The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-04-08
nrnanANIZE re PARTY.

tyrany the State Democratic Exeeu-
Tive Committee has forfeited whatey-
er claims it had TO speak for the Dem
ocratic masses Of the State No au-
thcrity was ever given 70 the commit
tee to select delegates to State con
EentiOn; to write the party platform
or TO determine who should or who
should not be the Democratic candi-
dates. If this committee ever had any
right to speak for the party it has for
feited it by an act of infamy and des-
potism unparalleled in the annals
of a free people. If the Democratic
party has degenerated into an oligar-
chy of Office holders and pardon brok-
ers it ought to be destroyed.
But the party. the great masses OF
the party, the voters whose interest In
good government is prompted solely
by a desire that 1t be honestly and
fairly administered, are not RESPONSE
BILE for the present conditions which
are a disgrace to the party name and
an affront to freemen. Not a single
member of the State machine receiv-
ed his commission from the peoples
representatives. Every delegate to the
last State convention was appointed
by committee Of three politicians at
Nashville. They appointed ten or the
members of the Committee; eleven
were appointed directly by the Cover
nor.
The present Executive Committee
Of the Democratic party is the first
since Tennessee became a State, not
q member of which received authority
from the peoples representatives.
Small wonder, therefore, that Demo
Gratis who have grown gray in the ser
vice Of their party refuse to yield sub
mission to It's arbitrary and tyranical
DEGREES, promulgated at the order Of
one man, M. r. Patterson.
The Democratic party must be reor-
ganized. Democrats Of this State
should meet in county conventions and
appoint delegates to a State conven-
ton to reorganize the party and re-
store to the people the power that Is
rightfully theirs. When a machine or
an institution becomes a menace to
free government and subversive of the
true powers for which 1t was insti-
tuted it is the duty of the people to
destroy it.
The right of revolution is inherent
In free people. And the man or the
that insists that the plan
for nominations promulgated by this
is Democratic offers gross
insult to the intelligence of the people
Df Tennessee.
Think of a convention of the Dem |
ocratic party of Tennessee, the ruling |
party, the white mans party the party |
that for nearly two score years has ad-
ministered the affairs of the State to
It's honor and to the glory Of its peo-
pie without a delegate in 1t bearing
he peoples commission. That is the
plan. Every delegate to the next con-
1ention, ordered by the machine, will
oe selected by a committee of five at
Nashville appointed by Mr. Patterson.
S that Democracy?
What would the people OF Maury
county have said If the County Demo
ratio Executive Committee, instead OF
alling a primary to nominate cand1-
lates for County Judge, County Court
ylerk, and other county offices, had
rdered a convention and then appoint
ID the Chairman of the committee
ommittee to select the delegates to {
hat convention. Would a bakers doz- (
n Democrats inMaury county have re-
pected the DEGREES of the commit
ee? To ask such a question is to an
wer it.Every man of intelligence in
raury county knows that under such I
plan there are not enough Demo
rats in this county so base and so I'M t
,orthy of their party name as to &C 7
ept appointment as delegates.
This is the case exactly. We bring
right home to the people of this
ounty We appeal to the candidates 8
no made the contests in the recent r
rimary to answer what they would /
ave thought of the fairness and the G
emocracy OF a committee that per- c
etrated such an outrage. And be 1t 7
,membered that plan of this char n
ter, infamous as it is, would have a
I'd more justification If promulgated Q
the Democratic Committee of Maui d
county, than it does when 1t comes s.
ON Patterson's henchmen. Why? v