Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-09-14
COMMUNICATION AND CORRE-
SPONDENCE.


Mr.. DAaEFINo AND OTHERS You are de-
termined to force me into the next Legisla- /
ture7 Well, surrender. The sacrifice is I
fearful, transcendent, tremendous and |
stupendous; but I am ready to go, regard |
less of personal consequences. My wife is in I
consolible, and talks of new dresses in a
heartrending voice. My daughters appal'
me with lugubrious refrains on new fall /
bonnets. My sons are SO broken down at |
my fell determination that they have to be /
assisted home on occasional nights in de- |
plorable condition-the dear boys often in !
sisting on going to bed in their hats and |
boots. The horn worms are playing havoc |
and Tom Walker with my tobacco, but I'll
go at all hazards, and stay to the last eX-
tremity OF the seventy-five days, or longer,
if the Governor can be persuaded to call an
extra session. My minds made up, and the
next Legislature will be compelled to re-
ceive several slices of it. There are only
ninety men to be managed by me in
that body, and having triumphed over Mr..
Placehunter, 1 viii enter upon the task
with the serenest confidence.
Your platform is mine, and so are all the
rest Democrats, humble or independent,
Republicans, Nationals, Greenbackers, all
have platforms, 1 am on all of them. I am
country. Convention or no convention,
will always be found for the people, in fact,
am the people myself
To specify: The polIevil is dreadful dis
ease when it gets into the constitution.
| Verdigrease won't cure it. The constitution
must be reconstructed. 1t would only cost
/ some thirty thousand dollars in money. to
| do it, or one hundred and thirty thousand
! in State Warrants. That instrument is in
| the way of every reform. For instance the
Constitution killed the Dog Law, but hold
never mind-I am opposed to the Dog Law,
always was, so help me Jupiter! Never
mind the constitution. III take care of
you another way, your attention, do you
owe any debts? Yes, every one of your
damnatory connection. So do 1. Has not
the State taught you "new way to pay old
debts ?'' If the Legislature can relieve the
State of debt without paying its creditors
can't you be relieved of debt in the same
way, by the same authority? OF course you
would suffer death before you would repudi-
ate; but indefinite postponement of pay
ment is not called by that name. It is
| hoped that you are not so morally conceited
as to pretend to loftier ideas of honor than
the State entertains. You ask for your ex-
emption money. All right Though the
State has no money it can always issue
warrants and bank notes, and as you suggest
county warrants are not altogether unknown
in our financial history; but did it never oc-
cur to your minds that the power of the in
dividual to issue warrants on future crops of
tobacco, wheat, and truck-patch produce
generally, would be very desirable and
easy -goingithing? Could not such warrants
be made receivable for debts and taxes q?
auctions of the country? Is not agriculture
the foundation of all prosperity? will not
insult your understandings by more words
on this highly suggestive question. Enough
to my farming friends. a few words to the
mechanics. You have lien law, and the
Democratic platform promises you better
one. Ifyou are a regular Democrat this will
suffice. If you are an Independent Democrat
you want no lien; for Independent people are
self-reliant, always assume the perpendicu-
lar, and would not lean on anything. Have
it your own way, however, for am on
both platforms. AS regards merchants de-
sire to say that am inveterately opposed to
all class legislation. AS a class they and
others have privileges which others have
not. Why should tax privileges be granted
to merchants, and the farmers be left out
8 Are merchants better than farmers? But
why ask such question. 1t does seem
to me that the merchant ought to make a
voluntary surrender of his tax privilege on
the altar ofhis country.
Our feelings towards the police are in ac-
cord. They have such a taking way that
they would deceive the very elect. have
always regarded them as wholly unreliable
and a short residence in the calaboose has
only served to deepen my convictions. The
question of political pollywogs" I reserve
: for future consideration. The class is q
large one in the State, and must be treated
very tenderly. I feel the ground too danger
Gus here and cannot, for the moment, com
mand the guarded, diplomatic language
suited to the occasion. Let it pass.
Like you l am infleXibly opposed to repu-
! diation. I am State credit man. The
State needs credit, and want the State to
have it. Personally have always been in
favor of credit. Ifs man has it the conve-
nience is very great. Hence I have always
5 been in favor of it, and never fail to take ii
, when it is to be had. I am done. UnsOught,
, unsolicited, undesired, unexpected, the
Office is about to be thrust upon me. The
sacrifice is made; have burnt my ships
the victim is ready.
ERNEST PTA CEII