The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1874-10-09
The Candidates for Congress.

Last week TO hear the candidates for
Congress. Col. Nelson led in speech
of ono hour. lie Is ready talker, and
his exordium was pretty aud in good
taste. lie had been nominated by the
Republican party. aud proposed TO car.
ry its banner and defend II on every
stump In the District. The Republican
party was the legitimate offspring of
the old Wing party, around whose
history and that Of its great leader and
founder, Henry Clay, so many glorious
recol.ections and memories clustered.
The Republican party had been in pow.
or more than twelve years; II had
achieved much; had conducted the war
for the Union successfully, brought Or
der ought of chaos, and had reduced
the public debt. created in prosecuting
the war, q billion of dollars. lis mis-
siou was not YET ended, aud its mainte.
nance was essential 10 bring the coun-
try back 10 the condition OF peace, quiz
etude and prosperity which prevailed
before the war. lie didn't claim that
the Republican party was pure; there
were scoundrcls in all parties, and he
wasn't sure that strict investigation
would not show few corrupiionists
ia tho Democratic party. His COMPETE
tor was in the habit Of charging whole
sale corruption and :hievery upon the
Republican party. Suppose now that
he turn his attention in the direction of
Nashville and tell us who Hobbs is.
! That's what WE would like TO know.
Who in the devil is Hobbs?l How did
IL happen that Comptroller Burch could
afford 10 pay $4,000 for an Office that
had n salary of only $500 attached to
Iit? There was something rotten in
that dodger, sure. There, too, was the
funding bill and the assessment law
both wrong and hurtful measures, pass
ed by Democratic Legislature. His
ccmpetitor was opposed 10 the tariff; he
was in favor Of protection, as necessary
to the encouragement of the industry
and The development of the resources
of the country. Take away protection,
and the fire in every Furnace in East
Tennessee would go out. Col. Nelson
warned the audience that his competi-
tor would talk good deal about the
civil rights bill; but il was not a civil
rights bill, but social rights bill, and
he (Nelson) was as much opposed to il
as Gen. Dibrel or any other man. His
competitor kept poking Horace May
nard at him. 1t was not his province
nor pleasure 10 defend Maynard's rec
ord; that gentleman was amply able to
defend himself. Col. Nelson's perora.
ton, like his exordium, was neat and
pretty, and altogether his effort was
quite crcditablo.
Gen. Dibrell's appearance was greet
IA ---'.n "l'pIausc, and he commenced
" e"! ''S '""I ho maui Nv pIetCnSloHS
TO oratory. He could not like his young
and ardent competitor, leave this dull
ploddiug earth, soar above the clouds
and go sky-scraping among the bound
less realms'of fancy. He had becu Sc
cctcd by The Democrats and Conserva-
tives Of the District as their standard.
bearer; he was farmer, and proposed
TO talk to the people in plain, matter.of-
fact way. lie read the platform adopt.
ed by tho Democratic party Of the State
and Of the District. lie, too, had been
a member of the old Wing party and
followed its banner rs long as il float.
ed over an inch of unsectionalized terri.
tory. Since the war there had been
but two parties-the Republican and
the Democratic parties. lie had attached
himself 10 the latter, and was there to
defend its principles rs best no could.
lie then took up his competitors speech
aud went through IL in pretty lively
manner. Read the civil rights bill and
commented upon 1t at length, showing
that II was a pet measure Of the Repub-
lican party, that they intended TO pass
II, and that If Col. Nelson should be
electcd---of which he didn't think there
was any great dangcr--and his vote
should BIO necessary to its passage, they
would force him into its support. Up
ON the currency question Gen. Dibrell
was particularly forcible, standing up.
on the positions Of his party and tri-
umphantly sustaining them. He refer.
red 10 tho numerous frauds and corrtip-
tons Of the Republican party, gross
and palpabe rs a mountain, which had
made II stink in the nostrlls Of the
country. Col. Nelson said there were
rascals in the Democratic party. Ger
tainly there were; but, whenever tho
Democracy detected one of its officers
a,nali,c 70 ,no1iatnl,, hin,