The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-05-06
Mr.. E. .TALIAFERRo.
Full Text of Mondays
Speech.
National L ssues Ably Discussed.

National 1 ssues Ably Discussed.
FELLow-CITIzENs
More than twelve years
ago first put foot upon your soil,
since which time l have been a cit
izen and resident of your county.
At that time, like many other young
men throughout the south who were
left destitute by the ravages OF the
war, and had realized the fact that
their fate and fortunes were de-
pendent entirely upon the work of
their own hands, l left my fathers
roof in search of an eligible locality
in which to prosecute my chosen
profession-the law.
After prospecting several coun-
ties in Middle Tennessee | deter
mined to cast my lot and seek my
fortunes in Giles county. l did not
overestimste the gloom and adver-
stiles which obstruct the path of Il
youth 10 years of age, locating in
a country Astounding with wealth
and intelligence, with no line Of
distinguished ancestry TO commend
him, nor money in himself or
friends to bear him up in his strug-
giles, but realizing the full force of
| the difficulties, with all my might
and main l fell to work determined
if possible to win the confidence Of
people whom 1 have since learned
to love, and clientage which 1
have since enjoyed.
1t would be strange, indeed, if,
standing here to day among my
neighbors and friends and casting
my eye back over the past twelve
years, dotted thickly with your in
dividual and public kindnesses to
me, Ishould not feel in my heart an
attachment for these people too
strong ever to be effaced in my pri-
vate life, and too secure ever to be
aliGnated in the discharge of pub
lie trust, if such should fall into
my hands. You came to my sue
cor when 1 was in need; you gave
me work when l was a stranger
among you and without experience;
you brought me light when the
night was very dark, and l shall
never forget you for it. Your peo-
pie have become my people, your
home my home, and the same DIES
tiny which shapes your ends, either
rough hewn or as smooth as the sea
in its calm, shall also shape mine.
Though born and reared in Tenn
essee, there is no spot within it's
borders as dear to me as that place
where, in my early manhood, l
made the choice of my home here
on the fertile soil and among the
intelligent people of Middle Tenn
essee. When l first came among
you the thought of entering the po-
litical arena did not once challenge
my ambition; in fact, did not
then know what political economy
meant. l knew, of course, that the
two great political organizations in
this country were the republican
and democratic parties. remem-
bered that before the war my father
had affiliated with the old whig
party, but the existence of that
grand organization and the tenets
of that party had either been alb
sorbed or forgotten by what is
known to-day as Republication and
Democracy. What, however, were
the peculiar principles and plat
forms of these organizations, did
not know. / soon found. however,
that as l arrived at manhood it be-
came my duty as good citizen to
exercise my right of the elective
franchise in aid of either one or the
other; and l set about to determine
with which OF the two l should cast
my political fortunes. The first
general election / remember to have
ever witnessed, being the election
of 1868, quickly removed ali doubt
in my mind on this question. l
witnessed a scene never to be for
gotten and certainly most extraor-
binary in che history of republics.
L stood upon the streets of your
town and saw solid columns of men
who had been your slaves, led by
men who shirked duty in the hour
of their country's need, march up
to the polls and vote away the rights
of your persons and property, while
your leading citizens whom you de
lighted to honor and love stood
upon your street corners IS power
less as If they had been aliens or
unnaturalizsd foreigners.
1 saw upon your state and fed
ersl statutes, promulgated by re-
publican rule, many of your best
citizens branded as traitors, de-
prived of holding office, robbed of
the elective franchise, in some in
stances forbidden to practice their
profession, and liable to, and in
many cases actually Indicted for no
other reason than that they had
served in the Confederate army, or
had sympathized with their country
in her direst affection. / saw the
offices of my own native STAGE adj
ministered, her laws expounded and
her legislation carried on by a set
OF men either foreign born or for
eign in feeling to the interests OF
euHeSSeC, WIN ShOOpSu OOWu u pun
us COssack-like, plunging their
hands into the treasury of the state
as if the highest qualification to
office was to make the most money
in the shortest space of time.
These things have become his
toric in the past experience of Ten
nessee, they have shaped the polit-
ical opinions of many OF your
young men, they stand as monu-
ment warning all of US what would
again be the policy of the republi-
can party should it ever accede to
power in this state, and should not
be forgotten. These things, were
there nothing else, convinced me
that the republican party was a
party Of oppression and plumber,
and after ten years critical observ-
snce of it, have seen no cause to
change my mind.
Hence, my countrymen, contem-
poraneous with my right to cast a
vote / became democrat, which l
have since been and expect heresf-