Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-09-12
SPEECH OF HON. HENRY R. GIBSON.
Republleanlsm VS.. Democracy.
STATE FINANCES DISCUSSED,
A Terrible Exposure Of Frauds.
TuE rENNEssEE rAMMANY.

| lowing to the lateness OF the nour "hel
Senator Gibson concluded his speech a
the court house night before last, and II
order to give our readers an accurate ab
stract of the Senator's mastery effort, w
have delayed publishing his speech unit
this morning.]
| SPEECH.
The moment politics is mentioned nov
every one Immediately thinks of Gran
and Greeley. We almost forget that we
are Tennesseeans, and that State questions
ought to engage our attention somewhat
Having, while i'm the State Senate, learned
many facts which my friends thought the
people ought to know, at their suggestion
am here Tonight. fH
TENNESSEE WHEN THE WAR ENDED.
Let us, for moment, turn our face tc
the past. What was the condition of Ten
nessee when the war ended? No Governor,
no District Attorneys, no law. The IA
brio of government had been thrown down
and Law ruined and scattered in the dust
while grim anarchy stalked supreme
through the land. We had no money in
our county treasures no money i'll our
State Treasury, business was PROSTATE, OuI
railroads torn up anu demolished by the
iron hands of war.
WHAT THE REPUBLICANS HAD TO DO.
Amid this general ruin the Republican
party took possession of the State; and in
few years, as if by magic, the fabric of
government was made new, the temples of
Justice rebuilt, the public treasures replen-
ished the railroads reconstructed, business
revived, and law and order. peace and har-
mony reigned supreme from Johnson to
Shelby. l
CONSERVATISM.
But the Political Satan entered this Para
disc. Andrew Johnson divided the Re-
publican party, and begat Conservatism in
Tennessee. Then arose discord and violent
discussion. The Democracy took hope,
and the Democratic press opened its bat
teries on Brownlow and his party, keep
ing up ceaseless bombardment of Islander,
abuse, villification, Misrepresentation and
falsehood The very air was thick with
their sulphurous volleys, and every mans
ears deafened with their satanic hullaba-
loo
DEMOCRATIC CHARGES.
The Republicans were called "proscrip-
tive" 1t was charged that they Kept open
the wounds of the war. They were called
'tBond Thieves and RAILROAD Ringers
Their denial of the right of voting to rebels
was calledunconstitutiona and tyrannical.
The Republican office holders were repre-
scented as growing rich at the expense of
the Taxpayers. The school law was de-
nounced as only devised to swarm the
land with county superintendents. And
the management of the penitentiary was
denounced as criminal. ...- ..-.-e.
THE SENTER MOVEMENT.
Just then Gov. Senter came out in favor
of universal suffrage. The Republican
Asx,f1 nI nd ftn
people, tired of the Internal political din,
and longing for political quiet, allowed the
Democrats to take possession of the State
and they have been In possession ever
since.
HOW THE DEMOCRATS HAVE KEPT THEIR
PROMISES.
/ will now proceed to show you how
these Democrats have kept their promises.
They said we were too proscriptive,"
that we kept up the "war issues" and
prevented "peace and reconciliation"
But when they got into power, did they
lay aside the "war issues ?' All, no!
They called Constitutional Convention,
composed almost exclusively of rebel Off
GERS. They turned every Union man out
of Office, and put rebel soldiers in their
places. And to-day all of the principal
officers of our State Government are grad
yates of JEFF. Davis army. They repealed
all the Union laws They gerrymandered
the State so as to keep any Republican
from being elected to the Legislature.
Senator DuBose, their leader in the Legis-
lature, said in the Senate: I" In redistrict-
ing the State no member of the Radical
party was consulted. Our main object
was so to redistrict the State that for the
next ten years not Republican could be
elected to the Legislature of Tennessee. [
believe in the law of revenge. The Radi-
Gals DISTINGUISHED us, and now we intend
to disfranchise them"
The Democrats re-districted the State
Congressionally, in order to prevent any
Union man being elected. They wholly
disregarded the wishes of the people of
East Tennessee. "To keep Radicals out of
office is doing God SERVICE, they said.
And 30, gentlemen, you see how these
Democrats "elasp hands across the bloody
chasm" when they get into power. a E
sQUANDERfNe THE PEOPLES MONEY.
Now let us examine their second charge,
that we squandered the peoples money.
This is matter of figures. Figures don't
lie" and they will show who has suuan-
dered the peoples money. -.
The Republican Government cost the
State
For the year 1861, SI.776O 900
Deduct for f-,.
State Guards S195, 900 Fl -1
Met Police, $1,000 --f-
Frazier's Trial, 1900
Regist of Voters, lo,OOO y
Int. paid on Debt, 777,0OO. l,059,ooO
Cost of ordinary expenses, S717,OO
For the year 1967-68. 1921, oOo
Deduct for:
Penitentiary, SlUS'0Oo