Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-08-21
THE WORK OF THE CONVEN-
TION.

THE WORK OF THE CONVEN-
TION.
Delegates on returning home from
a convention are pretty certain to
be greeted by the question, elbow
do you like the doings of the con-
vention ." And their answer is
likely to be areiteratiOn of the ques-
ton, "How do yO,t like it," Our
own answer is to quote our editorial
which appeared before the conven-
ton under the same heading with
the present article, and, having
pointed out that "the work of the
convention" exactly carried out the
programme therein proposed, we
have no need TO say that it merits
our most decided appreciation. In
that editorial we said:
And what should that position be- Moth
ing short of this should satisfy any state
credit man who really believes his prinei-
pies; namely, that the Legislature be in
structcd To settle the debt on the best posi-
BILE terms without further delay, without
further subterfuge of reference TO the people.
Toshow how exactly this program
was carried out by the convention,
we have only to transcribe the plat
form of the convention so far as it
relates to the public debt:
4th. We reassert our opposition 10 the re-
pudiation of any of the public obligations
of the State or Federal Government, and
"a nj oil hpr nm
any prcteNt or disguise would be the most
direful OF evils, moral, financial and pOliu-
cal, and in the patriotic language of the
National Democratic platform, we pledge
ourselves to the strict maintainance of the
public faith, state and National.
5th. We recognize q disposition upon the
part of the creditors Of the State, in view of
the great losses entililed by the late war,
the great depression OF business, and the
general ShrinlSnge in values, to make "a lib
eral reduction IN both the principal and
interest Of our Indebtedness, and We declare
that We favor prompt settlement by the
legislature with our creditors upon the best
terms that can be agreed upon as a result of
negotiation.
The full bearing, however, of these
resolutions can best be estimated by
considering them in connection with
the resolutions with which they
were confronted and which were
rejected by the convention.
The first amendment offered was
at first advocated by many good
state-credit men, by men who have
our highest esteem, and whose
esteem we earnestly desire. 1t new
ertheless appeared to us to be more
dangerous than even the plain repu-
dating resolution which was after
wards discussed, for the plain reason
that it would go before the state and
the world generally as conveying
the sentiments of state-credit men,
while the other was known to be
the work of regulators. The fol-
lowing is submitted as minority
report in lieu of so much of the ma
jority report as refers to the state
debt:"
That We are opposed To population in any
form, aud are In favor OF strict matnten-
ancc of the public Nth.
We favor n compromise and settlement Of
the states Indebtedness upon the most ia
VOrnble terms that can be honestly obtained,
and we favor the Inauguration by the next
legislature Of measures for just and honor
nblc settlement with the creditors OF the
state, and that any settlement proposed to
the legislature by the creditors lie over for
action thereon by the succeeding Legislature,
10 the end that such settlement may be fully
discussed before the people in the legislative
canvass. End such settlement, when effected,
shall Ee final.
The harmony and unity of the
party was advanced in the pream-
bic to this report Us the main pur-
pose to he effected by it, us is ex-
pressed i'm the following words:
Without any expression Of opinion as to
the wisdom of tho original incorporation OF
this policy in the party platform, the under
signed believe Il unwiSe at this time % adopt
the views of one wing of the party, and
ignore the views ofthe other in this matter.
We have said that many state
credit men were i'm favor of this
amendment, and among them one
of the very best of that body, Gen.
Luke Wright, who advocated il on
the same grounds, those of harmony
and unity in the party, and there
seemed Mt one time considerable
danger of its adoption.
What prevented it was demon
stratiOn on the part Of the extreme
low-taX delegates that harmony and
unity would not result from ii even
if adopted; that, in short, the repu-
diatOrs would not stand ON it, and
the apprehended bolt would take
place from this just as readily as
from fl,n ,,,nfCrftxy ro,,c~t rraass. ~