Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-11-29
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER %, 1851.
sNEED ON THE STATE DEBT
HoN. J. L. T. SNEED. late Justice

Hon. ) II. /. oNRED, late justice OF
the Supreme Court of Tennessee,
made a speech at La Grange, last
Saturday, in opposition to the set
Element Of the State debt, as pro
vided by the Legislature at its late
session. The so-called low tax men
attach great importance to the
speech, on account OF the high jude
ial position lately held by the
speaker. The opinions OF Judge
Sneed are entitled to the same weight
and the same respect as those eX-
pressed By any other ambitious poll
tician, no more nor no less. It viii be
remembered that he served on
the Democratic electoral ticket last
year for the State-at>large, and his
canvass was remarkable only for his
extreme partisan utterances. He
joined with as much apparent enthQsi-
assn, in detailing the low and ua>
founded charges made against GEN
eral GARFIELD, as the smallest cross
roads politician in the State. He has
an itching for office, just as other
politicians, and it would be violent
presumption to suppose that his
speech at La Grange was made from
wholly DISTINGUISHED motives. He
intends doubtless to resenteH public
lie, and this speech only signi-
hes that he is candidate
for Governor on the loW-ta1
ticke., OF that he has an eye On the
seat i'll the United States Senate, now
held by Hon. Ishan G.. Harris He
has canned the field with these
things in view, and has reached the
conclusion that tie road to future
preferment in the Democratic party
lies through the low-tax camp. Con-
sequently he has enlisted with that
faction, and his La Grange speech is
the first strain from his bugle, be.
tokening his future position il the
great battle TO be fought at the
polls next year.
So far as we have have seen from
the reports of bis speech, he ad
vances no new ideas, and says noth-
ing to which his distinguished
compatriots, Savage, Marks, Wilson,
Beasloy and Tolley can object. But
the Judges speech may prove Of
interest as the first move on the
political battlefield of The coming
year. If he has an eye on Senator
Harris seat, that fact will soon be
developed. Then it will be a matter
Of public interest to note the counter
move to be made by Harris. 1t is
well known that he is ambitious to
be his own successor. It viii be
interesting to know whether i'll order
to obtain the coveted prize, he vii
also pander to the low-tax faction Of
his party, which is without question
the strongest wing. It is known
that lie is at heart, a State
credit man, and that after the passage
Of the 1908 act he regarded it
rs Il 1inality, but whether the bitter
opposition to the act and the rela
ton OF tAis opposition to the elec-
ton OF Lis successor has resulted
III changing his views is not known.
So far as the State debt question
is concerned, the speech of Judge
Sneed is no more significant than a
speech 10y Colonel Savage. It ex-
cites no surprise and advances moth
ing new 1t is not at all unexpected
But in its relations to the next can
vass, it is interesting as showing
that the speaker is in the field for an
Office, and il is not likely that he will
be satisfied with anything short OF
Governor or United States Senator.
In the language Of Gen. w. i.
Stokes, perhaps he will " take a
whack at both.