Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-03-06
What a Third Term Means.
Nashville American,

One gratifying progress has been
made in politics within the last few
months; we no longer hear so much
of Grant, the old flag, an appropria-
ton and a high old time. Somehow,
it has dawned upon tine class who
are perfectly willing to have a high
cid t5jTpf Ptn the ST any sy dh b65k
those who have no particular Opin-
ions, that with Grant, or without
Grant, this conflict is between two
opinions, and not, especially for the
South, a race for Office Iii in fact
that kind of contest which affords
the least opportunity to the mere
time-server at the South, a conflict
which is to determine what system
of government is best for the great
masses of the people and not as to
the government in which Tom,
Dick and Harry shall have the best
opportunity to secure place. With
the triumph of Grant will come the
carpet-bagger, and there are not
many of those now willing to serve
their country who will have the OPP
pOrtunity.
Grants triumph will be the victo-
ry of a section, and of the narrOweSt
part of a section; the temporary
triumph of the national and CEN
traliZing idea, and the result will be
that the carpet-bagger will come
forward more pertinaciouS and ex-
acting than ever, with the plea that,
in the South and in the North, those
who-have always been loyal and
f.,sk Il oh -,
Such is the idea at the bottom of
Grantism, and no sane adventurer
will entrust himselftO compete with
the sectional lOyalist, whose nation
al feeling is strong in proportion as
he has assurance that he will not be
allowed to starve. The perception
of this truth on thepart of the South
ern people who were, a short while
ago, beginning to frame excuses for
supporting Grant, leaves them no
longer found ready to embark in
that boat without light. The mere
adventurer is not willing to expect
place under the latest developments.
The man who was going in for APP
preparations and subsidies to fill up
the burrows of war and to close the
bloody chasm finds, after conSidera-
ton, that, with a sectional victory,
they will no more obtain appropria-
tiOns by voting for Grant than if
they had remained true to an earn
est effort to secure those general con-
ditiOns Of wealth, prosperity and
progress, which are the chief aim of
the Democratic party. If there are
subsidies and appropriations by the |
Grant administration they will be |
for the strongest section and not for |
the weak. The benefits, which they
thought they saw, turn out to have |
been mirages, bright, beautiful, but |
illusOry, and the movement has
pretty well faded out.
The Democratic party cannot af-
ford everybody an Office, it does not /
propose to legislate everybody rich
or to legislate prosperity, but does |
propose, by sound, steady policy, |
to prepare the conditions by which |
all industrious people can obtain
prosperity, if they will, and the |
practical, solid, common sense judg- |
ment of people, obtained in the /
hard school of experience which has
taught the Southern States, turns to
the sober, steady policy away from
the delusiVe glitter of policy which
held out splendid government,
strong administration, appropria-
tons, and high old time to those
who would help to swell the ranks
Of Grantism and follow the conquer
Or along with Babcock, Shepherd
and Belknap, and all the hosts of
retired ragamuIfinS who are waiting
for Grants accession, to have the
holes in their coats mended and
new shirts put TO their collars and
1ickeys.