Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-10
Looking ahead.

| LOof-hnS Ahca0s
For the last eighteen years Rutherford coun-
ty has been very nearly equally divided, po
litically; and hence, both parties, in all Sec
tons of the State, have looked to the result
there with hope and fear. 1t has been a bat
tle-ground, ON which Wings and Americans
have, successfully, displayed their superior
tactics and proves. OF late years, the sham
democracy have been gradually cutting down
the opposition majority, and when the contest
closed last summer, boosted that, in the next,
victory would fall on their side. 1t would
appear that some of the leaders in that and
the adjoining county of Coffee, have been ia
| king steps to make this assurance doubiy
sure" The result of their supposed IN
trigues is to be seen in an amendment
which was added to bill in the SEN
ate last Friday, by which portion OF
| the citizens of Coffee were detached from
that county and attached to Rutherford.
When this amendment was before the Senate,
| Mr.. MCCoNNIco, the Senator from Rutherford
| and Williamson, opposed it, in brief speech,
of which the following is the substance
MIR SPEAKER:-Before the final vote is taken
upon this bill, desire to move to strike ont
] lie clause changing the line between the cOun-
ties of Coffee and Rutherford, and | will give
| my reasons, briefly and candidly, for making
| the motion:
| IL is known sir, that the Representative
| from the county of Rutherford was elected by
very small majority, and that the majority
| for the American ticket. in that county, was
small: now to change the line between Ruth
| erford and Coffee counties, so as TO give to
| Rutherford thirty or forty Democratic votes,
will change the political complexion of that
! county; the effect of the change Will be to
make Rutherford Democratic county, and
hence | am opposed to the change, and move
to strike out the clause relating to the line be
| tween Rutherford and Coffee counties. But
| the Senator from Warren says am very sem
| sitive upon this subject admit, sir, / am
| sensitive am opposed-and shall remain
| opposed TO this system of trimming from one
| county and giving to another sufficient num-
| Der of Democrats to change the political COM
| pleXion of that other county. / say to gen
! tlemen on the other side if you desire to make
! Rutherford county Democratic. you have a
! sufficient majority in this General Assembly
| TO pass any party measure you wish to; now
make plain, bold proposition TO effect your
| object and pass ii like men, so that the peo-
pie may know, what your object is.
But, Mr. Speaker, the Senator from Warren,
| saws that these people who are to be removed
into Rutherford from Coffee county, spoke to
! him upon the subject during the canvass. and
that they have sent up their petition now to
have the change made. | take it then, sir,
that the Senator is acquainted with the petit
TONERS, and now ask the gentleman TO tell
us if Mr.. Smith Carney. the only man named
in the amendment which | propose to strike
out, is not a Democrat. He answers that
Carney is Democrat Il good Democrat. L
supposed 50, sir and ! supposed too that a
large majority of those persons included within
the hounds of the proposed change are good
Democrats and, therefore they are to be moved
into Rutherford and make that county
Democratic Mr.. Speaker, the Senator from
Warren disclaims any intention OF political
trickcry in this change. i do not charge him
with it, sir. But do say, that whatever the
intention may be, the effect of it Is, as charge
to make Rutherford county Democratic, and
that too in manner that | am not willing TO
submit to. without entering my protest against
it, Now. sir here is bill introduced into the
House of Representatives, passed three times,
transmitted TO the Senate, passed twice here
and referred 10 the Committee on County lines
aud this amendment proposed on the third
reading in the Senate, and the petition spoken
of has not yet been seen in the Senate. The
chairman of that committee informs me that
he was macquainted with the facts OF the case
as have uCtdiitU ln' III, anu am SdtIHhSu he
will vote for my motion.
Mr. Speaker. honorable Senators on the 9th
or side say, that ! am disposed to make
political question of this haie local bill. Well.
sir, am disposed and | shall speak out freely
and plainly upon this question which affects
locality which 1 have the honor to represent,
a. much as il does any other locality l in
tend too that the people shall kRo'c how the
Democracy of 1878, are disposed upon this
subject.
MIR. Speaker. do we not all rccollect full
well. what bitter dcnuciations were heaped
upon the good old Wing party, for what the
Democracy was pleased to call the ''lniamOus
Honrymrndar?" Do we not recOllect what a
universal wall went up from the Democratic
host b, cause (as they said. a great Democrat
ic leader was Henrymandcred out of "A seat in
Congress Wen, sir, that act had the virtue
of being done openly and with It's object
avowed Now, sir, call upon the gentlemen
OF the Democracy here to make bold ayow-
al of their intentions. If il is your desire
gentlemen. 10 rodstrict the State, if you are
not satisfied with a majority Of twenty in the
General Assembly, or il you fear that you
cannot "hyG go,ir Crn' at the next election,
why then. introduce bill for the purpose,
and your present majority will certainly pass
it: but | insist that you do not effect your OBJ
ject. by trimming OF little here and little
lhtf'r ulttI inc Fp@Cldl Pic" Va mum ''u"i
convenience.
Mr. Speaker am entirely willing TO bear
all the responsibility which attaches to the
position | have taken upon this question. /
have felt il to he my duty to oppose this at
tempt To make Rutherford county Democratic,
and | shall oppose all att mpts of IA like char
actcr 80 long as | hold II place herc.-lf 1t Is
wrong 20 make political question of local
one insist that ! am not justly chargcable
with that wrong. ! think ! have shown that
this bill was Iiaie tmciiHed with politics, he
fore had spoken word in reference to it.
Believing as do that the object of this amend
ment is to give To the Democracy of Ruther-
ford county a controlling power in future
elections | should be untrue 10 the party with
which it is my pride and pleasure TO act. I'M
true to the gallant Americans OF Rutherford,
who so generously honnr,d me with their
confidence and false to my own conviction of
duty. if / should allow this bill to pass in its
present shape without entering my solemn
protest against it. | therefore move TO strike
out tie amendment changing the line between
the counties of Coffee and Rutherford, upon
which motion | call for the ayes aud noes.
The motion to strike ont Was lost by strict
party vote. and the bill as amended passed n
third and last reading.
The University Of the south.
a &