Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-10-14
PUPLIC SPEAKING.
HOuse-PrOsser.

AOboCAe
On Monday the people of GAINESVILLE
were admitted to the first preconcerted
debate which they have heard during
the present campaign. The Hon. John
+. House and w. f. Prosser appear
ing at Franklin Hall as competitors
for the representation of the 9th civil
district in the Congress Of the United
States
Col. House being at home, conceded
the opening of the contest to Mr.. Pros
ser, who took the stand at about half
past II o'clock.
There was quite a full attendance,
though the fair sex were conspicu-
ously absent; this was attributable to
the fact that the announcement was
made quite late in the days proceed
ings that the speaking was to be in
Franklin Hall, where alone ladies can
be well accommodated. The colored
population was we'll represented, but
we observed with regret, that they left
the hall whenever Col House took
the stand; they ought to reflect that
this is very poor compliment to their
own favorite candidate, as it looks as
if they did not think that Mr.. Pros
ser's argument could stand when con-
fronted with Col. House refutation-
if they have really faith in the truth of
the republican doctrines they ought
not to fear trusting themselves for an
hour or so within sound of an argu-
ment against them.
Mr.. Prossers's speech commenced
with the usual apologies of man who
is conscious of an approaching failure
being stranger to the place, not
practised orator, finally bad cold.
He did not deny that there were good
men in the Democratic party, but said
there are two conflicting parties, and
the people had now to make choice Of
one, and he was there to give them
reason for choosing the republican.
After little time devoted to the old
war question, contending that the
Democrats ought not to be trusted
with power because they brought on
the war &C., he came to the main sub
ject the Democratic:charges of fraud
peculation and corruption against the
government. He undertook to prove
that the Republican Government of
the last eight years was the purest aud
most economical that ever ruled the
nation.
This was enough-after shouldering
all this, no mortal man could have
done otherwise than fail, no Atlantean
shoulders could bear up under this.
The glaring fallacies which he advanced
in support of this astonishing position
were innumerable and cannot be emu
merated here. Let this one suffice
He maintained that Tennessee contrib
uted no more than 81 900, 900 to the
Federal treasury. As he gave no de-
tails we can only conjecture that he
alluded to the direct taxation, leaving
outline enormous indirect taxation i'm
posed by prohibitory tariff which is
now crushing down all the industries
all the business of the South and NORTH
as we'll, compared with which the di
rect taxes are a mere fea-b bite.
A more astounding position still wa:
advanced, namely, that all the investi
cations of last session detected NJ
theft or peculation, but our astonish
ment was moderated when we found
that he only meant that no body haC
been impeached except Belknap.
No wonder, when the one impeach
mcnt they did attempt showed how
easily impeachment might be set aside
where the President and Senate wert
united in their resolve to do so. Tn,
President had only to accept an i'm
peached officers resignation and thel
enc third of the Senators declare tina
they had 40 jurisdiction over mai
who had ceased to be a Senator, an,
the couutry's money would be wasted
On a trial whose failure was a predeter
mined conclusion with those who hat
the power to make it SO.
Even beyond this Mr.. Prosser achiev
cd still higher flight of audacity. H
said that wherever the Democrat
party had attained power since the wa
they had swept away all the publ
schools which the Radical party ha
set on foot.
We are unwilling to charge willfr
misrepresentation on the speaker, bu
mustattribute to him an almost incred
ible degree of ignorance. and this whe
he occupied a position in which iguor
ance itself is almost crime. Our las
paper gave some specimens of the wa
in which the republican party favore
education while ruling supreme in III
Sothern States, aud our present issu
gives the history of its action in tn
premises ip Fepnessse, and in bot