Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1878-11-03
PLAIN TALK BY AN HONEST
DEMOCRAT.

We have read with pleasure the
following editorial from the Clarks-
vile Tobacco Leaf:
What the Democratic party of
| tennessee most need to-day Is few
| prominent leaders. 1t is q strange aud
| undisputable fact that the public men
/ of Tennessee are to-day silent upon
| the main question of State policy. In
| almost every political speech the
| speaker glides easily eff to the dicus-
sion Of our great national issues, giving
q wide berth to home questions, upon
] the decision of which hangs the future
prosperity and, we may say, honor of
our great State. 10 be plain,
| public men and Influential jour
| nails are sinking the discussion
Of the State debt, avoiding as
much as possible the expression of
any opinion on that subject. Though
We hear bat little upon this subject,
we can not deny the fact that il is the
question in Tennessee politics to day.
| Upon this question the people-the
Democratic psrty-is tOru and rent by
strong factions; so much so, that when
the convention assembled it was
thought best TO again throw the ques
mocracy Of the Nation Sfford to-day TO
shlrk the financial issues Of the Gov
eminent as the Democracy Of the
State has shiTked the issue of the State
debt? Certainly not. because ii would
be ruinOus to the Democracy Of the
Nation. Could the National DemOc-
lacy afford to occupy the position with
regard to the Government debt that
the Tennessee Democracy occupies
with regard to the State debt? Most
assuredly not. Surely the Democracy
of Tennessee is out of harmony with
the National Democracy of the
country.
The people of the State are not to
blame for this condition of affairs.
They, as a mass, are honest. They
look to the great leaders of the party
for an honest and outspoken senti-
ment upon this question, and they
hear it not. They look TO the COM
bined wisdom OF the party in conven-
ton assembled, and still there Is no
light. They have a debt; they must
discharge il hOnOrably, and they
know it. This debt is increasing at
the rate Of 81 600 per day, still politi-
clans glide over the country, and the
honest masses hear nothing about the
matter so important 10 them. No
wonder they become the easy dupes
of notorious office seekers, who pan-
der to- every PREJUDICE instead of
meeting the question fairly, as is ex-
pected of men who seek office at the
hands of the people"
The Tobacco Leaf is one of the
ablest Democratic papers in the |
State, published in the center of a
district strongly Democratic. 1t is
an encouraging sign of the times to
find party paper talking thus
plainly to its party leaders. We |
insist that the attitude of Democ- |
racy in Tennessee is without a par
allel in the history of American
politics. The State debt question !
is "tlc question in Tennessee poll
tics to day" as the Tobacco Leaf |
asserts, but is ignored by every |
leader of tue party who has taken
any prominent part in the canvass.
The candidate for Governor has
made his canvass almost entirely |
on local issues. The Democratic
party, with its overwhelming MAJ
jority in the State, met in conven-
ton and failed to take any position
on the question. But few of the
many Democratic candidates for the
have defined their posi-
ton, most Of them, Ike Judge
their standard-bearer, prefer
-lrg 70 talk about issues with which
,1sy hare nothing whatever to do.
What c9wardice. Laying aside all
partisan feeling and party prejudice,
We ask sensible, intelligent, honest
men who vote with the Democratic
party, if they are satisfied to fol-
low their self-constituted leaders
any further in this direction You
Democrats who believe that this
question should be honestly and
honorably settled, are you willing
to vote for man for Governor, or
to represent you in the Legislature,
who is too cowardly to express his
views on this question ? A grave
responsibility rests upon you. AL
though you are utterly opposed to
reputation, do you not give aid and
encouragement to that villainous
scheme by voting for men who are
or if they are not,
ire afraid to say so?