The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1911-09-28
DEocRATIc HARMONY.

AS c<Ati aOANAuhAy OOuISS puAouC
by the committee of which Mr.. o.
Barton is chairman ia the alleged in
terest Of democratic harmony must ii
the light of calm and common-sens
analysis be seen to be, whether un
thoughtedly or purposely, inconsisten
with the object that committee i
claiming to promote. Instead of beinl
the means for the encouragement o
party harmony, it is either maladroit
~ OF designedly calculated to precipi
tate contest between committees tha
could only serve to invite and revIv'
unfortunate divisions among democrati
which genuine spirit of harmony
seeks to forget and relegate to the past
A reference to the correspondence,
between Mr.. Barton and Maj Vertrees
on which The Democrat has already
commented, will show that Mr.. Bar
toms letter making the proposition fol
a conference was in its manner of ad
dress sostudiedly provocative as neces
Isarily to raise at the outset the question
of the authority of the committees,
which if raised would naturally and
necessarily become an obstacle to har-
monious action. Mr.. Barton, in com.
munication professedly official and
formal, addressed Maj. Vertrees merely
as Chairman, without the courtesy
of recognition or indication OF what
he was chairman of, and then began
his letter with the statement, "The
democratic state executive committee,
of which I am chairman" ETC. In
other words, Mr.. Barton opened the
correspondence in the alleged interest
of harmony with the pronounced as
sumption that he was chairman of the
only democratic state executive com
mittee In Tennessee, and by pointedly
and designedly discrediting the claim
of the regular democratic state COM
mittee. Can il be believed by any fair
minded man that there was a real mo-
tive for harmony in such a method OF
approach, and does it not reasonably
appear that Mr.. Barton's letter was
carefully worded so as to make plaus-
ible public show Of desire for harmo-
ny with the expectation and real hope
that the democratic state committee
would not, as it could not, entertain
any proposition that was presented
with direct blow at its self-respect
and consistency?
But aside from that phase of the
matter, the suggested plan of harmony
was premature and entirely Fictitious.
All true democrats in the state want
party harmonny and they are mani
testing that desire by coming together
in natural and neighborly way with
out the use Of adventitious methods or
dictation. They want real
harmony and not so-calied harmony
by special methods de-
vised by the politicians. Major Yer
trees in his reply to Mr.. Barton took
the very sensible ground that the DEM
ocratic people who constitute the party
are already of their own accord mani
testing spirit of party unity, and it is
well to let well enough alone. They
are in mood to set aside past differ
ences and come together as political
brethren in the common cause of de-
against republicanism. And
they will come together if the old fac
tional differences are not revived by
the precipitation Of dissensions and ag-
itations by self-seeking leaders.
The attitude of the democratic state
executive committee, constituted by
The democratic convention that nomi-
mated Robt. L. Taylor, life long dem
Dcrat, for governor, and representing
The party that gave him 12l, ,59l votes
in the last gubernatorial election, is
simply to trust in the good will and
loyalty of democrcrats who have gen
nine desire for party success in the |
coming elections.
The proposed call for democratic !
primary by Mr. Barton's committee
would be premature, unnecessary and
out of accord with the. wishes Of the
overwhelming majority of democrats
Df Tennessee Fourteen months must
pass before the state, congressional and
elections, and there is sample
time to wait for such appropriate ac-
tion in preparation for these elections
as the people may prefer and indicate
easily available channels. The
of Tennessee do not want
of factional feeling and
division, and The Democrat believes
they will condemn the patent attempt
Of the Nashville Tennessean, as shown
in its discussion of the Barton Vertrees
correspondence, to- revive the old and
regrettable dissensions and bitternesses
for factional and sinister ends. Nash
vile Democrat
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