Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-04-23
THE STATE DEBT.

J EDITOR CHRONICLE Our com.
/ munity, both low and high-tax
democrats, have been looking with
great anxiety to the action of the
legislature on the all important is
sue-the settlement of the state
debt. Especially have they looked
with breathless anxiety to the
action of their own Legislators in
this mOmentOus trial of integrity
and principle. Principle of justice
being involved in the bill for settle
ment, and integrity being involved
in the solemn pledges to the people
by our Legislators not to transcend
certain bounds in the settlement,
placed them in a peculiarly trying
attitude; hence the breathless anXi-
ETY. of our people to see who of their
Legislators would emerge from this
ordeal clothed in the habiliments
of integrity and honor not that
they were opposed to the settlement
upon the basis of the bill, for many
of them would rather have settled
at 100 and 6 than to have been de-
ceived and cheated by their repre-
sentatives into a settlement that
they had pledged themselves
against. Many of our citizens, too,
were of the opinion that money
would control the issue if the con-
test was close, but now are proud to
acknowledge that in the Hons. Will
liam Daniel and Bagwell they have
men too noble for such condescen-
sion. The action of the different
members of our legislature on this
important question appears to have
impressed different minds in a vari-
ETY. of ways. With ourselves, the
action of Mr.. d. especially, struck
us with the most profound admira-
tion when casting the deciding vote
that defeated the bill. The peculiar
circumstances that surrounded him,
the credit and honor of the state
resting on that single vote, the inn
portunity and anxiety of his most
intimate friends, almost the entire
press, with an extreme public sOlici-
tude, and his own convictions of
the justice of the bill, appear to
have been sufficient reasons for sup
porting it. On the other hand, his
pledge to his constituency
that he would not transcend certain
limits, oVerpOised all other consid-
erations however weighty. In this
vote of Mr.. Daniels we may see too
but we certainly perceive in
it the highest appreciation of per-
sonal character and adamantine
firmness to truth such as should
every public man, and
for which he should and will be re-
vered by his country although the
vote in the public mind may be
deemed contrary to the best interest
of our country, yet it will establish
Mr.. Daniel as public servant of
the most profound integrity and
honor, on whom our people will in
future depend with unbounded con-
fdence. All the honor is not due
to those who voted for the bill that
settled the state debt only those
who voted according to the policy
and pledge they promulgated, and
upon which they were elected
for or against the bill. In
our humble opinion there is dis
played a beauty of character and
of integrity in the action
of Mr.. u. that rivals the acts of any
Of his cOmpeers in the recent Gen
eral Assembly of Tennessee, and
which will establish him in the
hearts of his countrymen, as one of
the soundest and most reliable
statesmen we have. We are re-
joiced that the bill has passed, but
we are in no wise disposed, nor do
we think it just reward, to flap
our wings and crow over those gen
tIemen, who voted in the negative
in obedience to their solemn
pledges, as vanquished partisans.
For in our opinion they have
achieved a greater triumph than
those who voted in the affirmative,
in violation of their pledges to their
constituents, howeverimportant the
measure. FLAT.
DotsonvilIe, April u, 1881.
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