Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-10-02

THE Nashville American, in its re-
port of Wilson's speech at Nashville
Thursday night, sets down the crowd
at between 700 and 800 people, but
says many of them were not his follow
ers, but only went out of curiosity to
hear what he had to say about the
railroad decision. 1t seems that a
great many people all over the state
have a great curiosity to see him, and
will probably know how to spell his
name correctly on bits of paper about
the End of November. In regard to
Judge Withey's decision and the debt
he is reported as saying:
He was for the state and people
paying every honest dollar they owed
and paying that promptly, and he was
in favor of the railroads paying their
debts. 1t was never contemplated by
the improvement acts of 1872 that
the people should pay any of the bonds
issued under those acts, but the rail
roads for whose aid these bonds were
issued. The railroads were not only
to pay the hOads, but it was especially
stipulated that the roads should pay
the interest on them, Let the state
pay her debts, and the railroads theirs
But it was said that Judge Withey
(and a great blow was made about it)
had decided that the state and not the
railroads owed the debt. He was not
there to assail Judge Withey or any
other man, but he was there to
say that the democratic party
had its inspiration and owed its
life to its opposition to de-
oision Of The supreme court of the
United States IS shown in Chism vs.
Georgia. He would repeat, for the
benefit of the American, that the
democratic party had its origin in its
resistance to a decision Of the supreme
court Of the United States. The
opinion Just delivered by Judge
Withey was not final, for he under
stood the case had been appealed to
the supreme court of the United
States. Wright was a candidate for
the railroads and an elector for Haw-
kins.
Mr.. Wilson was here asked how
much of the debt he was willing to
havethe state pay,when he responded
81, 10000, and the interest accrued
thereon, and that the railroads should
pay the balance. One question had
been raised on account of the acts OF
1869-70 The question between the
state bondholders was very different
from that between the state and the
railroads. The question between the
state and the railroads could be settled
very easily. Wright admitted the
people had a right to instruct
the legislature at the ballot box. lie
had asked Wright, if he believed this,
why be did not, in the name Of the
rights of the people, why he did not
put that in his platform Wright
had answered why, Wilson, don
you believe in a God2" Yes" said
Wilson. "Well," said Wright, why
didn't you put that in your PLATFORM
Wilson had replied that he did not
think that God had anything TO dc
with Wright's convention, and if He
had He would not have made the
blunders that had crept into it. They
said let the courts settle the question
If they could not get the legislature t
settle it, they wanted the court to de
sO-anything to control the policy o.
government against the will Of the
people. No young lawyer who partec
his hair in the middle, or an old one
coulo find any government in the w0rlf
where such question was referred t
the courts. The courts had no machin
ryby which to o. termine the question
Courts were organized to deter
mine questions between individuals
Suppose the state would alGw itsel
be sued, what would it amount to
Suppose the courts would certify thai
the bonds were valid; the question
would at last have to be referred t,
the political department of the gov
ernment. aud it would have the powe
to decide whether it would make al
appropriation. The American ha,
referred to Georgia an hundred tim as
Georgia had a lot of bonds issued Il
ra 'lroads, and Georgia through il
ieri, ature had refused to pay $1,000,
O00 Of them. Those bonds were noyc
submitte i to the courts, but they leg
islatiyely repudiated them. The
came a constitutional amendment pro
hibiting the legislature from payin
them. But Georgias credit was goo
and her bonds were selling at a pre-
MUM of four and five cents in tn
market. 1t was a politic0l and not
judicial question whether state bon
was valid or invalid. He would sa
to the crowd, if anyone could nm
where a court had decided this o u
dicial and not political question, d
Would abandon the canvass.