The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-07-22
Judge Hawkins at Knoxville.

Judge Hawkins at Knoxville
The Chronicle reporting Judg,
Hawkins speech there Wednesday
night says: Judge Hawkins give al
address of an hours length, in q
clear, ringing manner, that convinced
all that he is not only II republican of
the stalwart kind but an able stumT
speaker. The Judge expressed hi,
pleasure at meeting so many of the
citizens Of Knoxville and of address.
ing them upon the questions that now
agitatc the public mini. lie review
ed briefly the career of each OF the
candidates for the Presidency, and
their respective claims upon the pco-
pie, making many forcible hits, which
were loudly applaudeG.
The speaker then turned his atten,
ton to the Stale debt, and reviewed
its history from the issuing of the
first bonds in 1858, for the payment
Of stock in the Union bank of Tenne8-
see, and for internal improvements up
to the present time, when there re-
mans about twenty millions out
standing. On these bonds is the
whole hroadsidc Of the state of Ten
ncssce, and they bear tie signatures
of our honored Governors, Neil S.
Brown, Andrew johnson, Isham G.
Harris. William G Brownlow and
others. About seventeen of the
twenty millions were issued prior to
the war, and a little over three mill
ions since rho wal, and known as the
Brownlow bonds. What do the PEG.
pie propose to SO with them? Upon
their face they pledge the honor,
faith and credit of the state of Ten
ncssce for their payment. They are
our bonds. The people of the state,
almost unanimously iudorsed the ac-
ton of the Legislature in the issuing
of these bonds in aid of internal i'm
provements. We have been disap-
pointed in our calculation, but if we
had had no war, perhaps we never
would have heard Il word about the
question as to whether we would have
to pay these railroad bonds, for the
companies would have been able to
pay their obligations. At the close
Of the war, the people said, without
regard to party, let us reconstruct
these railroads; let US build up the
country again. Tennessee is inter-
ested i'll these roads. They are nee
essary to develop the resources of our
state, and the people came without
rcgrrd to party and offered petitions
to the Legislature asking the issuance
of more bonds in order that these
roads might be reconstructed and put
on foot again, and accordingly addl-
tional bonds were issued and the
roads were Tut in operation again.
We ale told that we are too poor to
pay our debts. We are poor. We
are too poor to repudiate our debts,
We arc not so poor but that we can
acknowledge our Indebtedness. I am
proud that | am privileged to stand
up and appeal to your n of honor
in this matter. | was never interest
ed in a hond; never belonged to a ring
or corporation in my life, us my friend
Col. Edwards, sometimes intimates,
and l am not one of those men that
he alludes to who carry passes in their
pockets. How did he find out so
much about the passes? / know moth
ing about them, and the pass l have,
| obtained in exchange for green
backs.
Those bonds were issued for a pur-
pose. We have accomplished that
purpose, and now we are told that we
should keep those advantages, but we
sholld not pay for them. | submit
that it is in accordance with the teach
ings of your fathers, whose rule was
that when n note was not paid before
it was worn out to come back and get
a new one They will tell us that we
are to poor to pay our debts and yet
our personal property is worth more
by forty millions than it was when
much of this debt was contracted,
Notwithstanding the loss Of slave
property. Republicans and Demo
Gratis, l call upon you all to come to
the rescue of your proud State! 1t has
been in the hands Of the democratic
party for 10, these many years, but
instead Of being built up, as the ma
ton has beer built up under the
control Of the republican party it has
sunk down deeper and lower, and o,n
credit destroyed and millions of dol
lars lost in the fall of our real estate,
until to-day our state government
stands upon the verge Of bankruptcy
Shall | call in vain upon the people
of Tennessee to come to the rescue
before it is too late, and lift up oui
proud state out of the mire into which
she has fallen!