Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-09-02

ated aud repeal insisted on the
Judiciary was next touched upon and
here he insists on retrenchment there
are he said too many courts and judg- |
es, some of them can and ought to be |
abolished. He paid his compliments
next to the Attorney Generals. insist
ing that they should have stipulated |
salary, or something at least should be |
done to prevent the finding of SO many |
frivolous indictments. In support of |
this he gave an illustration. He said
a negro boy drew an old pistol on
another that he could not have fired
in an hour and half; yet he was pre-
sented and arrested, when some of
his friendsinterposed to get nosle pros,
but the Attorney General would not
hear it, saying it was aterrible case,
and the majesty of the law must be
vindicated. When some one asked if
ten dollars would have no effect, he
replied that he did not think there was
much in it any way. He placed him.
self squarely on the Democratic plat
forms, State and National, and in OPP
position to reputation. He was for
hunting up and taxing ali property Of
every kind subject to taxation, and for
looping off all unnecessary Offices. He
was for electing j Judge in every coun-
ty in the State with criminal jurisdic-
ton. and when party transgressed
the law, let the Sheriff arrest him and
carry him before the Judge and jury
summoned for the occasion, and at
once try and dispose of his case with
little or no cost to the State or county.
Last but not least, Esquire Weems,
of Hickman county, took the stand in
order to influence the people of Cheat
ham that he was the man for the oc-
casion. In the first place, he said he
could not claim to be a native Ten
nesseean as all his opponents did. He
said he was not Tennesseean by the
accident of birth but was one from
choice. And although he hailed from
across the Potomac, yet he hoped that
would not constitute him carpetbag.
ger. He said that Weems wrote the
life of Washington, and Phillips Bar
ton Key wrote the Star Spangled Ban
ner the blood Of both mingled with
his, and he was not ashamed of either
of them. He said that his opponents
were lawyers and doctors, but he was
farmer. Said he undertook to study
law, read Blackstone two or three
days and found it too dry and tough
for him, SO he threw it aside. He
then tried medicine, and for the same
reason threw that aside and applied
himself to the cultivation of mother
earth. He said that farmers were too
slow to assert their rights. and conse-
quently had always occupied subor-
dinate position and had let the learned
profession occupy all the Offices.
Then. as all others took a lick at
the dog law, he said that the premiu m
of an apple for the best speech on that
subject had been prematurely awarded;
that he was going. to make the best
speech, and he should take it from
holy writ. He then read from Deut.,
23d chapter and 18th verse, that the
price of a dog was an abomination in
the sight Of the Lord thy God. He
then called on Leech for the apple,
and the crowd loudly called for its re-
turn. Mr.. Weems stated that he was
a candidate because he was called out
by his friends, though he admitted that
the call was not general, for he said
we Of Cheatham had not called him,
but he honestly believed that they
would call him in November. He
said he was called the high-tax candi-
date, but that he was in favor of tax
of forty cents, believing that if all I'M
necessary expenditures we're Topped
off that that would be ample to pay the
running expenses of the government
and pay the interest on the bonded
debt. And with this idea in view, he
was for retrenchment and reform
He said that he started out on forty
cent platform, and while it was OPP
posed at first, all had now come to
him, and while he admitted that Col.
Bailey was great man, yet he did not
claim to be greater one because Bal
ley had come to him.
Mr.. Weems was rather heavy on
DIR. Sizemore's first position on taxes.
He said that at Arlington he made a
moving speech in support of State
credit, saying if 40 cents was not en-
ough he was for a higher rate, and
that at the conclusion of the Airing
ton speech the applause was so great
that he absolutely feared that the
court house was about to fall but be
soon discovered that all the fuss came
from the ClarksYille bar. He said
the judiciary cost the State before the
war $45, 900, and now more than three
times that amount, and he was for re-
dqcing it to something near the for
mer amount. He opposed the 10 per
cent. law, and said as to the proposed
constitutional amendments, that when
he examined and understood them he
would support such as his Judgment
approved. He come down on DIR.
Moody's vote on what he called the |
omnibus bill, and said that was the |
cause of our financial troubles, as it |
inaugurated the great railway system
for which so many of the outstanding |
bonds were issued.
Who will be the lucky man remains
to be seen. - fas + goes ~
Yours to command,
ANON. -
Ashland City, Aug, 26, '76.
ApoTrT six wears ago Gonprassman