Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-12

by the investigation. They want no man
screened, neither do they favor defamation
of character in order to make public dishon-
esty seem respectable"
solid and Not senseIess Propositions
Is what the People Want.
Jackson Dispatch: "The people t. whom
are to be referred the settlement of the debt
question, are anxiously awaiting to see what
they will be called ON to decide, and whether
they will be allowed the privilege Of coming
to their own conclusions, Or be hampered by
arbitrary propositions dictated by the legis-
lature. Instead, however, of having the
complicated matter placed before them in the
shape of few senseless propositions like
those suggested by Colonel Savage, they pre-
fer that the legislature should effect com
promise, aud submit that to them for ratIh-
cat Cd. Whatever may be said to the con-
trary, they believe that their representatives,
are clothed with something more than an ad-
vsory authority, and they expect the legisla-
ture TO DO its duty first, before it calls upon
the people. That body cannot throw off the
responsibility of settlement by submitting
the question TO a popular vote, before it
comes to definite conclusion, and places
itself on the record. The people expect to
be called upon to act upon the decision OF the
legislature, and not on a set of propositions,
submittt by the legislature or by the credl-
tors The Democratic platform calls for the
submission TO the people of the adjustment
made by the Legislature with the creditors, Tor
ratification, and nothing else, and as this
clause of the platform seems to have special
weight with the majority, it should not be
perverted from its true meaning.
The Work OF GhOuls.
Knoxville Tribune: "On our second page
this morning we continue the publication ct
the testimony taken before the State debt
committee. We have condemned the course
pursued by the committee in the lnvestiga-
ton, and the testimony published this morn
iug gives point to our criticism. In one
deposition minister Of the gospel, to whom
a dying man makes his confession, Is called
upon to retail that confession fer the benefit
of these searchers after pretexts upon which
to base q reputation report. The search
after such rottenness displays poor Judgment
and worse taste. That a minister OF the
gospel, who received this confession from his
dying friend and parishioner, who contded
in HIM as his spiritual adviser, should make
the confession the property of the world is
bad enough; but that dignlhed committee
should dig into the grave of the dead man
and batten upon the corruption found there,
when it is wholly immaterial to the question
at issue, is infinitely worse. These cheap
and immaterial charges cannot stay the tide
which has set in the direction of State
credit, and a policy worthy State with such
a history as ours"
The Majority Report Wiped Out by the
Minority.
Nashville american: 1.-The majority re-
port is the final summing up of the entire
strength of the argument on that side. 1t is
gathering together the arguments upon
which TINS movement has fed, promulged on
the stump and in the low credit press for the
past ten years. At last it fEds full and final
expression, logically carried out to the very
last extremity, and denying the validity of
the entire debt. We say the entire debt, for
the apparent exception made in favor OF the
so called State debt proper will not stand
the test. If the principles applied to inVali'
date the rest of the debt are true, that must
go with the rest. 1t not only invalidates the
debt, but logically and consistently, a1d
| necessarily invaldates and denounces the
acts of the State government for forty years
| past, and involves the past, and all its good
aud wise public men in enc universal con-
| domination. 1t Is the strongest possible pre-
! seniation of a bad cause. We grant
| to those who have thus summed up
| the entire argument a sincere desire
to benefit the State and to carry
out a policy in which they believe. We
have nothing to do with the sincerity Of men
| or the strength of their belief in their views
| no question to deal with but the truth OF
| falsehood of the principles involved. Upon
| this issue, coldly and calmly considered, this
| great question is to be settled. This strong
est possible pre- sentation of an utter faliacy
| is the final effort of the low-Credit party tc