Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-07-24


publican party and the State
through the whole session. The
people who chose the Legislature of
1881 never contemplated the possi-'
bic result of the resignation Of the
two Senstors in Congress She
State had honored each of them with
election and expected from them
faithful and complete. service. Ap-
peals made to the people by the
Democratic minority were met by
the insulting declaration that the
possible choice of Democratic Sena>
tors in Congress would be public
calamity to the State, and tx IS
after just electing Thomas C. Plavt
as successor of Francis Kerr a,
and after following the succession
with the choice of man named
Warner Miller, member OF the
present and previous House OF Rep
resentatves, where he was only con-
spicuous and notorious as direct
and present beneficiary Of one OF the
worst monopolies in the country, and
where he has supported that monop-
oily by his voice and influence and
with the threat that other pnblic in
terests should suffer if his splints in
wood pulp in the manufacture OF
paper were not protected. One cause
of the long session of the legislature
has been the selection of candidates
by the Republican caucus who are
members of the present Congress.
The most distinguished and capable
men of the Democratic party not in
public place, apart from Mr.. Conk-
ling, including men Ike like Messrs.
Fish, Wheeler, Rogers and others,
who have served the State with
ability, have had to give place to the
two men elected to Congress, and
/ their nomination has made an excuse
for passing law to ill the vacancies
made by their election, and no other
reason. These special elections thus
provided will be as untiniely
as they are unnecessary. The men
elected cannot take their seats before
December, whereas the general cleo
ton takes place early in November,
and all the votes will be counted be-
fore Congress can meet. This act is
without precedent and without
necessity, and moreover uncalled for,
and an enormous expenditure to the
people of the Districts and of the
State, besides the expenditure for
the Federal marsnais and inspectors,
rnd the great inconvenience to the
people by the special registry of
voters, and by the assembly of the
people at unusual tim-s and places
The whole Senatorial discussion
at Albany resolves itself into three
most discreditable conclusions
1st. A mistrust of the people of
the pc pie of the State on the part
! of the Republican majority in the
legislature.
sd A qnarrel over the spoils of
Office in the two Or three Republican
factions, with a practical contempt
for principle for what is known and
recognized as civil service reform.
/ Sd. The abuse of power power
from it's long use and misuse, until
two of the least compatible persons
have been drawn from TIM popular
branch of the Congress of the Uni
. ted States.
Another and most disgraceful
transaction belonging to this Repub-
lican legislature is evidence of bribs
cry and corruption, and established
upon the evidence of members of the
dominant party. A leading Repub-
lican Senator of one faction is
charged by a member of the assem-
by, of the same party and same dis
trlct of the other faction, with offer~
ing and paying him $4,000 for a
Senatorial vote, and the money was
placed in the possession of special
committee. and is now IN the hands of
the State controller. Beyond the fact
is the circulation of large sums of
money by prominent Republicans
pending the senatorial election, and
as many believe, intended to control
the result of elections.
The statement of New York wit
nesses is that millions of people
have been deeply wronged and
dlsgraced by both, Republican
senators action in Washington and
by the action of Republican power
in Albany In the first place, the
Chief Magistrate of the govern
ment. for daring to put in practice
the principles of executive right and
authority in the choice of public
officer nearly lost his life This sad
and terrible crime came not alone
through the personal madness Of
single man, but from that personal
fanaticism which was and is the fruit
of a greed for public Office and of
false and dangerous political evi-
dence. Now, if ever, is the time to
teach all men that public Office is the
property of the people and that the
places of official trust can only be
rightfully distributed to men of
noble purpose, OF pure lives,
of wise experience and of
unquestionable fitness for the work
to be performed. The Democratic
party of the State, desire to inculcate
and enforce the doctrine with which
the Democratic party came into ex-
M T