Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-02-05
SPEECH OF THE HON. JAMES f.
BAILEY,
At the Maxwell House, Nashville,
Tuesday Night, Jan. 2J, in An
sWer TO "A Serenade Gwen
Him by the Citizens OF
Nashville.

Nashville.
After the band had played two
airs, Senator Bailey was introduced
by John w. Childress, chairman OF
the state democratic executive COM
mittee, who said:
/, FelIow-citizens of Tennessee:
have the honor and pleasure to in
troduce to you your senator in con-
gress, the Hon. James e. Bailey.
Senator Bailey stepped forward to
the balcony rail and said:
FelloW-citizens: Four years ago
the citizens of Tennessee and OF the
city of Nashville greeted. me on the
occasion of my election TO seat in
the senate of the United States. For
the four years that have been in
the senate | have endeaVOred to the
best of my ability to uphold the
dignity, name and honor of our
state. ! shall not speak Of my pub
lie record that belongs to the cOun-
try. 1t is for my countrymen to
pass judgment on that. Tonight |
appear before you in different role
a defeated candidate, but not less a
Tennessean in every impulse of my
nature. Eighty thousand men in
Tennessee, in the last November
election, by their votes pointed out
myself. an humble citizen, as their
candidate for a seat in the United
States senate. The representatives
of that people have gathered to-
gether in the legislature, and they
have decreed that it is better for the
interests of our common mother and
common country that some other
one should represent them in that
august body at Washington. ! bow
submissively, and let me say that l
have no ill-feeling toward anyone
in Tennessee, and [ bow TO the de-
cree of the accredited agents and
representative of the people.
In our governmental representa-
tive gOVernment-eX existing under
constitutional form, that the repre-
of the people have made,
| repeat that it is not for the inter
est of the state that | shall longer
continue to be their senator. l ac-
cept the decree and will return to
my home at Clarksville with no ill
feelings toward>anyOne, no matter
how bitter his position may have
been against me, but | am determ-
ined, in the future as in the past,
that every effort that | can put forth,
every power employ and all the
ability | possess shall be used in the
of Tennessee. We have diff
fered, felIow-citizens, and believe
we have differed honestly with each
other. | am not one of those who
will ascribe to political opponent
motives. / know that
men honestly and wisely differ in
opinions.
When the question came up in
regard to our state debt-may | not
refer to that ?-Our people have been
divided. For years they have been
divided on that question. These di-
visions have existed and continue
to exist, but trust that they may
no longer exist.
In retiring from public employ
| think it will be for
eVer-I have never been SO devoted
to my own interests or so anxious
for public employment that should
press my claims in the future. May
[ not offer to my fellow-citizens one
word of advice? We are members
Of the same family, almost of the
same household. Whether you live !
in the east, middle or west division,
whether you be republicans or dem
Ocrats, high-taX or lOw-taX men, |
want you all to remember and never
forget, that you are all Tennesseans,
and that we have common inter-
est in the future welfare of our cOun-
try, and when | differ from you and
you from me, let us not ascribe i'm
proper motives. Let us never for
get that we are citizens of the same
state; let US never forget that my
children and yours want to live
here after we have passe'l away.
They will marry and intermarry
with each other. The divisions be-
tween democrats and republicans
will be forgotten; the division be-
tween state-credit and how-tax men
will be forgotten, thank God, Our
children with reference to the past
divisions will come together and
labor to promote all the industries
and the arts, and all that is valuable
in Tennessee. Then, let me beg
you, democrats, to come together
and settle this question. Applause.
We are divided, but | trust we are
by one common sentl-
ment, the love of our state and the
desire that Tennessee shall be pros
porous and happy. The divisions
that separate us to-day are divisions
only of the hour. There are no rea-
sons why we should not come to-
gether. Eighty thousand democrats
have said that our state debt should
be settled and eliminated from the
politics of the country. One hun
dred thousand republicans have also
proclaimed that the question should
be settled, and sixty thousand of
our friends-n0t our enenlies-are of
a different opinion. Why may you
not come together? Why may not
the representative of Tennesse, lay
ing one prejudice here and another
there, see whether you cannot settle
this question forever? Democrats,
beg yOu to realize that if we per-
sist in this policy of division there
,an be but one result, and that is
the triumph of our common adver-
saries, the republicans. True, sirs,
our interests will be safe in their
hands. They are like ourselves;
hey are TenneSseans. But they are
divided on questions of national
policy. We may trust our future to
-hem, but at least as partlsals, as