The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1871-07-08
The Legislative Race.

they spoke at Clinton, Tuesday at Mos
COW, Wednesday at Lodgton and Friday
at Fulton Station
The Issues between the candidates for
the Lower House are precisely the same
as heretofore reported in these columns
The debate between the candidates for
the Senate, Capt Clark and Major Hale,
appears to be the feature of excitement
Our informant, who heard the discussion
at Lodgeton, thinks Clark wears the
laurels yet, and is convinced the people
will so decide in August
He informs US that Hale pitched into
the Hickman COURIER pretty roughly,
mplaining that we had accused him of
having "wool in his teeth but didn't grin
broad enough to show it, and charging
that we had learned our democracy from
the Louisville Courier Journal and that
wasn't much democracy.
Our reference to Major Halc's ebay
ing wool in his teeth, etc, was an limo
cent Illustration of his liberal views as a
man and his extreme position as politi-
clan, and we shall be sorry if he con
strues it otherwise.
Not to give the Major too hard les
son, involving somewhat Of the funda
mental basis of the Democratic party
we say to him, that if he will study our
State Democratic platform, the platforms
of the party of Ohio, Pennsylvania
Main, Iowa, e!c, be may better compre
bend the Democracy of the Hickman
COURIER, and see from whence we OBJ
tain our views
/ The Major impugns our Democracy,
but we are more charitable and courte-
Gus toward him, because we eoncede him
to be a true Democrat, only an impoiitjc
one in our Judgment. We are convinced
thattAe Democratic party no where else,
except here IN Kentucky, advocate his
peculiar views, and this conviction is
formed by reading the various Democrat
ic State platforms which ii the party is
honest, embody the issues by which it
desires to be Judged, aud from reading
the speeches of leading representative
Democrats Of the different States.
IF he, or any Of his friends, can point
to Que State platform, which opposes the
admission Of negro testimony, we will
yield the point Our oPpositiou, there
fore, to his course, is because of our de-
sire to have the Democracy of Kentucky
work in harmony with the Democracy of
the other States and of the nation. Even
in Kentucky, our candidate for Lieut..
Governor, the Hon Juo. G. Carlisle, was
the author and father of the measure in
our last Legislature, and proelaims this
position in every speech be makes. Gov
Leslie, the chosen ehieftain of our party,
declared in his opening speech at Frank
fort, that he was personally in favor Of
it, and had no doubt the next Legislature
" orlId SO almond our Laws
The people will, therefore, see that our
Democracy is based on State platforms
and endorsed by the chosen and accepted
chieftains of the party. We defy our
Bourbon friends to point to such an
array of endorsement.
We know that the position the Democ-
racy has taken is opposed to the preju-
dices of large and worthy class of our
people, who imagine that it in some way
or other confers additional rights and
privileges upon the negro, and that
defense of such prejudices has been a
fruitful source of popularity to aspirants,
but even when these extreme men come
to realize that no additional right is con-
ferred on the negro, aud that they have
to choose between faction in Kentucky
and the Northern Democracy, they can
have no doubt as to their duty.
The Hickman Courier has advocated
these views many years, long before Ma
jor Hale was candidate for the Senate or
was known to this public politically, and
however high our estimation Of him as
citizen aud gentleman, we shall continue
to do so. We see iu this course the sal
walton DOT only of the Democratic party
but Of American liberty The Northern
Democracy is heart and soul with Us on
every political issue, except the negro
question, and for the sake Of peace, for
the sake of Republican institutions, for
the sake Of civil liberty, for the sake of
gicfogy and the consequent restoration Of
all these blessings, should we not saeri-
fee Whatever preiudices we may have on
this question
Besides. what goods to be accomplish
ed BY opposing negro testimony 1t
don't alter the fact that he i witness;
and the refusal to acknowledge the fact
by his admission into the State courts,
only keeps the question alive and pro-
vokes continual agitation Each side in
this Senatorial District might agree to
not open their mouths on the question:
and yet the condition of the country, the
conflict of the laws, and the esgerness of
Republicans for political capital, would
insure perpetual agitation. Therefore,
its agitation is beyond control, until ex-
isting facts are changed.
Our view offers peace, victory, and re.
stored constitutional liberty, while the
opposite offers only strife, discord, bitter
ness, aud finally must cuiminatc in rcYo
luton aud war. OF course, we know
that Major Hale is as far from desiring
such result as Capt. CLARK or oursolf,
but in our Judgment, the legitimate re-