Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-12-10
CONGRESSMAN ATKINS ON THE
SITUATION.
He Takes . Somewhat Gloomy View
of the Future.
Special to New York Tribune.

VI tN0 utuTc.
Special to New York Tribune.
WASHINGTON, D. c., December T.
What do you think of President
Arthur's first message =" asked q
Tribune correspondent of Represen>
tative Atkins, of Tennessee, to day.
I have not read the whole Of it,
but as far as l have read [ have
found it lucid, modest, statesman-
like document. [ was greatly
pleased to find that Grant had not
been able to give it bloody shirt
cast, as I had feared be would do. [
begin to think that Arthur means to
be President himself and of the
whole country"
What do Yeu think of his recon-.
mendations respecting the tariff and
finances 2"
"Oh, Of course I do not agree
with him there. [ am for tariff for
revenue only, and cuttiog down the
duty on every article until the blood
is drawn. No protection is my
motto. Then I am for the unlimited
coinage of silver and the abolition of
the National Banking system"
" What about the question OF poly
gamys"
8 | think I am with the President
there, at least so far as making a
polygamous wife competent witness
against her polygamous husband is
concerned. That is all Congress can
do, and am in favor of it. l am
also greatly pleased with the Presi-
dents position respecting the i'm
provement of the Mississippi river.
We ought to make the most of all
our water ways. I regret to find,
continued Mr.. Atkins, that the Pre-
sident did not take bold, high ground
against railroad monopolies and in
favor of regulating transportation
rates by law"
"What will or ought to be, in your
opinion, the policy of the Democrats
in Congress this session." asked the
correspondent.
I'VE ought to (and L hope we wilD
60 in for modification of the tariff
! i'll the direction [ before suggested /;
for the abolition of the National
banks and the unlimited coinage OF
silver for liberal improvement and
against monopolies Of every sort. |
do not know whether it will make
any difference what we do, however,
continued the Tennessee statesman
somewhat plaintively; ''for, no mat
ter what we attempt, we seem fore
ordained to defeat We ought to
stop our foolishness and stand by
our principles, which are the eternal
principles of truth and justice, po-
litically speaking"
You do not appear to sgree with
! Senator Voorhees, in regard to what
some OF them are say the tariff,
for example?' suggested the CORES
pondent.
''Of course 1 do not; nor with
Randall either. I did not give him
my vote for the speakership. I am
not the same kind of a Democrat
that he and some others are.
what is the political outlook in
Tennessee?" asked the correspond
ent.
"Gloomy, gloomy for US, was the
sad reply.
"Will there be an effort to repeal
the law passed last winter for the
settlement of the State debt?'
"Undoubtedly there will. The
success OF the Readjuster movement
in Virginia has sadly demoralized the
Democratic party in Tennessee.
Thousands of State credit Demo-
Gratis are now in favor of reputation
or of scaling the debt. I have
hitherto stood for maintaining
the faith and credit of the
State and paying every dollar she
owes, but [ confess that / am now
inclined to support measure which
will be proposed to scale the debt
down to one half the principal and
two thirds of the interest in other
words, proposition to pay so per
cent. ofthe principal, and 4 instead of
per cent on that.
How does the Republican party
in Tennessee regard that PROPOSE
! ton p
''Oh, they are opposed to it. Tt
will be the main issue in our State
election next year"
''Will all the State credit Demo-
Gratis support it?'
"No, a great many of them will
undoubtedly vote with the Rspubli-
cans to preserve and execute the law
passed last winter
Which party will be likely to
win 2
"Oh, I suppose that, as usual, we
shall be beaten. The Democratic
,oayty oc cai1 hoforn e>oroe Joo,,o1