The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-11-02
ADDRESS OF HENRY B. FOLK.
To the Voters OF the Ninth Congress
siounl District.

FELLOW CrrIzExs: Having been repeatedly
and earnestly importuned by many citizens
aware Of my endorsement of the policy Of low
taxes in State and less taxes IN national AFFAIRS
TO run as an independent candidate for Con
gTess. | take this method of announcing myself
such.
vi Jlation of good faith for me to oppose the
present honorable incumbent. IL Is true he IS
the nominee Ofthe Humboldt Convention; but
did not seek the nomination OF that nor any
other convention nor have ! been IN. nor
sought to be in, any political convention since
the judicial convention at Nashville in lS1O-
They are oftener than otherwise run by chronic
court house and crossroads politicians. .briehess
attorneys and self-appointed adventures who
pay no taxes and no debts. 1t has long been
obvious that they are managed by intrigue
and manipulated in the interest of rings a.
against the people, and that they da not always
reflect the sentiments of the masses And II
one should presume 70 oppose or to vote against
the man labeled by such conventions, he Is too
often met with eOntumely and prescription.
Having been left pennies: and friendiess
orphan in childhood. LEARNED to know by sad
experience the privatiOns feelings and distress
es ef the common people and poorer classes:
nor have i forgotten them now in tho noon day
Of life. My every sympathy Is with the strug-
Fling poor, ana Snen ,r 1neit lmbbted,nenIsji bda nnj
! all are seized and sole under distress warrants
| for nOn-payment of taxes, to realize money to
be turned over TO the clamorous sPeeulators IN
State bonds, | am tOuci ed with fellow feeling
for them. Therefore l advocate the lowest tax
possible to run the State government. and none
fOESpaying coupons. until We can either make
a reasonable compromise with creditors, or can
sufficiently recuperate TO resume payment III IT
should take all the next century. l am there
fore for twenty cents tax. or lower, and not
forty.
Any specific tax by Congress upon the staple
product of the soil is unwise and impOlitic. and
calculated to paralyIe industry. lfelected, l
should, therefore, most earnestly oppose the
present direct tax upon your tobacco.
A miIlionS ~ 1Oll1ra have been eNnpnueu by
Congress on Northern Pacific Railroads, riv-
crs and harbors, should strcnuOusly advocate
n subsidy for the Southern Pacific Railroad
and rivers and harbors, as measure tc aid IN
building up the trade of the South, and IN
sheer justice to our section My hor orable op-
pOneRt in the last Congress voted against ap-
propriation for the Southern Pacific Railroad,
and that too in the face Of instructions.
lnasmuch as the South and West need and
demand more currency that they may realize
better prices for their lands and agricultural
products / am not only opposed to resumption,
but in favor of more grecnbaekS.
am in favor of Dorsey B. Thomas for Gov
ernor, because for more than quarter OF Il cen
tury have known him az \ pure conserva-
tive. unselfsh, liberal, Intelligent, upright.
worthy, exemplary citizen and honorable chris.
tian gentleman. and because he advocates the
only policy to bring US relief from the present
crushing rate of taxation, which. if continued.
will lead to the dcpopulatlon AMI rum OF our
noble State.
though bone of my bone. and flesh of my
flesh" yet Tennessee has been my adopted
home for nearly thirty years, and I1cel pa
triotic pride in her SresPerity and renown. IL
was. therefore, with modification that l
entered the striped tent of Tennessee, in the
midst of the splendid State buildings of Ar
kansas and her other sister States, in the
Centennial grounds at Philadelphia. Had
Dorsey B. Thomas been her Governor, n he
probably will be, or Gen. Bate her United
States Senator, as he ought to have en-. or
,harn an NJ / eyn In
be, our salaries would freely have been
dedicated to the erection of State building
for Tennessee equal if not superior to the State
building Of Arkansas and to h'llng the same
with specimens of her agricultural and mineral
products. her soil and her system of railroads
and rivers for the inspection Of the hundreds OF
thousands who now daily thrung the great
| show, rather than see our noble mother. so to
speak, sitting in shame and rags, surrounded
/ by her sisters adorned in sPlendor and maSnih
! cencc
| loved the L MON in the days of such great
men a. Clay. Webster, Calhoun and Benton,
whose gigantic efforts in 1854. to pacily, unite,
/ elevate and advance our common country
/ witnessed; have never ceased to love il, and
with all its faults love it .till ." This
| timent it was. and the course Of conduct re-
| sulting from it. that enabled me in lSSI to vote
| when many Of our most intelligent and worthy
| citizens were deprived of the ballot. And be-
/ cause they were disfranchiScd, ! left my bu>i
| ness, and without fee or the hope of reward,
| canvaSSed Haywood and rurrOunring counties.
/ in due time my old friend and law partner.
| Hon. Henry G.. Smith, then on the Supreme
/ bench at this place. delivering the opinion of
| Court which virtually removed their disabili
! ties, and have voted for many Of them for
! Office. And now for the first time that have
/ solicited their suffrascs. | respectfully insist
! that turn about is fair Play and - one good
/ turn deserves another and that they should
! remember my efforts in their behalf in the dark
/ days of 1877. and for once east their votes for
/ me- regardless Of the party LASH
| advocate the election Of rilden for the
| same reason | do that of Thomas, because |
| believe a change would bring about n moro
| healthy condition of the body polite, and in
sure to the welfare of the country for the scan
| dial fthc bargain and sale of offices at Wash
! ingtOn has its counterpart ut Nashville.
advocate a thorough and efficient system Of
| free schools or none 1t all rather than poor
| one.
| address this communication to you, fellow
citizens rs in some sort defining my views, be-
cause cannot on account of the ShOrtneSS of
the time before the election. address you in
person. which it would afford me great rlcas-
ure to do.
I respectfully solicit your suifraEcs for Con
gresham ut the approaching election. With
sentiments Of regard,
Your Obedient servant.
IIENRY y. FOLK.
Brownsville. Tenn, Oct. 2sth, 1876.