Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-05-13

fiscal year. are reduced to $5S, 1913, s04.21, being
about eighteen millions less than the amount ex
pended in the year 1873 under the legislation Of
the Opposition House
Such is a fair comparison Of the results Of De-
mocratic snd Opposition economy. We leave the
country to choose between them.
Gel. Nstherland-The Champion of Privi.
legged Corporations.
The most striking and, perhaps, the most essen
tial difference between the Democracy end their OPP
ponents has always been their construction of
that provision in our Bill of Rights which declares,
'sThat psrpstues and mOnopOiss contrary to the
genius of free state and shall not be aOtUsd" Ali
private corporations embOdyng special privileges,
conflict with the foregoing declaration; hence
the 9TH section of the 11th article of the Con-
stitution, in empowering the Legislature to grant
such charters restricts them to such cases as they
1.-THE Legislature may deem e1pedient for the public
good" All private charters necessarily imply sex
elusive privileges something not enjoyed in COM
mon by the people-the exercise of special sdvsn>
tages conferred by the act Of incorporation alone
1t has been well said by the Attorney General of
the State in the case of the State Armstrong ct
al that public policy would seem to dictate at all
times, and in ell places, that the creation Of icti
tiOus person, ,gith many facilities to SIM and so
great impunity from punishment, should be the pre-
rogstive of the State; and the Representatives. Of the
people, uhoss nterets they to protect should
scrWtinzs closely and grant eauiOusy extraordinary
franchises not enjoyed By all eitizsaS IN common"
Tho Democratic party, recognizing the justice
and the sound policy Of this fundamental doctrine
have lonb BAD oFs ,iein
incOrpOrstions-as tending to establish perpetuities
and monopoes; as species of clsss-legislatOu,
favorable to the equality of the people, and being
used to 'enrieh the few at the expense Of the many"
When they have favored Corporations, they have
favored them from q stern sense of public utility
only. Wherever the objects of Incorporation have
looked beyond that, and centered in the spe-
cial advantages which the interpretations particu-
lar classes in society to derive from Them the
Democratic party have opposed such legislation.
Hence the Democratic party has been the party of
the people, and has received but little sympathy
from that clsss in society, who the benefciares
Of these privileged bodies, generally found about
towns and cities.
contrary policy has characterized the history of
the Opposition, under whatever name it has exer>
cised the legislative power Of the country Il has
been the party of Corporations 1t has drawn its sus-
tenance and support from them, and could not live
a day without them. From the days of Mich Bid
die down to the present time, large proportion of
the leaders of the Opposition party have lived in
Bank parlors, or luxuriated in the shade of Bank
patronage. Hence the persistent effort made by the
Opposition to increase these interpretations; and
hence their readiness to defend them from public
censure, whenever by their Outrsges they have
goaded the people to open resistance.
The difference in tn two parties in this connection
is foreibly illustrated in the history of Col METH,
HRLAXD He started in life Democrat. When q |
Democrat he looked with distrust upon banks I
and opposed their charter. As member of the |
Committee appointed by the Legislature to invesli-
gate the circumstances of a highNhanded usurpaton
of the Union Bank, after its organization, he
reported: "Such conduct between individuals would
be stigmatzed as fraudulent, and can only be ex-
planned in the present instance BIZ the q0essta6sked
fact that corporations in their aggregate capacity
will, upon their joint responsibility, frequently
commit acts lohieh as iadUiduals they 1oOud blush to
justify"
JOHN NETHERLAND has since changed to be Fed
eraist and a member of the Opposition. Per con-
sequence he hiss changed his politics upon the SUBJ
ject of Banks and Corporations The Union Bank,
which he stigmatised guilty Of fraud, only to be
explained "by the we'll established fact that Cor
pOratiOns will frequently commit acts which indi-
viduals 1" would blush to justify" he is now the
special champion Of commencing it to the public as
model institution
This same JOHN NETBERLAND, who, while Demo-
orat, entertained such just suspicion Of the Banks
is now, since he has turned Federalist, not only
in favor Of perpeuating their existence but of pla-
cling them beyond The reach of the Legislature and
opposed to the individual liability" of their
stockholders for faithful redemption of their spu>
rious circulation?
This same JOHN NETHERLANp, who. while a DemS
Ocrst recorded it as his opinion upon the journals
Of the Legislature 'as well established fact" that
Corporations "will frequently commit acts which,
as individuals, they would blush to justify" as a
Federalist, has shown himself eminently worthy of
that party, by introducing into the Legislature q
proposition TO issue the bonds of the State for the
benefit of private corporation, and to take from
the public treasury the monies collected from the /
pockets of the people and bestow it upon private
known and recognized as local in |
heir character.
Thus it is that we have fundamental difference '
n parties exemplifed in the history of JOHN NTH
lRLAND. Who will now say that, as candidate for
Governor, he is not the fit representative of cssss
worthy champion of monopOlies-a proper advocate G
# peculiar privileges and special legislation? r
Let him stand forth in his true light; judged by D
lis record; stripped of his DISCUSSES the impersOn-
tion of Federalism, with all Of its loathsOme de- q
,rniies; and then if the people want him for their
Governor the fault will be theirs, not his. He viii
ave the consciousness of knowing that, at least u
epublcsnism is on the wane and our institutions r
pprosching that condition of affairs which argues h
lie permanent ascendsncy of his party