Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-19
VOX R0PULI.

To the Union and American:
There is no feature Of the public opinion
now developing which is more manifest, or
becoming moe aggressive than the deter
minatiOn to demand from whoever is in
power hereafter a reform i'm the administra-
ton of affairs. The consummatisn of this
purpose may be postponed for time, but
those through whose instruInentality such
postponement is effected will be held to
strict accountability. There is a spirit of
Intelligent appreciation of existing evils
among the people that viii not be banked
in its purpose of removal and reformation.
This spirit is not one of agrarianism, nor
communism, nor rel udiationism ofjust OBJ
| legations, no more than it is one of class
| i'm or favoritism. 1t demands honesty
and economy in the administration Of gov
eminent, and an equal distribution of its
burdens. By existing laws labor is I'M
| justly and unequally burdened with
taxes to support an unnecessary
number of office-holders, and TO
pay the extrayagant salaries of those neces-
Sary, and with high rates of interests TO
protect and enrich capitalists. The false
hood of the proposition that to command
honesty and ability in office, high salaries
are necessary, is the demonstration of the
portion 10 the rewards of productive labor,
and never were there such imbeciIity and
corruption in office throughout the nation.
| Tie demand of the hour on the part of
the people is to put the knife to the root of
these evils aud cut them of. No tempuriz-
ing viii satisfy OF silence this demand. Ii
is the demand Of the increased intelligence
of the people, and of their determination
| TO take greater share in the direction of
their affairs as the outgrOwth of that in
| creased intelligence.
II is only those whose craft Of monOp-
oily, special privilege, or offices are i'm dam
ger that fear this spirit. To such only the
prospect Of improvement in the affairs of
the people forebOdes danger. From such
We hear hoarse notes of caution. They
tell us to mind, lest, that in cutting Off ex-
cresences, we lOp off sound branches to
be careful, that in retrenching and reform
ing, we do not impair the efficiency of gov
eminent, and ever SO much more
in the same strain. Let no one
be deceived by such words of
timidity. This is the language that power
and monopoly always use. To those thus
Directing you can propose no measure Of
reform and relief that does not come with
in their exceptions. 1t is the utterance of
the same Old spirit that WOdld keep the
masses Of the people under their control,
ON the plea that they are not qualified TO
manage their affairs. This plea has been
effective in keeping them under the yoke
fer most Of the time past, but it is now too
late in the day to be any longer successful
in that direction
These are some OF the thoughts which,
as one of them, l would address TO the
working people of Tennessee, through your
paper, which is one Of the organs of the peo-
pie. would say to all productive labor
eTs of the State, let there be no undue ex-
element among US, at this important crisis
in our affairs, no indulgence in passions,
no reminding of extinguished fires of FORM
er contests, no calling from the buried past
Of dead issues, no pandering to sectional or
other prejudices. But let us all together
take matters into our hands and determine
that every needless office shall be abolished,
every extravagant salary shall be cut down
to just equality with the rev ards of pro-
ductive labor, and every delinquency and
corruption in office be punished.
j. W.B.
GORDONsvILE, Aug. 10, 1874.