Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-02-15
onr pebs.
Milan Exchange,

Extreme men in high stations are
dangerous guides Tor the people and
outlaws against public policy. The
opinions of the masses are, in a great
measure, moulded and controlled
by those in authority. Discretion,
then, demand that we caoose delib-
crate and conservative men to guard
and direct our interests {: for, under
such influences, antagonistic ele-
memts will be harmonized and veX-
ed questions settled amicably and
honorably to all concerned.
The tardy adjustment OF our State
debt ows that the fo egoing prin-
ciples have not only not been COM
piled with but entirely disregarded.
Now who is responsible for these
unwarrantable delays and failures
to settle a debt which is growing
more and more unwieIdy every
day ? In all candor we hold that
! the blame fastens upon the Legisla-
lures elected biennially by the peo-
1 pie since the war. The time of these
Soions has been frittered away in
! introducing cart loads of worthless
bills, silly wranglings and seeking
popularity, upon which to bolster
political preferment, when the
question of a settlement, when un-
der consideration, was lodged art
fully or else postponed through te-
merity. All this time the interest
on this indebtedness was breeding
and growing with alarming rapidi-
ty, until now plausibility has been
given reputation. A spirit of con-
servation has been ignored by the
Legislature on one hand and the
bOnd-holder on the other, and thus
the breach has been widening con-
tinually. If elimination and re-
elimination had yielded to reason |
and sound judgement our state fin |
anceS would have been in a much |
ances would have been in a much |
healthier condition. The way to |
settle is to settle, as Horace Greeley I
said of resumption. 1t is not good |
nonsense for public men to play the |
mule when the iron heel of taxation
is crushing the people.
We have never defined our posi- !
tiOn upon the State debt question
because the occasion has never de-
manded it, but we give it without
hesitation. An early settlement is
what we desire, and in this way to
the biting interest that never sleeps.
We scOrn repudiation and ask a set
tlenent at such figures as will not
be huTtful to the welfare # thestate.
Let US pay all we can and nothing
more.
In this connection we will brief
ly comment upon the message of
al InRyF. 1
ment fell like a bOmbShellin certain
quarters, and whether it wisely ex-
ploded or not is questionable. 1t is
as difficult TO tell the status Of the
Governor in regard to the state debt
as it would be to decipher Chinese
wash receipt. If he does not mean
he has thrown a CLAM
our over which viii eaptiVate those
almost persuaded. If he means to
'bull-dOze" the blOated bondhoiGay
he has made an abortiye effort. The
bristles with attacks upon
men and Legislatures, and we hope
the proof sustains the charges, That
this is one of the shrewdest and
most poignant state papers ever
published we concede, but we doubt
its policy. We fear that Governor
Marks in steering clear of the Scyl-
la of paying beyond our ability gra-
zed the ragged edge OF Charybdis,
which is non-payment. He has
soWn dragons teeth, which will
spring gp full-fedged repudiatlon-
lists 1t il TO be hoped that this grave
question will soon be punched and
registered and removed from our
state politics.