New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-11-05
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
REPUTATION IN TENNESSEE.


TINE ODD DitFMMAs IN WHICH VOTERS FOUND
THEMSELVES Ar HE LAT. ELFcTIoN-LErTER
FROM Mas WHO DID Not VOTE BECAUSE HE
Gould NOT rxPRfss HIS PRNT-UP OPT IONS.
TO me Edftor or me TrtbnHe
SIR: What of Tennessee and Its action on tue
7th Most ~ the newspaper comments reirF 10
as eoudation Thst Is both aud not So In point OF
faet tr aggregate vote poiled was ghi-ar Del 'i'
smallest vote ever casiand the voter, represent most
81 gu.s pair al combIn ltions Those voting AZ
cepted were largely tae better class OF Democrats
who are opposed to square up-aHd-down repu'la'l""
but who dcsIe a COMPROMISE and ae most o. them lp'
not all are willing To propose - the Oondh"ie's
a utlmatum. A small percentage oi them, however,
oppose of terms of compromise. but are WHINE W
accept the most favorable tenDs the bondholhers are
disposed make. About 10 per cent of those volips
accepted" were Republicans. VINO were opposed W
the entire Democratic scheme of o,ring terms OF COM
promise. but who thought this action, II affirmed mlsn
lead to an honorable settlement Of the dehi.
About threc-iourths OF those voting Rejecieu "e'e
saght-out Democratic RpIdiatonlsts, aud the o'ner
fourth Republicans who prefer that the bonds nc pa'u
their value rather than that the state IKE INC
staudand-eliver robber, should offer terms OF settle
ment ~ her than those stipulated in the bond" mus
We have the fu blooied dishonest Re- udauonisis ana
the ful-booJed unconditional State credit men acting
concert, and by their ballots defeating the oof
compromise" am sorry for good Repnblicaus-hohes'
men-iO have acted with class OF men VINO seek u"
backen and blast the reputation Of our State; but sun
am glad (very) the &" 5O4 insult aud nuisance
has been abated for happen to be one oil 'he
humber not voting" This class Republicans VINO
esteemed first, the offer OF such compromise by the
Legislature dishouOrng t. the STATE and An Insult 10
our creditors and second 10 submit such question Tor
any question bearing the payment OF the DEBT baseu
on the credit and honor OF the satc 10 the people ior
ratc re is insult to the people OF
he 4fp.
Legislature 20 act armatlvey. the representatives
OF the people.
But Notwithstanding such offered insult. the non
voters would have cast their ballots tac terms OF the
election Tor election ~ had allowed them what
I will call "a " free ballot" Then their tickets wOuiu
have read: Rejected for the that the State has
no honorable right pronose terms OF compromise To
it, creditors; but We would vote Accented II terms
OF settlement satisfactory 10 our Creditors were No"
WHY can our state not honorahly md honestly Offer
terms OF Abatement TO It's creditorsI SIMPLY prcr"n
Tennessee is neither bankiuDt nor N oahAIupt
court to it, present outstanding bonds, not as 10
single one of the there he pleaded legal or cqu-
able grounds abatement All that our state can truth
lIv nead - that lis debt is uncOmnrably and iucOn-
vcnieny large aud that shrinkagc OF real and persona
estate values and monetary strngency make II oin,
for II meet It's creditors demands as the laws o. honor
honesty require And II put on the wiiness-stand
telling the truth per It's records 1t woud say thSi re
finds received for It's bonds negotiated and APP
piled purposes OF internal Improvement nave III
creased tue aud personal estate values III the stare
each million of bonds employed II would further
have TO We able. II wiling TO pay every do
lar of our debts without c intervention OF abatement
or com promise aud not SOVEREIGN rs 10 es
cape egal c0mpusiOn under the form OF suit insuei
long years by the United States BFanch Dahh
against the State Of Ohio"
We'll, what Is in store Tor Tennessee Just now u
seems bad name IL Is possible However, Una. ,a'Y
honest Democrats of the State and The Republicans may
combine tnls ques ion. and elect Legislature tie
actp OF which viii authorize the public to reappy 10
US good n1me." and that will give reasonable salts
faction TO creditors O1c thing IL certain: Icnnes-
sees present Legsai ana official rulers should nr
referred u people, for acceptance or ratif
hut ,r fhn Felu 20 am
n. A. PATTERSON.
Johnson City East Tenn. Aug IA, 1879.