The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-09-20
OPENING OF THE CANVASS
FOR GOVERNOR.
Porter, Thomas, YardIey. Nancy.
Porter Enters the Fight without
Gl0yes-ThOmas Pipes his
Twenty Cent Music.
YardIey DenOunces his SANDER
ers and Champions his Race.

GOV. Porter, dorsey p. 1hOmaS,
W. F. Yardley and George Nancy
were all present and spoke in Che or
der named. H@t
Governor Porter spoke two hours
-devoting about ten minutes to Ma
tional politics-as follows:
FelIow-citizens of the County of Wilson
Two years ago I was honored by
the Democratic parry. of Tennessee
with the nomination as the candi-
date for the office of Governor of the
Stale. The people ratified that NOM
ination at the balIot-box, and l have
labored to perform the high duties
with which I am charged with cour-
age and fidelity; again ] am before
you with my party endorsement as
a candidate for reelection, and pro-
pose to-day to give you an account
of the administration Of the State
Government for the past two years.
To you alone am responsible, you
alone can demand OF me a state
ment of my official conduct, but be-
fore I render it let me call your at
tention to the circumstances under
which l addressed you two years
ago. Then 1 was confronted by an
opponent of experience and ability,
the leader Of the Republican party
of Tennessee. who was endorsed
and recommended by his party in
Convention. Behond the change
a party once confident and agrees
i've has abandoned its organization
in Tennessee it has lost confidence
in its own integrity, and has aban-
doned regular political warfare it
has no trusted leader who will "cry
courage to the field" Not one of
them will go before the people and
ask for change in the admlnlstra-
ton of the State Government they
haYe confessed their weakness and
fed the field ingloriously. at the
time of my Inauguration. was en-
vironed by difficulties of the gravest
character. No Governor OF len
nessee was ever so beset by clrcum-
stances of so much embarrassment.
Business of every character was In
a state of prostration there was
general failure of the agricultural
productions of the State, and for
the first time in the history of Ten
nessee. the producer was reduced
to a bare substance he had no
money and nothing to exchange for
it; confidence was gone, and uni
versal bankruptcy seemed inevita-
Bile. Our people could not escape
the Federal tax-gatherer, for all
seasons are alike to him; but our
own Legislature could, and wisely
did, postpone for year the collec-
ton of the revenues of the State
This eminently proper measure.
while it brought repose and relief
to the people, added new embar-
rassment to those of us who had un-
dertaken the administration of the
State government.
There was a borrowed money ac-
count of $685., 900 to be met, a war
rant account of $283, 29O,49 daily
the interest on the
school fund to be provided for, be-
sides the maturing interest on the
State debt Ordinarily these sums
are of small consequence to a State,
but with an empty Treasury. collec-
tiens suspended, and clamorous cred
itors, the amount was simply appall-
ing; there was but one resort. and
one measure of relief and q men
ton it to the credit of the able
Treasurer and Comptroller it was
Every dollar that came
to the Treasury was paid out to the
creditors of the State, not dollar
was allowed to rest for a night, no
new liabilities for the State were
created, and by adheriag to this
policy, the borrowed money and all
outstanding warrants have been
paid the school fund and the in
terest ON State bonds held by coun-
ties and educational institutions
provided for and paid. The State
were compelled to let
the payment of the interest on the
public debt 60 by default. TO the
offer to borrow money to meet this
liability harsh terms were demand
ed and the policy of borrowing
money for any purpose was aban-
doned, not to be renewed with my
This conclusion was an
nounced to the creditors of the
State, in an open letter published
in December last. and copied by
nearly every paper in the State, and
at the same time / announced to
them that as soon as the Treasurer
could pay off the outstanding war
rants and the balance then unpaid |
IN the borrowed money account
hat he would pay the installments
IF interest due July l, 1875. SO
ioon as the requisite amount of
money was paid into the Treasury.
Notice to the creditors of the State
las been given that the balances
lue July, 1874, and January, 1875, 1
With full installment due July 1,
S75, would be paid on the 18th OF
he present month. This money
vas levied by law for the payment
f the interest on the State debt,
nd the officers charged with its
disbursement pay it out in accord
nee with the plain provisions of
he law, and in obedience to the
apeated declaration of the Demo
ratio party that payment would be
lade whenever the State had the
bility. aaa
AND REFORM IN THE
STATE GOVERNMENT.
The last General Assembly inaug-
rated this movement in Tennessee,
q the abolition of two of our State
ourts, and have caused circulars
, issue to the Clerks OF all the
curtis in the State for the purpose
T eliciting information that may
arrant the abolition Of several more