given by Mr.. Latta to the
use Tomlinson, who was authoriz- low
to vote 1t.
smissr Speaks. Tul
80. ..,uma a. h. haara nm No.