The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-10-24
Democratic responsibility.


Were We lookingat the question Of
State politics from IA purely partisan
standpoint, We would be elated at the
course being pursued by Judge Marks
in the present canvass.
Ii the State debt is repudiated the
( Democratic party viii he responsible
Tor the infamous act, and will be 60
held by intelligent men ia and out Of
the State. Since 1869 no Legislature
has had exceeding a Republican
members of the one hundred III all,
and only once as many as that. No
! Legislature since then has had less
than a t~hree-fOurths Democratic
majority. Every Governor since the
adoption Of the new Constitution, in
| 1870; has been a Democrat. The
convention was almost unanimously
Democratic. Our Supreme Judges
have been Democrats and nine out Of
every ten subordinate judicial officers
have been Democrats. All the State
officers, without an exception, have
been Democrats. The Democratic
majority in the last two State cleo
tions has been over forty thousand.
The Democratic party is entirely re
sponsible for the policy of the State
Government in reference to the great
financial question, and we repeat, if
reputation in any form comes, that
party will lie held responsible. If
the State debt is repudiated, the act
will be pointed 10 with telling effect,
as an evidence of the spirit of this
atter-day Democracy, and honest
people would turn from it as some
thing to be loathed and despised. We
are not alone in this opinion. 1t is
shared by prominent, intelligent
Democrats in Tennessee. Some time
since Maj. W. j. Skies made a speech
at Columbia, in which he took that
view in the case. lie asked Demo-
Gratis to consider what effect repudia-
ton would have on Northern cleo
tons, and said:
"Will not our refusal to settle this
debt in a satisfactory manner be urg-
ed os an evidence Of orr disIoyalty, CT
our still cherishing feelings OF sec
tional hatred, and will it not be said
that our conduct in this matter makes
good the charge that we desire to de-
stroy the credit Of the National Gov
eminent by repudiating the National
debt? VIII not the speeches made
and published in this State by men
aspiring to high positions be quoted
as evidence against us, and be used to
infame the sectional Jealousy and ez-
cite the sectional prejudices Of the
Northern people2 The excuse that
we do not owe the debt, or that we
are unable to pay it as it was propo-
sed to be settled, will not deceive
any intelligent, well informed and
impartial man, and will avail Us no
thing ut the bar Of az enlightened
and dismtercstad public opinion,
however soothing it loay be to us. If
we WISH to strengthen the luminosity
Of The Nortao,n States. 70 secure the
triumph Of the Republican party in
the fall elections, We a adopt no
other course than to sustain by a
popular vote the action of the last
Legislature, and refuse to enter into
a Just and reasonable settlement OF
our State debt. For such a State as
Tennessee, with her great produc-
tons, and with her immense esOur
ces a demand that she shall settle
the debt, which built her capitol, os-
tablished her State Bank, and put in
successful operation her system of
turnpikes and railroads, which have
been and will continue to be of such
estimable service to her people. at
forty and thirty-three and d third
cents III the dollar, surely will not be
considered by any man outside OF the
State, either North or South, a rea-
Sonable demand"
We make this extract from Maj.
Skies to show that we are not alone
in believing that reputation by Ten
ressee Democracy would serve to
strengthen the Republican party in
other States. But this is too grave
a question, as we have said time and
again, to be treated as Il PARTISAN
question. We know there are hun
dreds of Democrats in the State who
are as much opposed to reputation
as any Republican. We do not see
how such men, if they are sincere,
can support Judge Marks for Gov
ernor. This debt is increasing at
the late Of four thousand dollars "A
day. We are going deeper and deep
err into trouble every day, and if
something is not done in the near fu-
ture, we will never be able to extri-
cate the State from the difficulties
into which it has been drifted.
But not withstanding this state Of
affairs, we have a chance for Govern
or, making u canvass of the State and
carefully avoiding any discussion Of
State issues. If we We're in a state
of prosperity, and out of debt as a
Safe, this would be pardonable. If
our State finances weIei in Il condition
TO take care of themselves .ssS M. .sapIi:
dIi n aGIaa'0EG