Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-09-18

Icertainty or unsettled condition
lof public sentiment. ! have
asked the question the cause of
this, as heretofore; have failed
to fully answer that question.
| shall devote part of this article
in answer-first, the war and its
results had much to do in bring
ing about moral chaos. Atits
close our State government fell
into the hands of the victorious
| political party which was in no
wise In accord with a majority
Of the people Of the State. The
men Of authority had but little
regard for the opinions or inter.
ests of the people. therefore the
legislation was not in the inter-
ests Of the people, but, party and
party friends. And when the
people regained their power and
elected their representatives to
legislate for them, they elected
"a class of men who loved office
better than principle OF the peo-
pie, and as a consequence they
legalized fraud and corruption
rather than give up their hold
upon office and suffer with the
people. National. legislation is
financially of such a character
that money is made scarce, which
makes money high and property
worthless. The people now find
themselves overwhelmed with
taxes and their, private debts;
the people now for the first time
cry out for relief and ask how
this burden. came. Demagogues
tell them, for forty years orr
State Legislature and executives
have been IN the hailds Of rings
and thieves and run exclusively
in their interests; that large a.
mounts of bonds hare been is
sued for various purposes, iii aid
of railroads, turnpikes, etc, these
bonds are now falling due, they
charge that nearly an this large
debt is fraudulent; and 1t is by.
no means, a hard matter TO get
them to believe in fraud all the,
way through, as they know
there was fraud Just in and
after the close of the war. Then
Why this unrest, this fear, this
doubt? The answer rs obvious.
Public men or leading men have
failed in being truthful and hon
est. In the late canvass before
the people most of the candidates
for Office from the executive
Down. to members of the legis-
Iature, charged that most Of the
Indebtedness of the State was
fraudulent, and 'thatif they were
successful in getting into office
hey were going to have the
whole thing unearthed, and any.
hing that had any stain should
be thrown out, and we would pay
nothing but the legitimate. They
lad the iinyestigation-did they
.hrow out any bonds? not one;
what did theI do? they said the
management had been such that
hey would put them all together
md pay fifty cents in the dollar,
hat there was not more than
lalf of our debt that was a fraud,
md toget this thing outof politics
We viii put the, thief on equal
erms with the honest man
Now, where is the honest man in
he State or out, of it will say the
people did not right in voting
iown the filthy thing, 50-4. l
ee now that there AREA few loy-
rsiof the people terribly exereis-
d over the purchase Of our bonds
" the State of New Hampshire
nd are about TO commence suit
gainst the State of Tennessee in,
he Federal Court, get judg-
nent and wind out the whole
tate. There IS no power in,
by, on, over or under
he earth, heaven o" he'll that
an raise money or make apprc-
Of money for the State
f Tennessee but the legislature
f Tennessee There never was
ily property pledged for the pay
tent Of these bonds save the
Dads and that Is all that ever
7as pledged except the faith and
onor Of the State, and that faith
nd honor was nothing more or
,ss tlIaii this. that the next leg-
Stature would raise money to
ay the interest, ETC., and when
ley fell due the legislature
'onld pass a law for the funding
r payment Of fbopds and interest,
he bondholder can BY no
gal process ever get at the peo-
lie, and If he ever gets anything
4 his bonds he will get it bya
loral process, and this hubbub
bout lawing the people into the
ayment Of these bonds is all u
When demagogues
re silenced honest men will then
ppear. Justice, honesty and
'ue patriotism will restore conf
ence and prosperity to the
hole country. Nj. ID.