Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-05-16
THE FIRST GUN FOR THE TWENTY
CENTERS.

CENTERS.
Andrew johnson spoke his piece to
the people of Nashville, last week.
As matter of course, it is character
istie-that is, 1t is medley of political
truths and adj captanduns claptrap. /
We agree with him, that the system of |
national banks ought to be abolished |
and the twenty-four millions saved |
which the people pay to those financial
cts, without an equivalent. But we
do not agree with HIM that payment of
interest on the State debt should be
suspended. This is partial repudia-
ton. sugar-coated with the plea of
hard times and without showing of
ultimate relief-the bonded interest,
we presume, will draw interest for the
time it is over due, and it is surely
wiser fnanciering to pay interest on the
principal than to pay interest on both
principal and interest. Nor can we see
anything butdemagoguery in raisingthe
cry of hard times and heavy taxation,
as if Tennessee were an exceptional
case. Hard times and heavy taxes are
epidemics outside of monopolies and
money centers, and there are States
which pay higher taxes than this-both
northern aud southern.
The State tax for 1870, was, We be-
lieve. twenty-cents on the hundred
dollars, but so insufficient was it, to
meet the demands of the State, that
the rate was increased to sixty cents
for 1871 A subsequent Legislature
reduced it from the last named figure
TO forty cents, and under this rate, ar
rangements have been made to meet
the interest on the State debt, and sure
ly the people can as well afford to pay
forty cents now, as sixty, three years
ago. The honest statesman, like the
honest man in private life, will not blur
the honor of his State by covert repu-
diation, but by rigid economy and in
creased efforts meet the obligations in
CURED. The State debt is the joint
debt of all Its citizens, and as honest
men will submit to severe trials and
privations TO maintain individual cred
il, the people, as whole, should do the
same thing to maintain their credit as
4 community Believing that forty
cents is as low a rate of taxation as will
meet the interest and the current ex-
penses of the State government, it
ought not to be reduced, and the people
should seek relief by enforcing a rigid
economy by abolishing every Office
which is not indispensable; by full
assessment of all property at fair
value, and by subjecting to taxation
the large amount which is now exempt
under the pretense of promoting be-
neyolent objects.
Nine out often of those who are prom
inent twenty-centers and anti-funders,
have axes to grind, and are trying to
wheedle the people into turning the
stone, by sham cry of low taxes,
which they profess to believe does not
mean reputation, but, as Mr.. John
son has it, is only partial suspension
of the bonded interest. How much
honor ana ultimate profit will the State
gain by suspending the payment Of in
terest and lowering the rate of taxa
ton? Nothing of either. On the
contrary, there will be a heavy loss of
credit and large increase of indebt-
edness-that is, presuming that princi-
pal and interest are both to be ulti-
mately paid. If mot, repudiate at once
and save the entire amount of princi-
pal and interest, as well as what may
be lost by partial payment of inter
est.
We agree with Mr.. johnson in his
recommendation of harmony among
the conservative men Of all parties,
not forgetting however. that he is for
harmony, provided all agree with, and
will elevate him TO some coveted po-
.-,.,,n ,.bo,,r,so h. ctonIa ,aoJ IL nc
in the last general election. to erect
the standard of revolt and invite the
Radicals to enjoy the victory he will
have won for them. His twaddle
about bringing the government nearer
to the people, we cannot appreciate
until he explains by what process a
thing can be bought nearest to itself
the people being, theoretically, the
government, they are as close to it as
they can get. He partially explains
however, by saying it can be done by
giving TO the people the right to elect
the President and United States Sena-
TORS. They do both already, and the
particular mode is less Objectionable
than disturbing the Constitution in or
der to effect the change Besides. CEN
tralizatiOn has gone far enough without
altering the Constitution of the only
federal body designed to represent the
sovereignty of the States. If Mr..
johnson is opposed to States rights. he
is consistent in this recommendation,
but we can't go with him.
THE only way to elevate public life
is to induce the educated, the expert
enced and the patriotic TO come forward