The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-05-17
(By. Staff Correspondent


NASHVILLE, Tenn, May 49,
Dominated completely by the Patter
son regulars ana the Dibrell back tai
machine, the democratic state con
vention made farce of harmony ant
showed it's complete subserviency tt
the Office holding and office seeking
class.
Little quarter was shown the so
called independent democrats. Har
mony was vain protest. There wal
no real desire manifested on the par
of the regular" majority for harmo
ny. On the contrary the road roller
flattcned out the independents and
the. got scent recognition.s
Every speaker who addressed the
convention, the mover of every mo
ton. practically every member of ev
cry committee, both the temporary
and the permanent chairman of the
convention, in fact the whole machin
cry Of the convention was regular
and intensely regular" The indie.
pendents were allowed to sit and
watch the proceedings but they were
without an influence in the conven
ton. A few of them got on the del
egatlon to Baltimore and about one
third of the new state committee are
independents. but those who did get
seats on the new state committee did
so in spite of determined fights on the
part of the regulars" to keep them
off.
Both of the electors from the state
at large are regulars" bitter, ran
tankerous, original Patterson reg
ulars at that. Floyd Estill and Dud
ley Porter are the men, Nearly all
If not all of the district electors are
regulars" In fact harmony" was
entliely on the surface. If the "inde
pendent" leaders who engineered the
harmony movement desired the utter
annrhilation Of their faction they
have the satisfaction of knowing that
com plete success crowned their eff
forts
All the speeches that were made to
the convention were of the old time
whoop- em-up-boys and avoid-live-is
sues type. Not single speaker with
the exception of Judge Jos. E. Jones
had the courage to even remotely re
fer to a real issue in Tennessee to
day and the distinguished West Ten
nessee jurist evoked no applause
from the regulars" when he declar
ed his belief in the fair, rigid and i'm
partial enfo1 cement of the laws of the
state.
Every speaker, with the one excep
ton noted, spoke of the narrowing
days of reconstruction, denounced
'the general infamies of the republi
can party and wept copious tears
over the dearly beloved Confederate
soldiers. They were powerfully
strong on & return of democrats tt
office but not a word did they have t.
say about the issues that have divid
ed the democrats and kept them Out
of Office.
The Dibrcll back tax machine was
olnnipotent. In alliance with Patter
son, who threw down Crump at the
last moment, it swept all before it
The back tax attorneys, revenue
agents and assistant collectors were
in the convention in full force. They
were massed on the stage at the crit
zeal moment and. they rendered valu
.ble assistance to Dibrell. He gave
TO Crump, his Shelby enemy, a knocl
out blow He got his revenge fol-
Clunp's insistence that the books Of
the hack tax collectors should be
opened for inspection.
The regulars we're not even harmo
Nous They we're divided on theil
support of the back tax machine and
they were far from being of one MIND
on the question of primary. A ma
jori'v of the convention wanted g
general primary in August for COVER
nor. senator and other state officers
with a platform convention, but I'm
der the skillful manipulation of Pat
tersor and his independent allies
who put through the editors plan 9
compromise was effected that gives
the leople two primaries in three