Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-02-13

When the war closed, the assets
of the bank were gone-mOre than
eleven millions shot away at the
flag. The school fund had shared
the same fate. The State Govern
ment had lodged from point to
point until it was demoralized-
played out.
From 1865 to 1869, the State gov>
eminent was controlled by Repub-
licans. We will not enter into a
defense of it here. Say what you
truthfully can about it. 1t was not
perfect, but the Republican Cover
nor was a man of strict integrity,
sterling honesty, and free from the
slightest faint of corruption. No
man dares to say anything to the
contrary.
In 1869, the Democratic party
came into power again, and, since
then, have had unlimited control.
We have had Democratic Cover
nors, Democratic Legislatures, with,
at no time, less than three>forth S
majority, Democratic Judges and
Democratic county officers in large
majority of the counties. On com
ing into power, one of their first
acts was to dispose of railroad
property, in which the State held
an interest amounting to sixteen
millions, for six millions-a clear
loss of ten millions. Add this to
the State bank and the school fund,
and we have some idea of the cost
of Democratic rule. We will not
call attention now to other counts
in the bill Of Indictment, which we
might reasonably and truthfully
present against Tennessee Democ-
racy.
After all this, how do matters
stand? No honest Tennesseean
can think of the situation without
experiencing sense of shame.
What efforts are those IN
power making to extrieate the
State from the grave diff
culties with which we are sur
rounded We could overlook the
blunders and crimes of the past,
provided we have hope for the fu-
ture. But the whole policy of the
present administration is marked at
every step by the most pusillani-
nous imbecility. The legitimate
conclusion of the outside world,
JuuSiuS Us ~ VIZ r~---y
State Government and the plant
submission of the people, would be
that We are a community of fools,
govel ed by q combination of
knayc4. The American people have
a high admiration for what we call
"pluck." General Jackson had this
quality in a high degree and did
not hesitate to display it on proper
occasions. Are we as Tennes-
seeans, showing by our treatment of
the State debt question that We
have the force of character and
strength of will that are attributes
of true manhood? Under the
leadership of such men as assume
to represent US, we are fast becom>
ing Veterinarians, without back
bone sufficient to hold up our heads
and assert our opinions. Ourrulers
whine about high taxes and driYel
away their time in trying to drag
down the masses to their own low
moral level. They are a set of
dough-faces, some of them being
too weak and feeble to be accounta
bic for what they do.
We DO not say these things to
offend Democrats, for we know
large number of them agree
with US in our estimate of the men
who assume to be their leaders. We
know a large majority of those who
vote the Democratic ticket in Ten~
lessee, are honest, brave, patriotic
men. But the fact is too patent to
admit of denial, that the present
eaders Of the party in Tennessee,
he men who exercise the greatest
influence upon legislation, are weak,
Terminate, imbecile, dishon-
st, insincere and unrelia-
lie, and their course on i'm
ortant questions is a disgrace to