Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-09-14

W MY. anu TIE senate was DEM
oclatic, and the governor, An
drew johnson, was aDemocrat.
He recommended these meas
urcs first in his inaugural adj
dress in the following words
"The subject OF internal i'm
provemenls by our local authori-
ties has also excited a deep and
lively interest among our peo-
pie in many portions of the
State. A well regulated sys-
tenn of internal improvements,
intended and calculated to give
all reasonable facilities to the
mechanical, agricultural and
commercial pursuits of the
country, ought TO receive such
aid as will come clearly within
the financial ability ofHthe Peo-
pie. IF such aid has to be Civ
en- by the creation Of State in
debtcdness,th legislature which
creates the debt should never
fail to provide the means to meet
the annually accruing interest
and principal as they fall due. "
Afierward, during the same ses-
sion, in his first message, he
said: "a well regulated sys-
TEN Of internal improvements
would seem to indicate that the
leading and most prominent
roads intended and calculated
to connect the three grand di-
visions of the State, should first
be selected and completed.
Such other works should then
be undertaken as experience
and the interests Of the coun-
try might suggest. 1t should
be the primary object of the
general assembly to bind the
State together, from Carter to
Shelby, by railroads and other
improvements which would Sc
cure the great end in making us
one and the same people in ag-
riculture, commerce and mechan-
les. A system like this, con-
Meeting with other roads beyond
the limits of the State, would
seem to accomplish the object
of the constitution" All Of the
members from East Tennessee,
and a large majority of those
from West Tennessee, includ-
ing the members from Shelby,
Fayettc, Upton, Hardeman.
Madison, Gibson and from near
ly all The other counties, voted
for the general internal improve
ment bill, at the session Of
1851. After this bill became
"a law, the people, with a knowl-
edge of this fact, elected a leg
islature in 1855 which increased
State ali to a large extent. In
his message to the Legislature,
in 1856, Governor Johnson said
"Our various works Of inter
nal improvement are steadily
and constantly advancing by
the timely and judicious aid of
the State, developing our rich
est and hidden latent resources,
and bearing off to the markets
of the world, at high rates, the
mechanical, agricultural, and
other products of the country"
In 1867 Isham G. Harris was
elected Governor, and the leg
islature at that session, instead
of repeating the laws giving
State aid, gave some addition
al aid to railroads. The num-
Der of bonds issued by Andrew
J Johnson, amounted to 1920
000,. and by Isham G.. Harris to
81 $4,000. These facts are men
toned to show that the people,
in their election of representa-
tives, year after year, sanctioned
the policy Of issuing bonds to.
railroad companies. The COVER
nors merely executed the laws
passed by the representatives
Of the people, and are not re-
sponsiblc for the creation of
he debt any more than other
citizens. l cannot believe that
such men as Andrew Johnson
and Isham @. Harris would is
sue bonds illegally, or permit
Them to be sold improperly.
These bonds were sold in ac-
with law, and brought
learly par, and in some instan-
,es more than par. If the bonds
lad been illegally issued or
Nrongfully sold, the remedy
was in the hands of the legisla-I
.ure, who would have repealed
hcsc laws, or would have adop-
ed such legislation as would
nave put a stop to the illegal is
,uance and sale Of the bonds. !
This was not done, but, on the
contrary, they continued to in
crease State aid. This shows
hat nothing wrong was done. !