Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-10-09
COZ. W. j. SYKES.

1t is a source of special gratifica-
ton to us to see this gentleman
recognized as a faithful and able
champion of the states honor both
in East and West Tennessee. The
following is from the East Tennes-
see correspondence of the Nashville
American
ATHENS, TENN, Oct. 1.-Maj. w.
J. Sykes closed his speech here to-
day as follows:
| am now about to bid adfeu to
East Tennessee. 1 may or / may
not return. Permit me to say that
l have been charmed not only with
your lovely valleys, with your ro-
mantle scenery, with your beautiful
water courses, and with your mag
nificent mountains, but still more
with the generous hospitality of
your people, of all parties and of all
shades of opinion. They have eX-
tended to me the right hand of fell
lOwship, and have met me with
kindly greetings. | have endeav
ored to impress upon them that our
political discussions should be con-
Quoted with fairness and with can
dor, that VIC should differ as friends
and as brothers, and not quarrel as
strangers and as enemies.
In the same spirit in which have
met them they have met me, and
now we part, l trust, as friends,
however much we may differ in
opinion.
/ have advocated a restoration of
the credit of the state because I be-
lieved those who were advocating
its destruction, whether they so in
tended or not, were running the state
not only in character but in its ma
teriai prosperity. / have advocated
it because [ felt satisfied that with
the credit of the state restored East
Tennessee would go forward in her
onward and upward march; that
the iron-bound gates of her mount
aims would be unlocked and the
hidden treasures which lie beneath;
that her hills, full of iron and coal,
will be lighted with the fires of
many furnaces, and that her lovely
streams, the waters of which now
flow useless and unused, would re-
sound with the music of the spindle
and of the loom.
am glad to say that the people
of East Tennessee, whether they
live in the mountains of Scott and |
Morgan or in the valleys of the Hol- |
stOn, the Tennessee and the French |
Broad, have given me their patient |
attention. / now, in this public |
manner, return them my thanks |
and say to them in the language of
Rip Van Wrinkle in the play, "May |
you live long and prosper"
And then we get the following
from West Tennessee
One of the best men to send after
Savage in West Tennessee, is Mai. |
w. j. Sykes. The-Major is thor
oughiy familiar with all the facts
about the state debt, and he knows
pretty near everything about Saw
age and Wilson. The major is per-
haps the most effective speaker now
on the stump in this state. He deals
in facts and figures in plain lam
guage that carries conviction to the
minds of his auditors. A speaker
of his clearness and force is needed
in Wesi Tennessee to clean out the
Wilson dust that has been rubbed
into the eyes of several hundred
misled people. = Memphis AUa-
IdRche.
For ourselves. we have long rec
ognized Col. Sykes as the most con-
sistent as well as the ablest expo
nent of the debt question in the
state. There was time when out
spoken demonstrations in favor of
the honor and credit of the state
were not SO much in vogue as now,
when politicians were in favor of
hushing up all differences on the
subject for harnaOny's sake. In those
days Col. S. and ourselves stood
almost alone in the uncompromis-
ing advocacy of the right.
And now that the whole party
has come to the recognition of the
principle that the right must be as
serted, whatever the consequences,
is not Col. Sykes entitled to recog-
milton by the party? If a long his
tory of disinterested and unrequited
labor gives a title of political honor
and reward, then no man stands
higher in Tennessee as a claimant
for either honor or emOlument than
w. J. Sykes. Fiat j,tStitia.