Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-09-11

To thank God that neither the oil,
! Whig nor Democratic parties Q
/ Tennessee ever gave eOuntenancet t
the Odious doctrine of reputation
What shall be done with thi
debt? IL will not do TO ignore it
It cannot be ignored. You ma,
say, I'VE will have nothing to dt
with it. !" But, unfortunately, lik'
the ghost of Banquo, it will no
down at your bidding. It vii
arise at each successive election anC
shake its CORY locks in your IA
ces, and each time with increased
and increasing proportions. YOU
may refuse to settle, but the debt
still goes on, the interest accumuiat.
ing at the rate of million and Z
half a year. After while it will
get to be thirty, forty, or fifty mil.
lions, and it will still be here.
When you sleep it still goes on. Ev-
cry move of the great pendulum OF
time means dollar, dollar, dollar, at
the rate of near 5000 a day. II
courts and legislatures are all cor
rupt, as boilers say they are (but
which I neither believe nor admit,
the corruption fund will then be in
deed dangerous and 0yerpOwering.
This failure of our people to settle
this debt is running us and retard-
ing our prosperity in a thousand
ways. The whole civilized world
is against repudiation. The moral
sense of mankind all over the world
is shocked at it. 1t is an evil ex-
ample to our people at home, for if
a state can afford to be dishonest in
dividuals may also. 1t is corrupt
ing to the youth of the land. If a
state can pav her obligations or any
part of them the world expects her
to do it. The same rule applies to
individuals. But if either are una
Bile, or do the best they can, the
world excuses them. Tennessee
cannot hide from the world. The
eyes of the people of the United
States and of the whole civilized
world are upon us, and upon our
conduct in this matter rests our
shame or our honor. All our great
interests, agricultural, mechanical,
manufacturing, mining, and all 9TH
ers, are suffering deeply from our
course. Men will not come to Ten
nessee and invest money in any of
our great resources of wealth with
this dark cloud of encumbrance
hanging over us, and after awhile
far-seeing and judicious men will
begin to sell out and leave the state,
not willing to leave their children
an inheritance of debt. It is said,
and / have no doubt truly, that the
value of Tennessee property de-
creased fifty-five millions in three
years after the policy of refusing to
settle was inaugurated, and it will
still 90 on. We can settle it if we
will but make an honest effort to do
so. The creditors have already
made commendable concessions in
offering at one time to take go and
afterwards 80 cents. Our platform
an hOuest settlement
on the basis of losses by the war,
shrinkage in values, ETC., and the
further consideration that a spirit
of compromise has heretofore
marked the course of the creditors.
Shall we not meet them in the same
honest and frank spirit? With a
tax of 40 cents on the 800 worth of
together, with our other
sources of revenue, the current ex-
Denses of the state can be provided
for. the annual interest paid, and
something left to begin sinking
fund with. 1t will not be long un-
til all the railroads will be subject !
10 state and county taxation, some |
3f them are now paying taxes regu-
arly. Some estimate their value
If SO. 900, 900. On this sum a tax !
1f 40 cents will raise 5000, 900 for the |
state, besides county taxes in all |
counties through which the roads |
.un. Besides this our property will |
LII rise in value and a smaller per
,ent will suffice after we have res
ored confidence and shown good
dith. 3iiQ7 3ll} % ile
( If we should compromise our debt
IS indicated even then our taxes
will be less than any southern state /
except the state of Missouri, and
hat pays 40 cents on the hundred
Iollars, and her bonds are at par If
lot above, and no complaint is
leard. Alabama and Georgia have,
10Th COMPROMISED their debts, and
heir taxes are loWer now than they
we're before and general prosperity
5 beginning to crown their efforts. :
rhe fact is it was never our state
ak that oppressed us, and it will
lot be so in the future. 1T is our
ounty. taxes which are the most
,nerous. and these are within the
ontroII of the people through their
Ounty COURTS have before me a
eport taken from the books OF Hay
Vood county, which L obtained
vhen / was there the other day, I
howing the taxes paid by three of
he largest property holders.J One
vho owns $500 acres of fine land
avs Sl40-$26a to the county and
niy $25 80 to the state, Another
Tho owns 1, ,164 acres pays to the
ounty $47 85 5and only So 20 to the
tate. and yet another who owns
1856 acres pays the county $l13 10, I
nd the. state only $40 54. 1 men
ion these things to show that our
late tax is not burdens0me and will. !,
at be under fair adjustment of
uf state. liabilities. But appeals
re made to the poor men and they
re told that they viii have the
axes to paw if we settle this debt.
believe that no man has more
vmpathy tkanimyself for the poor
eople of my native state. 1t was
lv'luck to be born to an 1nherl-
ance of poverty and / have kept
~ inheritance as well as most
len. I did once get to be better
#. but war and misfortune swept
nat away, and to-day, l am again
moor man. have owed and do
we debts that I have been unable
! nav. I have never aVailed my
elf Of the bankrupt law nor plead
le statute of Limitations, / have ,
snewed obligations barred by the
,atutes and 4 have never denied a
lst debt. Twice since the war
ave / surrendered every dollars
,ortt of my real and personal prop
rty to my creditors without claim
10 either exemptions or omestead. /
Simply allude'to this to show that 4
lv personal course Is consistent
yfth my public views, and that, II
1ough still poor, / have tried to be 4
onest. Pardon me, fellow-citizens, I
u this allusion to myself, as it is. I
Iways unpleasant and embarrass-
10 TO do so. sil li.4 &iEt-it
It has been urged alsa that IL the
ebt Is adjusted the owners of land
ill raise their rents on the tenants,
nd / have heard of some merciless,
,,JIo,de 1x,h0 haun thrpa fcYpd fO I