Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-10-13

licau. Hence any departure from
these cardinal principles by the gov
ernment or parties is revolutionary
and despotic. We have but one prec-
edent Of disfranchisement in the his
tory Of Tennessee. From 1865 to 1869
under radical despotism. to which
Judge Hawkins gave h~isinfuence and
judicial support, it will be remember
ed by all lovers Of free government
with loathing and d~etestation, that the
tax payers and property owners Of
Tennessee were disfranchised, and
that during their eventful four years
reign of despotism, corruption and
distranehisement, railroad companies,
bond spectators and official plumber
ers under the pretext of aiding inter
nal improvements in this state, inau-
gur1ted a system of fraud by which it
was intended to cancel internal i'm
provement mortgages for a song, ard
thus transfer millions of railroad La
biity to the shoulders Of labor and
production 10 Tennessee. During
this four years of Acknowledgement
war interest was funded, and bonds
we're fraudulently issued to complete
railroad combinations to the amount
Of over $26,0O0,000, for which tbepeo-
pie have received nothing. In better
and purer days, Gov. John c. Brown,
on the 10th of October, 1881, said:
1.-THE termination of hostilities found
the civil government of Tennessee in
the hands Of q meagre minority, Ae
ballot was denied to freemen, suffrage
extended merely as a venal eonsidera-
ton in exchange for partisan fealty
without any regard to the a~nteeedents
of the voter.
Military power, at an enormous cost,
perpt trated this outrage upon liberty
and hushed the popular voice. The
public debt, in a short period Of four
years, swelled from SIC, 0OO 900 to S42,-
100000, Violent partizans, aided by
a swarm of nomadiO adventurers, have
squandered the revenues unjustly ex
torted from a captive people, and in.
augurated a carnival of crime unhesrd
Of in the annals Of the state, for which
they, not We, are response le.
IL will be remembered that this
enormous lncTease of what is called
the public debt occurred in 1866 rs.
1t is further shown by the investiga-
ton of a legislative committee in
1901, and also by a committee Of
the last legislature, that there wa.
about S7,000,000 war interest funded
contrary to all precedent and law up
on the subject; and about $4,000, 0Ol
bonds issued and loaned to railroads in
violation of law, and all illegally SOLD
in l866-7-8. Since the enfranchismeut
Of the people 10 1869 there has be, L
several attempts 10 induce the people
to assume this vast liability and donate
their earnings and property to railcoaC
corporations for generations to come
Thus far the scheme has failed and il
is now proposed by the republican,
and a few high tax gentry calling
themselves democrats, to take the
right of voting on this question fiou
all the people, as was done in part b.
the radicals from 1863 to 1869. When
this unholy fraud was ihaugurated
and thus avoid the chains Of debt,
slavery upon labor and industry in
Tennessee. cannot believe tn,
liberty-loving. honest people Of Ten
nessee will so far forget themselves a,
to elect men who favor so dangerous a
policy. The assumption that the
legislation Of Tennessee has supreme
authority and power over the will Of
the people is despotic, and all men
who love their liberty aud wish a re
turn to honest. economical gov
eminent, will, [ hope, be found
at their posts on election day
for it is the laboring, producing PEG.
pie hat pay the taxes on one side
struggling for equal protection unde'
the government with railroad monop
olies and the money power on tn,
other. The defenses of the people ar,
growing weaker every hour; right anC
justice is measured by dollars and
cents. These growing outrages upon
liberty must be arrested by the PEG.
pie, or free government in this coun'
try will soon come to an end Col
Young will doubtless be elected t
congress from this district, and an en-.
tire democratic delegation from tbi.
county, | have no doubt, will b,
elected to the legislature. All fsvol
submitting any settlement of the pub
lie debt to a vote of the people.
Wilson will carry this county ovel
Wright by a large majority.
Very truly, your friend,
JESSE B. Brown.