Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-10-07
ruin. This is oligarchy and not De

Mr.. Jefferson, is a governments
and not party principle. 1t mean
| the will of the majority of the peO
pie, institutionally and lawfully ex
pressed in affairs of government. /
is prostituting this sound and essen
tial principle of Democratic, Repub
lican government to invoke it as
authority for compelling the minor
| ity of political party to submit t.
and support a measure revolving L
their sense of justice, Illuminating t(
their pride, ,zlegradIng to their char
acter, subverSive of the peace anC
prosperity of their State and de
structive of its good name.
This arrogant monopoly of the
''rightfnl guardianship OF the honor
and good name of the State,'
sought to be maintained by enforc
ing slavish obedience of the mi
nority by party domination, is, o.
all things, the most obnoxious tC
the fifth section of their platform,
which says: "We are unalterably
opposed to every species of monop.
oily as destructive of liberty and the
best interests of the people" What
can be more destructive of liberty
than the tyranny which they pro-
claim? SHch a principle would
paralyze the spirit of liberty and de-
stroy the equilibrium of parties,
which is the best guaranty of the
purity and perpetuity of our Gov
ernment.
It would drive every man into
political slavery, or all into one pO-
litical party and make that party
and its bosses the perpetual tyrant
of the State.
SETTLEMENT DECLARED UNWISE.
The platform declares the settle
ment to be unwise, not because it is
not right, nor honest, nor equitable,
nor beyond our ability to pay but
because in the opinion of the major
ity it is not in accordance with the
views of the people. If the opinion
of that convention were the deliv-
erance of IN oracle, then the an
nouncenent mightfurnish sufficient
authority for annulling the'solemn
contract of the State, legally and
cOnstitutionally made; but the
same brains that formed. or rather
reflected that opinion, were so ready
to change their opinion on the sub
ject of several millions of war in
terest in the interval for supper,
that their other opinions do not
carry very profound conviction.
a THE SETTLEMENT.
Z The settlement was made on the
basis proposed by the creditors, and
it makes no discrimination between
the bonds and none between the
individual holders, as does the Re-
adjuster platform. The convention
held fast to those principles, "equal
and exact justice to all men," and
"the honest payment of all our
debts and sacred preservation of the
public faith" which among other
principles Mr.. Jefferson declared
"should be the creed of our political
faith, the text of civil instruction,
the touohstone by which to try the
services of those we trust"
FORCED SETTLEMENT.
The Readjusters in an over righ-
teous vein, say that the settlement
act is Reputation because it limits
the period for funding to January l,
1888. Every man 9n Tennessee
knows that the Readjuster party
has in its ranks all the repudiation
element of the Democratic party,
and that such carping criticism can
only proceed from the desire to di-
lninish the ignominy of their own
position, by dragging Others down
to the same plane of political dis
grace. The, plain answer is that
every funding act is limited IN time
for the double purpose of bringing
the transaction to a close and to
the aggregate of funded
bonds in order to levy a tax to meet
the interest. 1t Is needless to say
that the State Credit men who have
striven SO hard to bring the Democ-
racy of Tennessee to honorable ac-
tion in regard to the State debt will
promptly pass, if in their power,
act providing for all who
may subsequently desire to accept
the settlement. 7s.s .I
WHO ARE THE REPUDIATORSs
They say, that they propose to
readjust at SO per cent; that the
settlement readjusts at 60 per cent;
the creditors made the proposition
only because they knew that they
could not get any more: both are
forced, the principle is the same,
and the difference is only ten cents, |
and why split the party for that |
The principle is not the same, for
the creditor has accepted the 20 |
rents and has refused to offer any |
lower. We have bargained and
higgled with the creditors for |
twelve years, and now when they |
and the Legislature have made q
Iegal and constitutional contract the |
time for proposing has passed and
the time for paying has come. Six
ty per cent. is the amount fixed in
January, 1877, ut the clearing
house, ia New York, by the arbi-
traitors, composed of merchants.
bankers and business men, who.
were requested to act as arbiters be-
tween the several Southern States
and the holders of their bonds. In !
consideration of losses by the war
hey fixed that amount as Just, to
tennessee and her creditors. If |
The settlement be forced then the
disgrace is entirely on the Readjust-
~ party Of Tennessee and not upon
is. They and the repudiators in
their ranks "wrought the deed of
shame" They brought the credit.
1r5 to the 60 cents proposition and |
have fought and are fighting every
.nch of ground to prevent them
rom getting that. They have rob-
bed them of 40 per cent, and be-
cause we stand for sustaining the
creditors in their rights to what is
eft these immaculates have the
nardihood to try to make US as bad
Is they themselves are by calling
he settlement forced adjustment.
WHICH PLATFORM PAYS MOST.
They blow alternately hot and
,old. After claiming in one breath /
hat the principle. il the same and |
he difference is only ten cents they |
assert in the next that the settle
nent exceeds their proposal by l5,-
InT ,a40.4s d9liars. 70 provo this
hey circulate an anonymous and
Incorrect statement in pamphlet
Orm. @
AND IMMIGRATION RE-
TARDED.
Tennessee has suffered immensely |