The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-09-27

4zccording to announcement the seve-
raj candidates for LIE gislative honors.
made speeches az the Court House Mon.
day last. Maj. ]. II. Akin, said he was
only candidate in obedience to the
earnest solicitations Of large number
of citizens; it was no desire Of his to run
for the Office, but he had announced
himself candidate subject to primary
election, and he called upon his Compel
itors to abide the decision of the people;
if he be not the man, q cordial support
would be- given the nominee. Major
Akin is bold and forcible speaker, and
urged most eloquently, that the people
organize, and give Greeley warm sup
port. -
John Ballanfant next took the stand
and in a well-written, chaste and elo-
quent speech, had the attention of the
audience for about an hour. Mr.. B. did
not say it was his first effort at speech
making, but he did say it was the first
time he ever offered for Office. He was
identified with the people of Maury-a
large number of whom had, through the
press, insisted on him offering for the
office; it was no wish of his run for the
office, but he believed it to be the duty
of every man TO obey the wishes of the
people. He believed in retrenchment
in the machinery of the government; the
chairman of the county court, tax asses
sors, and tax-collectors receive by half
too much; magistrates should not serve
as jurors, and the road-law should be so
amended as to subject every man to 6 or
10 days work on the public roads each
year, or pay 50 per day. The farmer,
"the bone and sinew of the land" was
particularly eulogized, and he said fur
hot -, L,x< q
per day Tor their services, and the tax
on marriage license should be SO de-
creased as to permit more people to obey
the divine instructions: multiply and
replenish the EARTH" Mr.. Ballanfant
closed without saying whether he was
in favor of or against primary elections.
The next speaker was Joe w. Gordon,
Esq. He said, unlike his predecessors
he was not before them at the urgent So
licitations of "many friends, /" "many
citizens" "Vox populi," DC, and he
deemed any sacrifices that may accrue
as being sufficiently overbalanced by tt 9
honor conferred. This was his first po-
litical speech, and it was with no little
embarrassment he appeared before so
intelligent an audience. 1t had been
remarked that he was too young-he was
not thought too young when the tOcsin
of war sounded through our loved South.
History furnishes us some glorious ex-
amples Ofthe great deeds of men young
in years. In the last legislature, Enloe
and Harris, two of the youngest men,
bers of that body, did more than others
to lessen the taxes, and thereby made
their names dear to the people of the
State. Mr. Gordon said that he was OPP
posed to the redemption of the Torbett
money, and he gave good reasons for his
opposition to the 10 per cent. law. The
speech of Mr.. Gordon was an agreeable
surprise to his friends, ard elected much
favorable comment from those who
heard it. He is in favor of primary
election. F..r FL. ri.
We regret that business engagements
prevented us the pleasure of hearing the
other candidates, Andrew Jackson, j.
T. Moore and John T. Sparkman. A.
T. Gray, candidate for fioater, we un-
derstand, made speech.
We learn that in his rejoinder, Maj
Akin took issue with Mr.. Ballanfant in
reference to magistrates acting as jurors,
and the amount paid the chairman. He
said the Legislature wisely left the ques-
tinn of the chairman's pay to the respec-
tive counties; for it was evident what
would be good pay to the chairman of
the county court of Lewis would be in
adequate for that of Maury. He con-
tended that the magistrates should be
jurors for thereby they become better
acquainted with the law, and conse-
euently better qualified to adjudicate
matters between litigants.