Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-08-16

was passed declaring that
it was not a party question, and |
that Republicans were free to vote /
for or against it. When the canvass
Mr.. Pettibone, the |
of Congress from the First |
District, and Mr.. Butler, leader of
the Republican party in the State
Senate, made speeches in their part
of the State (the Eastern division)
in favor of the compromise, but the
party was divided there and many
Republicans voted against it and
many more abstained from voting
1t is only in the Eastern part of the
State that the white Republicans
are sufficiently numerous to tell in
an election. In the Middle and
Western divisions of the State the
influence of the Republicans was
exerted entirely against the COM.
promise. Col. Bailey informs us
that when he spoke at McKenzie's
Station, his friends requested him
to make his appeal dilect to the
Democratic party against the active
canvassing of the Republicans to
defeat the compromise. The negros,
if we may judge of the rest of the
State by what took place here, voted
solidly against it. Now we are not
trying to make a case out against
the Republicans. Most of those
who voted against the compromise
would say they did so because they
considered it to have been unjustly
forced upon the creditors of the
State. We do not discuss their mo-
tives; we only contend that, what
ever the motive, they have their
full share of responsibility in the
defeat of the compromise. Very
few of them went to the polls, many
of them voted against it, and the
cOlored population, among whom
they have influence, was a unit
against it.
Contrast with this the action of
the Democratic party in reference
to the measure. Every prominent
politician of that party, whether
previously known as State credit
or low-tax man, was on the stump
doing his utmost in favor of the
compromise. The present Governor
Marks, favorite of the low-tax
party, the late Governor Porter, a
known State credit man, two
other Governors, most of our
members of Congress, both our Sen
ators, large number of our Sena-
tors and Representatives in the
State Legislature all these made
active demonstrations in favor OF
the compromise, either by letter OIL
on the stump, leaving the two State
Senators, Messrs. Savage and VIII
son, the only men ever heard Of
before who opposed it. In this
county, if it had not been for the
negro vote, the suffrage would have
been overwhelming in favor of it.
| These are the facts; the inference
we make from them is:
First-That the loss of the com
promise is not a proof that the State
is in favor of reputation. If i
were, then the Republicans would
prove themselves largely tainted
with that heresy, for many of them
voted against it and very few voted
for it.
Second-That, whether it be repq
diation or not, the Republicans arc
more largely responsible for it thar
the Democrats, and whatever
charges may be grounded upon i
lie at least as heavily upon the Re
publicans as upon the Democrats.
Nevertheless, the Republican
papers will bruit it far and wide
that the Democratic party ha;
branded itself with the indeliblt
disgrace of Reputation by the vote
of August 18th; with what truth
may be seen from the above consid
erations.