The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-01-30
THEEXCHANGE
THURSDAY, JANUARY 80, 1879.
OUR BERT.

'AaHScIOuS gurus lOA ShS Pop N
outlaws against public policy. The
opinions of the masses are, in a great
measure, moulded and controlled by
those in authority. Discretion, then,
demands thatwe choose deliberate and
conservative men to guard and direct
our interests; for, under such inhuen-
.ces, antagonistic elements will be har-
monized and vexed questions settled
amicably and honorably to al con-
.cerned.
The tsrdy adjustment of our State
debt shows that the foregoing princi>
piles have not only not been complied
with but entirely disregarded. Now
who is responsible for these unwar-
ranted delays and failures to settle
debt which is growing more unwieldy
every day? In all cander we hold
that the blame fastens upon the Legis-
lures elected biennially by the people,
since the war. The time of these So
Ions has been FILTERED away in intro
ducing cart loads Of worthless bills, sill
ly wranglings and seeking popularity,
upon which to bolster political prefer
-ment, while the question Of a settle>
ment, when under consideration, was
lodged artfuIly or else postponed
through temerity. all this time the
interest On this Indebtedness was
breeding and growing with alarming
rapidity, until now a plausibility has
been given reputation. A spirit of
conservation has been ignored by the
Legislature on the one hand and the
bondholder On the other, and thus the
breech has been widening continually.
If elimination and recriminatiOn had
yielded to reason and sound judgment
our state finances would have been in
a much healthier condition. The way
to settle is to settle, as Horace Greely
saidtof 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 position
upon the State debt question because
the occasion has not demanded it, hut
I'VE give it without hesitation. An ear
fy settlement is what wedesire, and in
this way to put an end to the biting
interest which never sleeps. We scorn
reputation and ask a settlement at
such figures as will not be hurtful to
the welfare of the state. Let us pay
all we can and nothing more.
IL this connection we will briefly
commentator the message of our new
Executive, for this document fell like
a bomb-shell in certain quarters, and
whether wisely exploded 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 deci>
pher a Chinese wash receipt. If he
does not mean reputation, he has
thrown a glamour over it which
will captivate those almost persuaded.
1t be means to "bulldoze" the bloated
bond>hOlder he has made an abortive
effort The message bristles with ats
5acks upon men and Legislatures, and
eve hope the proof sustains the charges.
That this is one of the shrewdest and
most poignant state papers ever pub
lished we concede, but we doubt its
policy. We fear Governor Marks in
stearihg clear Of the Scylla'of paying
beyond our ability grazed the ragged !
edge of Charibdis, which is non-pay-
ment. He has sown dragons teeth,
which will spring up full-fedged re-
pudiationists. 1t is sincerely hoped |
this graveFquestion will soon be punch
ed and registered and removed from
our state politics.