Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-08-26
THORNBURGU AND HOUK At
MARYVILLE.
DECIDED VICTORY ron THORN
BURGu.
The Funding BiiI ana Assessment
Iuiquiiy Exposed.
rFramDily Chronicle of Aug. l9l

at the Court House in Maryvilie on
Monday to listen to the joint discussion
between Hon. J. VI. Thornburgh and
Judge Houk, Oh the Congressional
issues. Judge Houk opened the de-
bate. We do not profess to give Il
full report of his speech. We give
only an outline of it, but presen. his
points fairly and not garbled.
SYNOPSIS OF HoUK's SPEECH.
He opened by abiding to hi, early
life in his native county of Blount.
He belonged To the army, and after
wards TO the original panel Of Repub
licans in East Tennessee. He might
be broken up, ground over and made
something else of before he could even
sduint at Democracy.
The Judge opened 10y discussing the
financial question. He thought much
of our present trouble due to allowing
banks to pay interest on deposits. lie
mentioned 10y name bank in Knox
vile, that when the panic broke out
owed its depositors $3.50, QUO, but that
was responsible under its charter FOR
ONLY $4,000 If sent TO Congress he
would change the law controlling Ma
tional Banks. He would pass law so
that the bonds they now deposit at the
Treasury for currency would bear no
interest This would save the S4l,-
900, 900 interest paid on these bonds
He thought the present Internal
Revenue laws a great outrage on our
people, and dwelt at length upon their
harsh penalties. He said poor man
couldn't "bile peach"
He then went into the claims Ques-
ton, and ms sted that Col. Thornburgh
had favored a law which would pay
rebels claims for property used by the
armies He had no bitterness towards
rebels, but they began the rebellion,
and he was not in favor of paying them
for their property.
On the CiNil Rights Bill, Judge HOuk
said he opposed several provisions of
the bill, both on principle and policy.
He claimed that ThOrnburgh indirectly
voted against it, and then favored il by
signing the Congressional Committees
address. He claimed Thornburgh was
not Republican two years ago, and
was not one until this District was
made strongly Republican.
THORNBURGH's OPENING SPEECH.
/ come before you to-day, fellow.
ClIlLtlS, lNEilhS llldL l. all tAAtlOil-
friends. With many of you l have
worked for years in the discharge of
my public duties as Attorney General
of this circuit. In coming before you
as a candidate for Congress, / ask you
to look to my record. Search il as
with lighted candle and then vote
for me if you can. ! come here to-day
not to make you laugh, but TO discuss
principles and acts which interest you
as my constituents. The Congress TO
which | was elected met when the
country was laboring under great
financial embaTrassments. The indus
tries of the country We're paraiyZed.
The Government had a large public
debt to pay of. How has it done it
Have you been taxed any more by the
Federal Government than heretofore
No, for the Government economical
its expenditures and thus helped
pay its debts. Under the policy
of Congress money has become
plentier and the general business
Interests of the country recuperated
Congress legaliZed the issue Of S2G, OOO,,
600 of the Treasury reserve and added
that much to the currency of the coun'
try. 1t also passed a law providing fol-
a more equal distribution Of the cur
ing more to the South and West. Thi.
Congress has done TO relieve thC
troubles referred to by Judge Houk.
WHAT IT HAS DONE ABOUT BoUNTGEs
But, the Judge wants to know why
/ did not do something for the soldier
to equalize bOunties. Well, / will tel
YOU what I did in that matter. Whel
Congress assembled, IL found the rev
G. II q .... !
falling of to a large extent, because %
the panic. II had, therefore, 10 econ
omize Is AN individual does who find
his income cut down Does the gen
tleman know what it will take t
equalize the bounties be talks about
That whole subject belongs 10 IA
Military Committee, to which | hay
the honor TO belong. | have studio
the whole subject and know what la
been done. 1t has been estimated tina
tt equaliZe thesoldiers' bounties woul
take from $50, 900, 600 to $50, 900, 00l
Some estimate it at the first sum an
Others at the latter. But we prepare
bill to give each soldier eight an
one-third dollars per month, for IN
time he served. Those who serve
one year 10 get 500, those who serve
two years 500 and three years 500
They are all to be made equal. / IA
vored that bill. He asks me if / mad
a speech in its favor and i say no, an
if he ever gets to Congress he will fin
he can only speak when he gets
chance, and that is hard 10 get so q
TO have any one to listen TO you.
ABOUT NATIONAL BANKS.
My opponent wants some change !
the National Bank system, but fail
to propose any. ] voted against allow
ing these banks to pay interest on de
posts. Mr.. HOuk says the bonds (
the National Banks have on depOs
and upon which they dra'
interest ought TO be with
drawn and nOn-interest bearin
ponds put in their place. But how
le 10 doit? The only way to take u
th,se bonds is 10 redeem them accord
ingto law. Can the Government ~
deem hundreds Of millions of thes
bondsnOw ? Is IL able? If a man hold
your n,te how ear you take it up, bu
by payiig it? Any other way is rob
berry, anobanks have rights as well a