Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-26

commenced borrowing at ten per cent
but now pays only three. Public debts
be declared, are an invention Of moderl
times. Up to 1922 England never owe,
az dollar of public debt, and from com.
mencement of 100000 now owes 1900
| 100000, sum that no one dreams will
ever be paid, although England
| is ten times more able to pay
| than the United States Mr.. Etheridge
stated that he mentioned these things NOT
| TO prejudice his hearers against paying
the debt. He believed that the United
States, by proper management, with its
immense resources, the teeming Norths
west, could pay it, but it never will. It
is true, said ne, that Mr.. BoutwelPs re-
ports show reductions monthly, but just
wait until Congress passes its deficiency
and see how much reduction there has
been. 3 te..l. t.1l T-..r
The speaker, continuing his course of
reasoning, said that the federal taxes,
though onerous, did not cause the peo-
pie so much uneasiness or annoy them so
much as the State taxes, for the general
government does not tax lands. IL does
not. The people are already FESTIVE. But
here in the State the man that don't own
an acre of land is taxed with land tax.
The freedman who works 8 farm
on shares pays one-half the
crop for rent. He pays five cents
a mile for riding on the railroad, instead
of two or three, as it ought to be. His
whisky, every drink of it is, as Artemus
used to say, taxed muchly Caughter), for
from five or ten cents per drink it is
raised to twenty-five, and so on. q,
OH 10 THE REMEDY. t..
GU ask how this is to be remedied''
said Mr.. Etheridge. al will tell you, if
you want my advice. You must reduce /
the expenses Of the government; make
more than you spend; incur no new
liabilities; put honest men in Office; Gas
you elect the men who collect the reve.'
nue); apply the surplus to the reduction
of your liabilities; abolish unnecessary
offices; enlarge the judicial districts;
adopt more effective means Of collect-
ing the revenue. If you do not do this
in less than two years you will hear the
cry of reputation. 1t is useless to say
the debt will not crush you"
1-Uisl HIS PROMISES. .ff II
"When you hear this cry of repudia-
tion,'' said the speaker, "do not say that
l raised it. 1 am merely telling you
what is bound to be. As for myself 1 |
am going into this thing slowly. Beyond
the necessary appropriations to carry on
the executive, legislative, and judicial |
powers, which must be supported, and
sustained, l will not go far. These / will |
support and vote appropriations for, but
when they ask me to vote money for
these Superintendents of Public Instruc- |
ton, sub~superintendents and all those /
things which have no legal or
existence, will not do it. |
Applause. When l get to Nashville |
| intend to enter the Augean stable
slowly, and carry with me disinfectant.
| intend to get me wheelbarrow, shovel
md hoes and commence with cleansing. |
won't promise what l will do until l |
consult with others who are with me |
here, but / intend to probe things to the
bottom, 80 j. 10 -E
REPUTATION.
The speaker stated that some days ago
le had made a speech at Milan, and had
been quoted as saying that he was in
avor Of regulating all Of Brownlow's
State bonds. His views had been mis-,
represented by this paragraph which he
lad seen going the rounds. AS to repu-
iiation, he repeated, he considered that
he very last resort, only to be adopted
when every other plan had failed. But it
would soon be enounced from this very
rostrum, as he had said, In less than two /
years by aspirants for office. He noticed |
= growing dissemination among the people
to undergo the hardships necessary to
on or paying the State debt.
In illustrating his views Cd this point
Mr.. Etheridge gave graphic description
Of the arguments, ETC., that would be
used by these applicants for Office on the
ground of reputation, and depicted the
stump orator reasoning and arguing it to
the very life. ...
The non-payment Of the July interest,
be declared, was virtually repudiatiDg
the debt, and since the failure on the
part of the State to meet this obligation,
he said we already looked reputation
in the face. Still he thought it was a
ieTnier resort. Recurring to the para~
graph in the Milan paper purporting to
give his words and views, he said that
what he did say was, "having learned
rom Mr.. Oates that there were q NUNS
Der Of bonds issued without authority Of
aw-indeed in direct contlavention Of
the internal improvement law Of 1852,
he was in favor of repudiating on the
we'll known legal maxim of cGVeGt
emptOr. If this, said Mr.. Etheridge,
'be reputation, make the most of it."
THE RAILROADS.
In regard to those railroads that do not
pay the interest on their bonds, he ad-
Vised their immediate sale to some man
Or men who would take them and run
hem at no expense to the State, taking
State bonds in payment for them. In
his way bonds will be retired and the
roads will be gotten rid Of. In
conclusion of the financial question, Mr..
said that much might be saved
by an honest management Of the penis
tertiary. In the meantime, under the
benign influence Of peace, public conf
1ence would be restored, industry would
revive, and the material power Of the
State increase. With the augmented
business of the State, and
better management of tho railroads. the
revenue arising therefrom will be pro-
greater. |
PLEDGES TO THE NEGRO.
Addressin g himself to the negro, Mr..
said that while newspapers
were discussing the extent of the victory,
md wondering at the immense amount Of
the msjorities for Senter, he would ex-
plain in a word-the late election was
like opening the doors Of a jail and say
ing to the prisoners, come out. They had
come out like rats out Of barn on fire.
The victory was simply the victory Of
right over wrong, and justice over OPP
preston. When this contest was gone
into pledges were made to the negroes if
they would come up and help us to get
cut Of this Jail, and to win the fight of
right over wrong we would guarantee
them the possession of all the rights they
then enjoyed. eff" said Mr.. Etheridge, |
turning to the whites, ''you expect me to
take back these pledges you ask me to
myself, and that will never do.
We got our liberties, and we ask nothing
more than we gill give. If you want
anybody to go back on promises made as
these were made, you will have to ask
else. l never fooled the Demo-
cratic party nor the Wing party, and
will not fool the negroes now. The negro
has taken our pledges in good faith. Why
is it that you rolled up such majorities
in West and Middle Tennessee? Why