Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-10-28
T. A. JAMES AND henry S. FOOTE
AT GAINESVILLE.


tlently, but with lively interest, to
hear something from the conflicting
candidates for the State Electorship,
and on Tuesday last, THE close ofthe
campaign, we were treated to a discus
sion between Messrs. james and Foote,
both men of distinguished ability, in
which the main topics Incidental to the
presidential contest were handled with
a degree of vigor and talent which
conviced us that the debate was at
least worth waiting for.
The Hon. f. A. James first took
the stand, and after having promised
that in all he had to say, he meant to
be understood as attacking, not the
masses of the party, whom he believed
to be honestly devoted to its princi-
pies, but its leaders who were making
political opinions the pretext of pub
lie plumber, he at once took the ag-
gressive.
He commenced with the credit mo-
JiI'er frauds. He showed first, how a
land grant had been given for the pur-
pose Of building the railroad from the
Mississippi to the Pacific, how that
grant was more than sufficient to build
the road, being equal in extent and
value to many European Kingdoms;
then, under pretence of their necessity
for ready money, how the government
had loaned them its bonds to the
amount of over S4O,OOOOOO, taking a
lien on the road as security for them
with various provisions for paying IN
terest on them and installments on the
principal. These we're spoken of as
enormous privileges to be granted
TO an irresponsible corporation, but
excusable on account of the intense
eagerness existing at that time TO have
railroad communication from the At
lantic to the Pacific. But after rails
ing the Sl0.OO0,O 900 of bonds to SOC, 00O,-
coo we come to the legislation Of 1864.
We have now an enormously wealthy
corporation IN the lobby and what
could not wealth do in the Hobbies of
the capitol in 1864
1t did this First, the land grant
was doubled, then the security which
the government had taken for its bonds
was nulljfed by allowing the company
TO issue its own bonds, giving them
the privilege Of first mortgage, which
had been reserved to the government
bonds when they were issued. This
was virtually giving the road $4,000, =
600 without security, and one would
have thought that the most audacious
corporation would not ask more, but
this stupendous corporation has now
devised the credit mobjlicr company
for the purpose of being allowed to
take their own contracts at their own
price. To be brief, the executive com
mittee which was virtually the board
of directors, also bought up the stock
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sold to the bond holders
What had been said already had