The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-09-09
sTRoNG RECRUIT.


port Judge Wright, until last week,
when that paper comes out with the
following explanation and strong arti-
Gle in his favor. We welcome Col.
Slater into the list.
There are promises made some
times which had better be broken than
maintained intact. There are threats
made sometimes which had better be
taken back than fulfilled. We had
SAID that we would not vote in the
No yember election for any man for
Governor. We could not, Of course,
vote for Hawkins-a Republican who
would, if he could, put Tennessee un-
der the heel of military rule i'll order
to obtain ofices and mohey. alne
could not vote for Wilson, man
who is a disorganizer ard bolter,
and whose political record is not witho
out blemish and inconsistency. And
we thought we would not vote for
Judge john V: Wright because of
personal reasons we will not mention;
but which in no manner affect his ca
pacity us a fluent and gifted speaker,
and one who can win success where
either Of his opponents would fail.
And Judge Wright stands upon a
platform thatswe endorse. We cau-
not vote for that platform without
voting for Judge Wright, and we sub
ordinate all personal feeling, as it is
our duty to the good of our State.
We do so, uninhuenced by anything
else, or any person in the world. We
have many friends and patrons among
those who will vote for Mr.. Wilson,
and some for Hawkins, and we shall
never allow one of them to outGo lis
in kindness and liberality of thought
and feeling. The Home Journal is
not extreme, and is not intallible,
and our long experience in journals
ism has taught us, year 10y year, to
value less our own views and give
more credit to the views of others.
Now to the point:--There is so
much ill-feelng between the two di-
visions of the Democratic party that,
by their division, they say they are
willing to see Hawkins elected. In
despair Of seeing the breach closed
up, We are lett to vote according to
the dictate of our conscience, which
we never will allow any man to keep
Or control, either in religion, politics
or anything else. From this stand
point we unhesitatingly declare our
intention to do all we can for the
regular nominee of the party-for
Hon. John V. Wright-to the end
that We may save our State from the
shame that will come upon her if she
should elect either a Radical or elect
a man who would disregard obliga-
tions of pecuniary nature which
the State has solemnly pledged her
faith and credit to fulfill. Why,
sirs, if tennessee is not liable for
every bond that has her seal and the
signature of the Governor to it, then
our Legislature is farce and fraud.
If, as we have heard stated, our leg
islatnrs can be Thought up" then we
had berer abolish the Legislature. If
the people are so corrupt that they
will only elect corrupt men TO repre-
sent them, then they are forestalledin
CRYING corruption rs an excuse for re-
pudidting their obligations. And if
this question of the States indebted
ness is to be left to Il vote Of the debt
ors to say whether they will pay or
MT, then why should not every law
IN ,de by the Legislature be left to a
vote of the people, and no longer have
our statutes full of laws that are to
take effect "frcm and after their pas
sage?" Why not leave all Supreme
Court decisions and all other Court
decisions to the "dear people?' When
you come out loser in a law suit,
when YOU were compelled, under
Court decisions and the ruinous policy
of contraction of currency few years
since, to give up your property after
you had paid perhaps one-half upon
it, why should not the people be call
ed upon to say if you were justly
treated? Aud because our legislators
enacted laws that in the end proved
injurious, are the people justified in ig-
noring their obligations1 Do they
require the representative to give any
bond? No! They trust him so COM
pletely that no bond is required, not
even against temptations of any kind.
Now, these bonds were issued under
the authority, delegated by the peo-
pie, Of the best men Tennessee ever
produced. And we have system Of
railroads which has redounded far
more to our benefit as a State than all
the money the bondhOlders want from
us. Yes, lot of demagogues, called
politicians, are etcrnally saying that
the railroads must pay the debt-as if
the State was not first bound in honor
and law to the innocent bondholder :
And these demagogues are loud in
their zeal for low taxes. Let us look
at this a moment. Tennessee pays a
lower tax than any other State in the
Union. Let us compare her with
Louisiana, which, more than any 9TH
er state, has been oppressed BY Raids
cal misrule. The writer of this-Our
self We mean-owns a place in Louisi>
ana assessed at $4,000. We paid our
taxes the other day, and here is the
Tax Collectors report for one year;