Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-08-07
Plain Talk from a Democrat.
Lebanon Herald


Before another number of the Her
aid ehall be issued, the democratic state
convention will have assembled, con
cluded its labors and adjourned. Those
labors are to consist of the adoption Of
a platform upon which to conduct the
coming canvass, and the nomination
of candidate for governor. Whether
it will be possible for the delegates
composing the convention to agree
upon platform and a candidate, has
for many months been a matter of
grave doubt, and has occasion ed much
concern to all patriotic democrats.
We are compelled to recognize the
existence, In this state, OF three subdi~
visions of the dem cratic party. These
are the state credit men, the 'low-tax"
men, so called, and mongrel, hybrid
faction, which, for lack of distinc-
tive appellation, we may call the
Marks party. The views Of the first
two are diametricslIy opposite and, in
our judgment, irrecOncilable. The
matters of difference, which need not
be discussed or even enumerated here,
are many and various. Between them
there can be no compromise which
does not involve total sure nder on
the part of the one or the other-a sur
render which neither is willing to
make.
What, then, will be the result?
Patiently, one Of two things-either a
square fight" between state credit
and "low-tax,n with a decisive victory
for one, or a cowardly evasion and
another "pretermission" Of the mat
ters at issue for the sake Of "harmo.
NY"
For one, we have had quite enough
of harmony" With us, principle is
| preferable To peace, and the triumph
| of right more desirable than the suc-
cess of any party. Oar voice is for
war-aod the sooner the better. II
| the democratic party of Tennessee can
not afford to take bold, manly, un-
compromising and unequivocal posi-,
ton for "the strict maintenance OF
the public faith" state as well as
national, it should surrender the COM
mon wealth to more competent and
honester hands.
We have spoken Of the MARKS par.
ty" This comprises choice selection
of sO-cailed democrats, made up OF
| about equal proportions of soft .shell
state-cT men and weakened
"lOw-tax ere" Afraid, politically, OF
their own shadows, they lack the cour-
| aye which should come of conviction,
ana are Responsible for the effort to
emasculate the democratic policy by
''pretermission" and to secure "hars
mony" by the sacrifice of common
honesty. This is the party, forsOoUb,
which foisted upon the democracy Of
Tennessee the impudent and iucspa-
BILE demOgOgue who has bestfidden its
neck for two year, like pestilent old
man of the sea, and ridden it almost to
destructlon-aud this is the party
which will attempt to control the COM
ing convention, to thrust down its
throat cowardly repetition of the
pucillanimOus platform of '79, and to
addIe upon it again the Honorable
Albert s. Marks!
| We need not repeat what we have
said before. We may sum up our po-
si'iOn very briefly. While we should
dislike exceedingly to be compelled to
support or vote for such a man as
John II. Savage, we should not hest
tate an instant were Marks the alter
native. No one who knows the Her
aid can doubt its choice, as between a
man whom it knows to be wrong but
believes to be honest, and a dema-
gogue who is as utterly destitute OF pc
litical principle as he is devoid of p0-
litical manhood,