Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-01
TO THE DEMOCRATIC VOTERS OF
TENNESSEE.


The present anomalous political situation
in Tennessee renders it the imperative
duty of the Democratic State Executive
Committee to communicate to the party
such iMormation and advice as may seem
necessary to attain the success Of our party
and through this the triumph of those
political principles which we deem essen
tial to the public welfare. We find the
Radical party of Tennessee thoroughly or
gained, active, energetic and watchful.
It has at its command to do its work in this
canvass thousands of volunteers and seven
tenths of the Federal officials who ere to
be found in every county and In nearly
every civil district of the State. On the
other hand we find the Democratic party
torn with dissensions and distracted about
personal issues as though the contest was
one of men instead of struggle for prin-
ciple. We find independent" candidates
and "bolters" in every Congressional dis
trict and in nearly every county, thus
endangering the success Of the party
and bringing within the range of
reasonable probability, the election of
three or four Radical Congressman and
greatly jeopardizing Democratic major
ity in the Legislature. The result Of the
recent elections in some of the Northern
States has largely increased the probability
of Grants reelection, and thus largely in
creased the necessity for a solid Democratic
delegation in the House of Representatives
| from Tennessee in order to prevent a
change in our government from Democratic
| Republication to Radical Consolidation
and Capitalization. This change the
Grant administration could easily and
would surely make, if we can judge the
future by the past, if the Grant party
should again have two thirds vote in the
House IF Representatives. The memory
of Radical rule in this State is too fresh
in the minds of our people to require any
argument to prove its certain fatality both to
our material interests and our political
| rights. In addition to other important
legislation, the next Legislature will by an
act of the last session of Congress again
lay off the State into Congressional dis
tricts so that we shall have ten Congress
ional districts instead of nine as at present.
The Radicals, vino claim that they viii,
through Democratic discussion, elect ma
jority of the next Legislature, openly avow
tsat if they succeed they will so district the
State as to certaiNy give them five mem
bers of Congress for the next ten years.
These are matters Of Federal and State
legislation too important and too threaten
inc to be overlooked or disregarded.
How shall these apprehended dangers be
surely avoided? We know Of but one plan
which inssres success: That is for the Dem
ocratic voters of the State, to lay aside all
personal preferences and prejudiees, to listen
no longer to the discordant voices Of those
disorganizers who for months past have
been proclaiming from the stump and the
tripod that the great political need Of the
day is the disruption Of the Democratic
party, and stand firmly in this hour of trial
by the well established usages Of the party
and vote for its nominees. The question is
not now whether this or that Democrat
would have made the better candidate, but
whether the nominated candidate is not
preferable to his Radical opponent. We
have endeavored to obtain from reliable
sources in every county in the State ap'
proximate estimates Of the vote that will
be received by the various candidates now
before the people. From the information
thus obtained we give it as our sincere con-
viction that there is not an "independent'
candidate for Congress, not one, who has
the remotest chance for election. We fur
Their give it as our earnest conviction that
the support Of these independents" By a
respectable proportion Of the Democratic
voters of the State will ensure the election
Of from three to FIVE Radical members OF
Congress-among them, that chief of the
tribe, he who fer seven years has been the
most bitter, the most proscriptive, the most
vindictive, the most unrelenting enemy Of
a restoration to the Southern States and
Southern people of the rights and privileges
guaranteed to them by the Constitution Of
the United Ssstes-HOrace Maynard. Ben
iamin F. Butler of Massachusetts, may
have at some time shown some spirit Of
reconciliation, exhibited some disposition
. to forgive, manifested some Indication Of
returning Ieniency-HO.ace Maynard never.
Whenever his single objection could pre-
vent the removal Of political disabilities, be
, has ever been present and prompt to make
, it. After the elective franchise had beer
! restored to the people Of Tennessee; wSeE
peace, quiet and fraternal feeling prevailed
/, in this State, Mr.. Maynard, true to his hos
tility to the people of Tennessee, went u
the room of the Congressional COMMITTEES
| on Reconstruction and privately placed il
the hands of its Chairman, B. F. Butler
, the following propositions to which he haC
obtained the signatures Of five OF his col
leagues:
"FoRTY-FIRsT CONGRESS OF THE UNITED Sis
WASHINGTON CITY, ID. c., Feb. 10, 1876
, | Hon. B. f. BUTLER,
I | C6airynan Reconstruction Committee:
a | GAS Representatives from the State of Ten
, | nessee in the FOrty-FIrst Congress in behalf 0
= | ourselves and our constituents, We submit tn
I | following proposition and earnestly press thel
2 | immediate consideration upon your COMMITTEES
| al We submit that the power now controlling
| the State OF Tennessee is-whOlly Illegal and re
: evolutionary, brought about by fraud and vic
| lence in cOntravention of the constitution Of tn
State as recognized by Congress.
go That the present State government o
e | Tennessee is wanting in the great and essentis
a | requisite of good government without whic
= | peace and happiness are impossible, to-wit, tn
u proper protection of the property and the live
/. | of its citizens
q ss3. The State government OF Tennessee a
now constituted and revOlutiOnized has neve
: ! had any recognition by the Government Of N
d United States, aud we ask that Congress tax
{ immediate steps to provide for US government
| republican in form, that will conduce to tn
Z happiness OF and welfare of all its people.
2 | a.. We ask that y9u supplement- this wQr
S with an act for the enforcement Of the third SET
: ton of the fourteenth amendment to the Con
stitutiOn of the United States"
S Signed: SAMUEL NJ. ARNELL,
2 ". b. STOKES,
W. T. PRossER,
LEWIS TILLMAN,
W. j. SMITH,
HORACE MAYNARD.
Shall this man of political vile and poi
! itieal guile be returned to Congress from tn