Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-03-25
4 PICNIC ron .ooUNTRYsIAN..
NE Approves of Harmony, but
Objects to the Memphis
Method.

To the American.
If l comprehend your invitation
In last Wednesdays issue, it ext
tends an earnest and somewhat
importunate solicitation to all State
credit Democrats to rise up and
state their objections to the present
attitude of the American upon the
State debt and the same will be
published.
Well, / am one of these fellows
who can't possibly refuse to accept
an iyitation to appear in print be-
fore the public, and / have made
up my mind to come to your froiic,
even if there is no one there but
you and /.
Now, [ have no particular OBJ
lection TO harmony in the Demo
cratic party, and the settlement of
the State debt through that party
as advocated by the American, and
in fact / rather believe its the only
way to effect a settlement that will
last. If, however, the advocacy of
the harmony doctrine by the Amer
lean, as we'll as nearly all the other
Democratic papers in the State, is
going to produce the sort of settle
ment arrived at by the Shelby
county reunion picnic, then | have
got some objections, and may as
Widespread them out for your inspec-
ton now.
| am for harmony and Democ-
racy and d settlement; but / don't
mean by this that John Beasley
and myself are to get together by
ourselves exclusively and decide:
First, whether we owe somebody
else something. Second, if so, how
much do we owe him, and third,
when and how We'll settle and pay
| him.
My notion about the thing is,
| that If John and / have met to-
| gether to compromise and settle a
debt due from us to some other fell
low, and that other fellow ought to
be notified of what is going on even
if he amt invited to take part in
| the settlement. Don't you?
The Memphis people get together
and resolve that they owe some
other people debt, but owing to a
difference among themselves they
have settled the debt due the other
people at 90 cents on the dollar with
3 per cent. interest, and that the ut
most good feeling, harmony and
satisfaction prevailed, etc.; the fell
! low who lost 80 cents on the dol
! lar and per cent. interest was
! absent when this harmonious COM
promise was affected and had no
voice in the transaction. Now
| while | admit that this may be
| considered a mere, minor, techni-
| Cal, frivolous objection on my part,
still it seems to me that it would
! look a little better to send the fei-
| low d ticket to the show and let
him see for himself that he did lose
his money in the sleight of hand
performance, although he may be
unable 10 understand how it was
done. To illustrate: Ii Mr.. Doak
and Mr.. Beasley jointly make
note for $li0 to John Smith and
fail to pay it for years and years,
| because DOak wanted to pay full
! dollar and 6 per cent interest and
Beasley wanted to pay nothing
with the interest deducted, and
they get together, shake hands,
| agree to assume an amiable mood,
borrow a pencil and begin to jew
each other and finally resolve that
it is TO the interest of all concerned
that they pay Smith by giving him
another note for $40 bearing three
per cent. interest. They then give
an oyster supper in honor of the
settlement, and telegraph all over
the country, and Smith may see it
if he takes a newspaper, that Doak
and Beasley have compromised and
settled satisfactorily with their
creditors, Smith and others, and
will resume business in the morning.
Did you ask if Smith agreed to
the settlement? Now what's the
use in raising such technical ques-
tiUns
Smith wasn't there, he was abb
sent, how could he agree?
But that's unimportant, the COM
promise produced good feeling be-
tween Doak and Beasley.
Do you partially comprehend the
objections OF mine?
When the two wings of the DEM
ocracy, or any other party, get to-
gether and harmoniz5 and settle
this debt, | am i'll favor of the
bondhoIders having just little
something 70 say. If you don't
like this letter, cut loose, | can
stand ii. CoUNTRYMAN.