The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-12-10
Breakers Ahead.
Editor Home journal

ol"UF W lhc Hc" = VI Wv p""L'
and members elect OF the next Legs
,ature are in favor Of calling q COnstI-
u'iunal Convention.
| am opposed to it, and desire to
state the reason why.
The Constitution Of 1884 dill rot
confer upon the Legislature authority
to borrow RoDcy tor any purpose ;
but the CUns,i'ulinn Of 1870 cOnfers
upen the Legislature authority 10 issue
the bonds Of the State to n certaig
class Of railroads. to an unlimited
amount. See Sec, 80, Art, 2
The history VI the section aforesaid
Is q iiltlc curious. Let us look al it.
The Convention met on the 10Th OF
Jlnuary. On the 9Th Of February Mr..
Kennedy, OF Montgomery, offered tn"
section in question AS an independent
section, Iae Committee to whom 1t
was referred made two reports ON the
l2th-u majority report in favor 81 It,
and a minority report against 1t. On
the lGLh the yeas and nays were taken,
and tue section rejected by a tie vote,
yeas "a NAYS "a. A o. Y, Nicholson
voted in the negative, hut John {,
Brown aud James ID Porter did not
vote al all. On the 18th Mr., Porter,
of Haywo ID, entered a melton TO r.
consider. On the l9Lh, on motion OF
Mr.. Baxter, the motion of Mr.. Porter,
Of Haywood, 10 reconsider the vote
aforesaid, WAS taken up, Mr. Dihbrrll
moved TO lay tle motion to reconsider
on the table, which motion was reject
cd-yeas 81, nays a. Nicholson voted
in the affirmative, but John &. Brown
and james d. Porter, Dr., voted IN the
NEGATIVE. The mstion to reconsider
was adopted The vote was ih"n taken
a second time upon the section pro
posed by Mr. Kennedy, and the sec,
ton Was adopted, yeas 81, nays 20
Nicholson voting in N" negative and
Johm c. Brown and James d. Porter,
Jy, IN The affirmative. Ga The %
the Convention adjourned.
THIS Hide scrap u history ia inter
e>tios Iii, safe To Say that A O, 7.
Nicholson, JOHN {. Brown ana Jurncs
ID. Porter, Dr.. were the most influential
men in the Convention Of 1870, and il
sccln7 reasonable to presume that If
Brown aad Porter had not placed their
shoulders to the wheel, Sec. 80 Of Art.
2 would not have berI ia tue Consll-
LutiOn.
1t is true that Political Economy
says that "pubIjc prosperity can never
pc advanced by borrowing, except
where the capital SO obtaiHed IS cn
pIoyed in safe and certain modes OF
successful production, which can rarely
if even b. the case - hut notwi,hsland
ing this fact the railroad rings gained
ia great victory in the Convention OF
1870, and the Legislature vii, be mould,
Ell by them at some future period, like
clay in the hands of the potter.
The present State hondholders, how,
ever, whose bonds are void upon their
very face un Ter the Constitution ct
1884, Gd not receive any c"nslI
tullonal recognition at the hands OF
the convention OF 1870, and therefore
they desire another con, cntion to he
called in order that they may get u
provision incorporated in the State
Constitution, similar to that in The So
called lilh amendment IN relation to
the Federal debt. This is what they
desire. This is what they will accom-
pllsn if another Com.rnion assemblies,
unless money loses its mi rGce ovrl
the minds Of men. And this is the
principal reason why | I'm opposed TO
tn" calling of a Constitutional Convcn
ton at Til, time.
Amendments can he made withou,
holding Conventions. Amendment,
which are proposed and agreed to by /
majority Of one Legislature, approve,
hy two thirds of the mrnnhcrs of The
next Legislature, and ratified bv Il ma
jorjtv Of the people at the bAllot.hoX
become apart OF the Constitution.
lie, this course be adopted now
Let Sec 80 Of AIT. 2 he rxpumgei
Aud let us have n section providing
that public dents shall never hG ere
nteA, either by the State Or any county
city or town and that interest on pub
lie debts shall never be paid.