Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-09-30
GUBERNATORIAL.
The Canvass Opened at JOnesbOrO
by Porter and Maynard.
The Issues Clearly stated and ABLY
Handled by Our Next Governor.


Democratic party is pledged to economy
in the administration of the State gov
eminent and against an increased taxa.
ton. The great drouth and our present
poverty made it necessary to oppose an
increase of taxation, and the practice Of
economy, always wise and proper, is now
our escape from insolvency, and in the
enforcement of this idea there is an alb
solute necessity that all useless and I'M
necessary offices must be abolished, exces.
siye salaries reduced and men who con-
troll and collect public revenue held TO
the strictest accountability; the credit
and good name of the State must be
maintained and all its just debts and OBJ
legations paid. The Democratic party
cannot afford to be dishonest; it cannot
afford to imperil its good name by the
adoption of any policy that looks to re-
pudiation.
In four years of Democratic rule in
Tennessee the bonded debt of the State
has been reduced from S43, 1852, 62S &C to
$40, 9SO,s5l %.
The old issues Of the Bank of Tennes-
see, amounting to $2,l79,37T 10 has
been received into the treasury and can
celed.
The floating debt, consisting in part
of outstanding treasury warrants,
amounting October l, 1871, to S752,-
All 81, has been reduced up to July l,
1874, to $232,O66 OIL.
The loan account has been reduced
since January l, 1874, from $500, 900 to
1921, 900, and the country demands that
this good work shall be continued until
this great incubus is taken from our
shoulders.
On eur civil rights question he says;
The position occupied by the Democratic
party of Tennessee on this grave ques-
ton is well defined, and cannot be mis-
understood, and has my unqualified in
dorsement, but am not opposed to the
bill now pending in the Congress OF the
United States because of any opposition
l have to doing full justice to the colored
people.
When a member of the Legislature of
Tennessee voted against bill to expel
free negroes from the State when such
Union men as Senter, Trewhitt and
others of East Tennessee we're earnest
advocates Of the measure. Free negroes
had no voice in public affairs then, and
my action was simply the result of
disposition then, as now, to do them
Justice. In Tennessee the colored man
has all the civil rights that are secured
to the white man, and no party seeks to
interfere with their enjoyment. 1t is true
the temporary chairman of the Conven-
ton that nominated my competitor, as
stated, thrice repeated the statement
that if the Democratic party was re-
stored to power it would remand the
colored man back to slavery. And l re-
fer to it TO say that it was made through
ignorance or partisan malice, and
whether intended or not, is gross SLAM
der upon party composed OF men more
loyal in every sense of the word than
their detractors. Ny competitor was
present when the SANDER was published,
and it is for him to say whether he con-
scented to it. The purpose Of this adj
dress was to arouse a feeling of enmity
on the part of the blacks to the whites
in order to enforce party discipline and
impose upon the credulity of the black
man, and to blind him, if possible, to
his true interests and to a disposition Of
his real friends. What more than this
do the colored people want2 If they
are wise or thoughtful they must know
that it is an impossibility while they are
now full participants in the benefits of
our common school system.
The action of the Superintendent of
Public instruction during last summer,
in suspending the entire system when it
was believed that the pending bill would
become a law, must have learned the
colored people that, while the taxpayers
of the State generally admitted them to
a full participation in the benefits of the
common schools, they would destroy the
whole system before they will be made
the victims Of the Congressional social
rights bill Irepeat that do not oppose
this bill because Of my unwillingness to
see justice done to this people, but the
reverse. / do not want to see this gross
act Of injustice put upon them. | be-
lieve that the two races, if let alone, can
and will live harmoniously, for / cannot
forget that through four years Of war no
hand Of revolt, sedition or mutiny was
lifted up by them. They thus demon
strated to the world that their eight mil
lions Of masters we're not merciless des-
pots, and that, contrary to all outside
views, kindly feeling did exist between
the two races: and 1 believe that when
ever the colored people learn to appre-
ciate the political prostitutesand carpet
baggers by whom they are now infu-
enced and controlled, the whites and
blacks will live along side Of each other
with mutual good will and good offices.
The people OF Tennessee will resist the
passage Of this bill, and its execution if