Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-06-05
wa. b. STOKES. WHAT sAY you

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wa. II. STOKES. WHAT SAY You ?
Gen. Stokes is candidate for
Governor and his eompetifors-for
there Is now athird Richmond in
the feld-are as Radical as he is
himself. He is to-day to open the
canvass in a speech in this city, and
we need NOT cay TO him that the
platform =" he lays down to-day
will exert most powerful influence
for or against his election. There
are now from $4,000 TO 10000
Democratic voters in the State, and
if there should be any thing like a
a division OF the Radical vote on the.
candidates claiming to represent
them, the Democrats will hold the
balance Of power, for il is a fixed
fact that they viii have no candi-
date of their own. Their votes
will be cast for the candidate who
favors the immediate enfranchise-
ment of the.white men Of the State.
Theindications are sufficiently con-
elusive, we think, to convince
even the most skeptical Radi-
cal that the question of the
immediate calling CofsCa conven-
tion by the Legislature to be elected
in August TO restore the right of
franchise TO the white men of this
State who have been for partisan
purposes deprived Of that right,
will be the leading issue Of the can
vass which Gen. Stokes opens To-
day. Let us here direct attention
to few Of these indications. The
Greeneville National Union states
that Mr.. A. j. Upton, of Carter
county, has announced himself a
candidate for Governor, and that
his platform is universal suffrage.
Mr. Upton is a decided Radical and
a popular man in upper East Ten
nessee, and will draw off consid.
cradle vote from Stokes. The
Rutherford county Radicals at their
meeting TO appoint delegates TO the
Radical State Convention that was
to have been held in this city or
the goth of May, adopted a resolu
ton, among others reported by s
committee consisting Of w. N
Doughty, W. Y. Elliott, and VIM
Copeland, instructing their dele
gates as follows
THAT we indorse the principles enun
ciated by the convention Of the fourth
congressional district, held in Shelbyvill,
in 1868, recognizing the equality of al
men before the law; that those who beai
the responsibility of the govern men
should alike share its privileges; and t
this end we instruct our delegates to thu
State convention to use their influenc,
to enlarge the franchise by an amend
ment to the constitution Of the State, a
provided by that instrument.
Mr.. Joseph r. Dillin was nomi
mated by the meeting to represent
Rutherford county in the next Leg
islature, and he accepted the nomi'
nation, declaring himself in favor o
universal suffrage and for a con
vention to abolish every restriction
in the way of the white citizens o
the State exercising the right o
suffrage. Since then Mr.. S. N
Tutor has announced himself a can
didate to represent Rutherford upoI
the platform Of universal suffrage
Mr.. VIM. Peach has announced him
self a candidate for Senator from
Bedford and Marshall, and says h,
favors the immediate repeal of tn
franchise law. Mr.. W. 7. Elliott
of Rutherford, is the Radical nom
iEee for "foater" from Rutherfor,
and Bedford, and he was a membe
Of the committee in Rutherfor'
county who reported a resolu
ton in favor of extending th
franchise to those ''who bea
the responsibility Of the gov
eminent" This leaves no doubt a
to his position. The Shelbyvill
Republican, q Stokes organ, no
ticing in its issue of the 4th inst
the call for q convention in Shelby
vile on the 9Th, for the purpose o
nominating a candidate to repre-
sent Bedford county in the mex
Legislature, says: eve want a maj
who will favor some proposition fol
the early enfranchisement of all mel
DISTINGUISHED on account Of the re
bellion." These movements, which
are but specimens of what is going
on throughout Middle and Wes
Tennessee, establish our point tina
the question Of the restoration 0.
the elective franchise TO the white
men will be the leading issue ofthe
canvass. There cannot be a doubt
of this, and the men who
espouse this policy will win
in Middle and West Tennessee
Now VIM. b. Stokes, what say
your Are you in favor Of the i'm
mediate acknowledgements of the
white men of the State, the men oil
intelligence and property, who pay
nine-tenths of the taxes necessary
to support the State government, oil
do you propose to dole out this jus
tice to our best citizens in driblets
Do you propose immediate OF
gradual reimbursement? If you
do not desire the votes and influ-