Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-10-13

| bell Car oil, Harris and johnson have digni
| fed and hCnored, let him, before he is Sc
! duced by the cry of low taxes, remember thest
| two things. Governor Porter next read the
oath OF ftx-Jomplroller H Obbs, certifying tha
said Dru1mond was justice of the peace
| How be VIII harmonize this solemn oath
| with his circular TO the voters of Madison
Upton, Lauderdale and Haywood counties" d"
will leave TO himself; but when he uudeYtak es
! the task, call upon him to explain, IN gddi.
| ton. the application made to The present con-
gress Tor payment of the account paid in
ApIi', 1880, and 10 show his authority for d :
manOinR pay ttctce for one service
- HIS LEGISLATIVE RECORD
is rot consistent with his present position.
Now he is opposed to the payment Of any part
of the State debt, but, on the eighteenth OF
October 1863, he - as a mem her OF the state
senate, and voted for this resolution Journal,
iS69-70 page 49,:
BY Mr. Hall, senate joint resolution No. 6,
viz:
WHEREAS, Reckless extravaeance on tbe
part OF those who have heIetoiors controlled
the state SoyeInrnent, In pledging the public
faith by the iss1ahc6 OF state bonds, has
tended greatly to impair the public credit,
and 1npsrt distrust 10 the minds of many as
10 me ul innate payment OF our pablo debit
and whereas, a people who in all their history
nave shown serupulous fidelity, CONNER
clally and otherwise, TO private obligations
must consider justice to all pubiie oredItOrs al
essential 10 tne honor and equity OF the Sta.e; /;
Resolved bN the General Assembly of the
state ~ tennessee, That the people OF Tennes-
see VIII slgaalize their restoration to the
control OF puollc affairs by san ctIoniDg In any
manner indl1el ence to public obi EatIons
ReSoired. Tnat expedIeucy, t Eether with
the honor and good faith of the state, der1anc
taat the interest on the public debt be paid at
the earliest practicable ie moment, and lis pTin
cipal securely provided for at n4turity, and
TO these ends, under careful retrenchment
and rigid economy in all other respects the
entire available resources and revenu of the
STs te should De applied as they in honor re-
pledged.
Tn., rtas0 rfI4-
..un was then adopted.
In tue following February senate bill No.
T3, TO sustain the credit of the state, was on
Its third reading. This bill provided for a
State Lsx of thirty cents Senator Mhvi-
moved 10 strike out thirty cents and insert
ten cents. Mr.. Thomas voted against the mo-
tlon. Senator Etheridge tried to Uefest the
bill with motion to lay the Oi on the table.
Mr.. Thomas voted no, and while this Dill was
ment to reauce the tax on polls to seventy five
cents. The amendment was laii upon the
table, Mr.. Thomas voting for 1t; the bill passed
the senate,
Mr.. THOMAS vQT1EG ITS IAG AGAINST THE RE-
Of the tax from thirty to ten cents, and against
the reduction of The pOll-tax to sevepty-fve |
cents. This bill was amended, by the house |
Of represe otattves, and returned to the senate |
with provision for the tax of twenty cents |
Instead OF thirty. Mr.. Thomas vol ed aga1nst |
Ii, and lost the only opportunity Of his life OF |
voting for twenty cents And again, IN 1870, |
u a second session OF the senate, during the /
reading of senate bill No. 1873, to provide q rev.
snue Tor the Stale, the bill provldedifOr tax
Ii eighty cents, an amendment was offered re-
jucing the levy to sixty cents. Senator Morris
'ffeJed an amendment reducing 1t to twenty
i've cents. Mr.. Thomas voted against the mo
ion and against the motion striking out eighty
ents and inserting sixty cents; ana up II GIie
passage of the bill his Vot6 Is recorded in Its
avor. The condition of the taxpayers of
Tennessee is as good to-day as 1t was in 1870, |
md the very argument that the Democratic
'arty makes to-day IN opposition to an In
resse of the rate or taxation was mace upon
he floor of the senate by senators Morris, |
ilauguter and Others when ssnste hill one |
hundred and thirty-three, providing for q tax
# eighty cents, received the support of Mr..
'homas. He was then deaf 20 the cries of an
impoverished peO pie. N0ID his heart is full of
owe for them, and pity tor their calamtt1es;
nd you will remember that the Democratic
lat orm OF 1874 was recently readOpted. Mr..
,homas was then, in 1874 candidate for gov
ruor His name was placed in Omiuation
ter the adoption of the platform. He was
g 4dy to o"accepJ TIE nomination with the res
buttons annexed" and then cordially in
orsed the policy of the party and supported
Is candidates. r.
WHY THIS CHANGE?
Mr.. Thomas has a mission tn 'the masses OF
/ parties" When did Or. Thomas become
ne champion of the people? Was it when he
x at ssventy-five cents? Was 1t when he
oGed to levy a State tax OF eighty cents2 Or
7as It when he voted against senate bill No.
Il cad from senate journal of lS70-7l, page
/
70rtn OF material in the possession of any
D echanic in the state who is the head of q
4Toily, from sale by legal process?" Or was Il
Jhen he voted in favor OF senate bill No. IS,
all property of municipal cor
orations from sale" Inc friend of the peo-
lei II the humble labOrer shall have a de- !
land against a municipal corporation for
FORK snd labor done, and payments refused,
e provides that all the property OF the cor
Grafton snail be exempt from levy and safe.
ut where IS the exemption from the laborer
he is the debtor to the corporation? Was |
for this service in the interest OF the laborer,
le farmer or merchant, who might become
ebtors of the corporation that mas 'csused
he masses OF all parties to cali him |
ut as their candidate? Or was II for
le valuable services he rendered upon the
ass -ge Of Uhe~bill exemptiug one hundred
o1Iars of the wages of the laborer? Tell the
)untry how he voted. L charge him with
otIng against the bill, and charge that dur
lg his It enatorlal career of three sessions in
go year., amounting to two hundred and
ghIy-three days, he did not vote for single
ieasure of relief or reform, but that he voted
uiformly In the interest of the railroads, the |
1rpOrationS, and the moneyed oligal chy, as
on call IL. In conclusion, Governor Porter
i'd he knew there wer5 differences between |
i'm and some of the people of Shelby coun-
2, but il they would think fairly and klndly |
what he had said to night, they would |
1nclude that he had, at least, tndeavored to |
D his duty faithfully and well to them ana |
10 other people OF the State. L thank you
II the courtesies yoo have extended lac to-
ght; thank you for the warm and nearly
-eetiug, and l trust that those of you who |
We me their support in November next will |
ave no cause to regret your action at the bal
It. [Great applause
HON. CASEY YOUNG
sing called upon, said that he could scarcely |
Dps to gather any Iaurels from the field OF |
'atOry after having heard Governor Porter
,eak He was glad 10 know that his Old |
lemy, hon. Barbour Lewis, had just been |
lried, and he would reserve his oratory to |
,e against the new champion of congress
onal Radicaiism,
The band played piece, and the meeting
ijourned.
TTAFV