Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-07-15

speech on the occasions and then Judge
Smith was nominated by reclamation
amid the loud cheering Of everybody
present.
I'll. Whitfield and Capt Hewett were
then appointed committee to inform
Judge Smith of his nomination, and
to invite his presence. He shortly APP
peared and made brief but telling
address to the following effect:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN
OF THE CONVENTION ~ return to
You my sincere thanks for the honor
you have conferred upon me by nom
mating me as your candidate TO repre-
sent our county In the lower branch of
the next Legislature. But if my in
dividual wishes had been consulted
in the matter, ] would have preferred
that the nomination should have been
given to another | have no personal
ambition to crafty. Office has no
charms for me, and there IS no public
position which / desire but | fsel
much for me-which has done every
thing for me, as this county has done,
has the right to make any demand of
me, and that / would have no right to
decline compliance with its wishes,
however great the sacrifice might be-
But there are some questions of State
policy which now occupy the public
mind, and about which the people feel
deep interest, and upon which | have
not been an uninterested observer
My acceptance of your nomination de-
ponds upon your views of some of
these questions, and In order that we
may understand Que another perfectly
at the very beginning, | ask the Secre-
tary to read the resolutions which I
understand you have adopted, so that
| may know whether | can 20 before
the people and advocate them.
Here the Secretary read the resolu-
tons which had been adopted by the
Convention. After the reading of the
resolutions he continued.
The resolutions endorsing the nom
nation of Tilden and Hendricks, at
St. Louis, and the platform of princi-
pie enumerated by the National Con-
vention meet my hearty approval, and
each will receive my most cordial sup
port. | am persuaded that with such
platform we have greater prospects
of success than at any time since the
war, and that we have a chance, now,
TO redeem the country and the control
of the Government from corruption
lists who have been so long In power.
With this belief, and full Of such graf
flying anticipations and hope, | esteem
it an honor of which any man might
feel justly proud, in this Centennial
year of our independence to be select
ed as the standard bearer of the Dem
ocratic party of our county.
In reference to the resolutions
which relate to State policy, | can
concurrence and unqualified approba-
ton. But as further declaration of
my position on that question which at
this time seems to interest the people
more than all others, | will say that
should l be elected, it will be my
earnest purpose to make The work of
that body indeed one of reform, and
actual retrenchment in the expenses
of our State Government. In order
to do this, | should endeayor to abol- |
ish every unnecessary Office, and re-
duce the salaries of all officers to the |
very lowest amount consistent with |
the best interests of the people. It |
is my opinion that many of our judges !
could be dispensed with by giving
others more work to perform. Some
of them are not occupied halls of their |
time while others are compelled to do |
double work A iudicious considera- |
tion of this matter will save thousands |
to the treasury of the State. Should |
| be elected | shall first try to ascer-
tain what is the least possible sum
that will be required for the payment !
of the expenses of the State Govern
ment and the interest on the State !
debt as it becomes due, and then to |
assess just as small tax as will be |
necessary to raise that amount If it |
be possible to reduce the tax below |
the present rate of mills to the dol
lar | will favor such reduction. Is
that not right? (voices yes" yes. y |
Then if that is right is it not equally |
correct to increase it if it be necessary
to raise greater sum to meet these |
just demands against the State? (voi-
ces yes, "yes.") As | have said, [
shall make an honest and earnest ef-
fort to so shape our legislature as to
meet all our just debts. I will add
that if it should appear that any of the
liabilities of the State have been fraud
ulently or illegally contracted, that
shall lavor opening the courts and
hsve all questions in reference to them
adjudicated by our own judges.
But if after all efforts in trying to
obtain such legislation as will meet
the debts of the State as they accrue
| should find it impossible to obtain
the adoption of such measures, then |
would be in favor of running the scale
down to just as low rate of assess
ment as possible, in order to meet the
actual expenses of the State govern
ment. Ii we are not able or willing
to raise enough money to pay the in
terest on the debt of the State, | can
see no necessity for raising any more
money than will be sufficient to pay
our ordinary expenses. There is no
necessity to accumulate several hun
bred thousand dollars in the Treasury
each year, which might be prey to
dishonest officials. | do not charge
our State officers with dishonesty or
corruption but there is 20 reason for
offering them temptation, &c, &c
But we must so act now and in the
future, as to retain for the noble county
of Montgomery the enviable reputa-
ton it has always borne. 1t has al
ways welded in the affairs of our
State powerful influence. Distin-
guished for all that is required to make
great and prosperous people, we
must not permit its high character and
honorable reputation to be lowered in
our hands. Let us see to it that we
maintain its honor under all circum-
stances. Let us continue to carry its
standard high, so that in the future
as in the past, we may be proud of our
county, as one that helps to make up
the great State which was the home
of Jackson, Grundy, Polk and other
great men who, In their day, honored
the State no less than ithonored them.
Committees were then appointed
upon motion of d. N. Kennedy and
H. H. Lurton respectively, to nomi-
nate an Executive committee, and to
select names to be offered to the con
vention as delegates to the State, SEN
atorial and Floaterial conventions.
The report of all these committees
yUera adonfnd and fhe foIlowino arc