Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-09-20
LETTER FROM GOV. JONES.

A gentleman has favored the editor of the
Pittsburg American with the following letter,
received from Gov. Jones Of Tennessee:
NASHVILLE, August 5, 1914.
DEAR SrR:-I have the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt of yours of the Esd ult., and
beg leave to assure you that it gives me much
measure 10 afford the information you desire.
II must strike the friends Of Col. Polk in this
State with great astonshment to see II stated
in the public Journals of your State that he Is
The friend and advocate of protective tariff,
when there is no political fact more notorious
than that he is the incorporating opponent
of protection. COL Polk, for the last four or
five years, has been before the people OF Ten
nessee as candidate for the Gubernatorial
chair. During that time he has published his
opinions on the subject Of tariff as often as
six or seven times, and in each and all OF these
publications he has avowed himself opposed to
The Drokecfipe pohcu To these various publ
cations I refer ven for full and explicit declar-
alton of his opinions on this subject.
Colonel Polk and myself were competing
candidates for the Executive chair oil TINS otate
in 1871 and 1S43. ] think met him IN these
several campaigns as often as one hundred and
ff1v times in public discussion before the peo-
pie of this State, and at each and every speech
he made, he invariably avowed his opposition
to the protective policy; and in the last contest
of 1843, he assaied and denounced the present
tariff act as highly protective in its character,
and pledged his influence and efforts to secure
its repeal. | think may say. with great con-
fdence, that it was mainly on this question that
COL Polk and his friends expected to defeat me
in the contest of last year. | was the advo-
cate of the tariff of '42-he its unqualified OPP
ponent.
That Col. Polk is a lree-trade man, in the
same sense in which Mr. Calhoun is, no one can
doubt. | would call your attention TO his ad-
dress to the people of Tennessee, dated IN
Nav, I943. Ia that address he states that he
is for raising money enough by mpost duties,
which, phen added 10 the money arising from
the sales of The public lands and other incl
dental sources OF revenue, will be sufficient to
defray the expenses of the Government eco
nomically administered. From this Zone Of the
latest OF his published opinions) you will see
that he is in favor of exhausting oil the land
money and other means from incidental sour
ces first, and then raising the deficit by tariff.
The proceeds of the public lands have gone
up on one occasion as high (f mistake noD
as $24,00OO0O. If such a thing should occur
again, as il may, then, if this sum should be
sufficient to defray the expenditures of the Gov
eminent, Gas think it would he, Mr. Polk,
according to the ground assumed in the address,
would have to abolish the tariff altogether
This would be free trade with vengeance.
As to our prospects in this State have to
say, that the contest is one of unprecedented
warmth and zeal. The Locos are resorting TO
every means to secure the vote Of this State;
but to our friends Of Pennsylvania would
say, BE of good cheer; the Wings of Tonnes
see know their duty, and piH do IL. Tennes-
see will maintain her position despite of every
influence that may be brought TO operate on
her. Twice has she repudiated Col. Polk, and
| am persuaded that she will not revoke her
Mediterranean, no neuer. Keep the Keystone
of the Arch firmly in its place, and all will be
well. Very respectfully. your obd't serv't.
JAMES C. JONES.