The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-07-15
Civil Rights Still A Live Issue.

A reporter of the atlanta Herald
interviewed Senator Gordon, a few
days since, and obtained the follow.
ing statement of his views on topic
in which Tennessee is vitality inter.
ested:
Reporter Do you think the
Civil Rights Bill will pass the next
session p
Gen. G.-I am almost sure of it.
You see it failed last session only
because it needed two-thirds vote
to bring it up. Next session it can
be taken up in its regular order and
carried by simple majority. 1t
had sixty-nine majority in tie House
on its issue last month"; With the
same Congress to vote on it next
session, I think it will certainly
pass. F8as
Rep.-Will the President veto it !?
Gen. c. His inclinations will
certainly lead him to do it. The
party pressure though will be very
strong in favor of his sig9ing it, and
1 fear he will not resist it. lie is
very self-willed though. and there is
no saying what he will do. believe
if it could be STAYED off until the
next Congress was elected. it could
be beaten, for l am confident that in
the next House, the majority will be
reversed"
Nothing will be gained by ignor-
ing the fact that this sum of vii
lianies'' is still an issue pending be-
fore Congress and the country-an
issue made up by Radical leaders at
the dictation Of the negroes. 1t may
suit the Maynardites to ignore the
matter for the while, but it is not
good policy with Democrats to do so.
Grant is a very uncertain quantity,
and it does not become freemen to
let such a matter hang on the tickle
will of one man, so long as they can
act themselves in other ways. As the
measure is now pending in Congress,
the people of the whole country
should pass their judgement upon
it, particularly in those States which
would be socially convulsed by its
operation. Tennessee should not
fail of her duty in this respect. Nor
do we limit the duty to Democrats.
If East Tennessee Republicans are
sincere in their denunciations of this
g quintessence Of denominations"
they should give in their verdict at
the ballot-box and elect no man hold
ing the views of Horace Maynard.
Apropos of this question, and in
referring to the BlaclI-and Tan
ticket nominted 10y the Radical eau
Gus here last week, the Memphis
Avalanche says with great truth and
force: According to the equities
that (the negro) race should have
had more than three Of the nine
places on the ticket. In all essent-
ials, that party in both counties is
a colored party. Its leaders in con-
vention at Nashville few months
ago took position on the Civil Rights
bill which forced tbs whites to go
into the now opening political CAM
paign with color as the dividing
line. They forced the issue against
the earnest protest made for years
by patriotic. rejecting men of every
shade of political opinion. The
whites have been compelled to ac-
cept the issue and in not only
in Shelby county, but throughout
the State, the candidates on one
side will be men opposed to the
Civil Rights bill, while on the other
they will be men who endorse that
There can be no middle
ground in the contest. The Repub-
lican party in Shelby and Davidson
counties indorses this bill and, no
matter whether openly or tacitly,
its nominees for public Office must
it also. They must make
up their minds to be judged by the
they keep. This is logi-
cal. There is ne escape from il"