Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-03-01
Tive state Debts.
Enoxvtile Tarsl,una

Tennessee is not the only South
ern State that il suffering from fin
ancial embarrassment, nor is it the
only State in which the debt III the
chief topic of discussion. Virginia
is burdened with larger debt than
our own, and has been seriously
troubled by ii. She has never had
terms of compromise proposed as
liberal as even the sixty cents prop
osition which was made by the
creditors Of Tennessee, but has been
struggling with the question and
looking about for some measure of
relief. There is a marked differ
ence between the methods pursued
in Virginia and in our own State.
The Legislature Of Virginia has
made every possible effort towards
putting their affairs in business-like
shape and has treated the question
as a matter of business, requiring a
business solution. Men have diff
cred as to the best means Of relief.
but they have all agreed in the set
Element of the debt upon the easiest
terms that could be had. The BUSH
ness, straightforward way in which
the question has been met has won
for the State the confidence of its
creditors, and they are now engaged
IN a conference with committee
from the Legislature, and the result
will, no doubt, be a satisfactory set
Element of all their difficulties. In
Tennessee the question has never
been treated as il should have been.
There was at one time an attempt
made to make party question oft
and it was discussed as a partisan
measure rather than as a matter in
which every man in the State was
interested. Our Legislature has per-
sistently declined to meet it in
busineSs-like way, and has pottered
with the matter so aimleSsly that
people at home and abroad have
ceased to hope for any practical re
lief from its deliberations. If this
was matter in which the people of
these two States only were interes-
ted then Virginia and Tennessee
could better afford to delay the set
element of these questions, but as
the outside world is watching it
with as much interest as ourselves,
it assumes larger proportions and
becomes a question Of vital import
ance. When Virginia's indebted
ness is conclusively arranged by the
conference which is now in session,
a new impetus will be given to bus
mess of all kinds and especially to
immigration, subject 10 whose i'm
portance the people of that State are
fully alive. We very much fear
that our own State, Offering proba-
bly, superior advantages to immi-
grants, is to suffer. Neither unem-
ployed labor or capital will be in
clined to trust themselves in State
where business operations are said
to be disregarded. However hon.
est our people are individually, and
they are honest in that way, the
world will form its opinion of US
from our treatment of this question.
Their opinion may be unjust, they
will undoubtedly miSjudge us, but
we will be responsible for it. Vir-
ginia in all probability will rise
from her troubles with all her old
time reputation for honor and hon
esty, while we sadly fear that our
inaction will fasten upon poor Ten
cessee in addition to her heavy load
of debt a heavier load of dishOnor.
it will take us a long time to recov-
er from it. No real trouble is ever
avoided by pOstponing its settle
ment. 1t is not too late to meet this
question i'm manly and independ-
ent way and we trust to the honor
and good sense of the people of Ten
nessee and their representatives for
the only solution of it which the
State can afford To accept. We have
been seriously injured in reputation
and in pocket by the policy of pro-
crastination and to continue it
would be suicidal.