The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-10-06
HON. WIN. T. SYKES SPEECH
TUESDAY NIGHT.
Defense of the Democratic Con-
Eenti0n.


We have only to regret that no
report less than a full report, can
do justice to the speaker. He was
calm, dispassionate, fair, convinc,
ing. His arguments in favor ef
fair and speedy adjustment of the
State debt were absolutely unan-
swerable. He has done vast good
in his canvass of this division of the
State. In defense of the Democrat
ic Convention from the assaults of
the leading repudiators, he spoke
substantially as follows:
The greatest outrage that has been
perpetrated recently In our political
matters is the insinuation, or rather
charge, made in the platform adopted
by the boilers meeting q cannot call it
aconyentien) that the 200 members of
the Democratic convention were con-
trolled by railroads. This charge is
made without even the semblance of
truth, and it can only deceive the un-
wary, the ignorant and the unsuspecting.
I was not a member of that convention,
and took no part in its proceedings and,
consequently, can speak freely. know
the men whe were in that convention
and they are far more above any i'm
proper influences and far less liable to
be bought or controlled by railroads
than the small squad that met in the
Senate Chamber. l can speak knowing
ly for those whs represented Maury,
Williamson, Giles, Lawrence, Lincoln,
and Marshall do not know the 9th
ers so we'll, but presume they were as
good men, as much above being con-
trolled by railroads, as those frsm the
counties have named. They were, in
the main, substantial, well-te-dO, thrifty,
energetic farmers, who own no railroad
stock, ner bonds of any description, and
who are laad owners, laborers and tax
payers. l can mention from Maury
county alone Campbell Brown, N. B.
Cheairs, N. F. Cheairs, w. A. Hubbard
F. H. Watkins, L. E. Polk, w. D. Beth.
ell and many others of the same kind
who are among the best men in the
country.
The delegates from Williamson and
Giles were of the same kind, men whe
have the interests of the State and the
welfare of the Democratic party deeply
at heart. For such men as these who
cultivate the soil and pay the taxes, to
be charged with being controlled by
railroads is an outrage, upon the better
feelings of the whole community. Who
were the men in that meeting which
made this charge? 1t was presided oV'
er by Judge J. J. Williams, who, al
though paid by the people $4,000 pei
annum to act as Judge, quits the bench
to make population speeches. II. G.
Snodgrass who has been recently if he
is not now railroad lawyer was one Of
It's leading spirits. Another was S. F.
Wilson, who introduced a bill to credit
railroads with the taxes they had lille
gally paid, and who refused to return
the dog tax illegally collected from the
poor man and voted to pay six per cent
interest upon Brownlow, railroad, and
war interest bonds. And yet he pre-
sumes to charge some of the very pur-
est, best, and most substantial men in
the State with being controlled by rail
roads. To what is our country coming,
when any portion of our people will
hear or heed such charges That whole
meeting with but very few exceptions
was made up of men who were office
holders, and office-seekers. There was
not in it a single mechanic, or working
farmer that l know of. If there was, !
have not been able to learn his name.
These men presume upon what they
consider the ignorance and the gullibiI,
ity of the people, when they make such
charges as are made in their platform.
I have not assaulted the private record
of any member of the Boilers conven-
ton, but have said, as 1 have a right
to say, that men who pay little or no
taxes, have no right to charge substantial
tax paying farmers and land owners
with corruption, If, as they assert,
courts be corrupt, legislatures be cor
rupt and conventions be corrupt, then
what hope is there for the country? If
this be so, then we may say that juries
will be corrupt because they are com
posed Of the same kind of men that leg
islatures and conventions are. This
doctrine leads to mob law, to the reign
of the pistol and the bowie knife. Men
who charge all others with corruption
are apt to judge others by themselves.
If we destroy confidence between man
and man, then there is no safety for life,
for liberty, or for property. The reign
of the mob will take the place of the
reign of law, and it would be better to
live among wild Indians than in such a
community. But, thanks to God, such
is not the condition Of Tennessee.
When the people of Tennessee are
SUNK 60 low dS W DCllCNG Ll1dJ LHGlE Ia
theirs fer forty years issued bends lille
gally, and obtained money upon them
without objection, to build railroads and
turnpIkes, and whenever they can be-
lieve 200 of the most substantial, most
worthy citizens in the State can be con-
trolled by railroads and betray their
trusts, then indeed we can find no Glow
er deep"
Men who are SO unfortunate as not to
own property worth more than a thous-
and dollars may be, and are as
good, and have as deep an interest in
the country, apd are as alive to the
credit and good name of the State as
men who own thousands, but men who
have little or no taxes to pay should he
very slow to charge the land owners,
farmers, and taxpayers of the country
with being bought or controlled by rail-