The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1910-05-06


the Governor IS made the boss and rule
Of the Democratic party with the powe
through his friends and henchmen t
dictate such policies, adopt such plat
form and reappoint such State Commit
tee IS be may choose; all Of which, II
our opinion is undemocnatic, us,lrpal
tory and subyerspe of the very frsl
principles Of true Democracy. that Is,
the right Of the people to govern them'
selves.
H Second, That we believe the so-calIed
State Convention 10 1908. from which
the present acting State Committee re-
ceived its authority. was a bogus con
yention, whose delegates were not elect
ed or appointed by the people and had
no authority TO represent or speak for
the people, the delegates to said conven-
ton having been appointed by sub-com-
mittees under the direction Of the State
COMMITTEE, and 152 Of whom were APP
pointed directly by one member Of the
said State Committee, contrary to all
Democratic usage and principle; and IN
our Judgment the platform adopted by
said bogus convention and the present
State Committee elected by said conven.s
/ ton, are spurious and fraudulent and
| the said platform SO adopted i not bind
ing upon the Democracy Of Tennessee,
and the said State Committee SO elected
in pursuance Of these high handed
methods is not authorized to speak for
or bind the true Democracy of Tennes-
see; and we declare that the present
primary election scheme now submitted
to the people, coming as it does from
spurious source, and intended as it is to
disfranchise the Democrats Of the State
and deny them the right TO express
their wishes on the whiskey question
or any other question Is piece Of
treachery and an insult to the independ-
ent manhood of Tennessee, and that II
should be accordingly so denounced,
and that the people owe il tothenlselves
as good citizens and true Democrats to
refuse to abide by or participate in it.
Third, That we deDounee the action
OF the Governor in his recent effort TO
tamper with the Supreme Judges and
dictate othem what action they should |
take in the Duncan Cooper murder case
then pending before them. and upon
his failing TO control their actions in un-
dertaking to drag their candidacy and
the candidacy Of other candidates into
the mire Of partisan and factional poll
tics; and we hereby approve most heart
lily the action OF majority Of the
judges Of the Supreme Court in expos
ing this reprehensible and unheard Of
effrontery on the part Of the Governor
OF the State; and we approve the course
OF said judges and the other candidates
for places upon the Supreme Bench and
the Court Of Civil Appeals and other Of
fees in repudiating the said nefarious
primary election scheme and in refusing
to submit their claims to such an cleo
ton under such plan which they could
not do without ratifying the scheme and
the plan therein incorporated,
10 disfranehise tile Democrats
Of the State. Many Of these distin-
guished gentlemen were without opposi-
ton and Of course could have been
dominated in this bogus primary. II
follows, therefore, that in refusing to !,
submit to such a scheme and to no such
power they did not act from
leltish motives, but were prompted by I
he highest sense Of duty and patriot
SIN, and their action in thus rising to |
he occasion and standing by the rights ,
i the people and protecting the free
Iom Of the ballotebox and the purity
nd independence Of the courts deserves
he highest commendation at the hands I
i al true and patriotic citizens. le
Fourth, That believing as we do that /