Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-03-10

erlng the State debt, reuniting the
Democratic party, adopting princi-
pies and policies, nominating can
didate for Governor, appointing a
State executive committee, and for
the transaction of such other busi-
ness as may be deemed expedient by
the convention.
Resolved, Thatrepresenting in this
meeting the reunited Democracy OF
Shelby County, we advocate this pol
icy in the interest of the general wei
fare and to the end that final set
Element of the debt may be expected,
Democratic unity preserved and
Democratic supremacy restored
Resolved. That basis for the set
Element of the State debt should be
fixed by said Gubernatorial conven-
ton, and embodied in it's platform,
then adopted and submitted for the
consideration of the people as an br-
ganized part of said platform.
And this is the basis upon which
the great Democratic party of Ten
nessee is called upon to harmonic.
These are the clarion notes in which
the funeral dirge of strife and cons
tention in the Democratic ranks are
to be sung! Over this, the contend
ing factions are to smoke the pipe of
peace and the proud descendants OF
the illustrious Jefferson and the gal
liant jackson are to go forward in
solid phalanx, to rob the creditors of
the State of half their principal and
interest and the commonwealth of
her good name. Fifty cents on the
dollar and per cent. interest is the
highest rate that can be agreed upon
by these immaculate patriots, who
claim that they have a special mission
''to break the chain and free Tennes-
see from her bondage" This is
to be the basis, and we are
expected to say to our creditors
Take this, or you shall have noth-
ing: under the technicalities of the
law we have you in our power, and
you have no rights that we mean to
respect.
We shall look with some interest
to see what response State credit
Democrats have to make to this pro-
posed basis for harmony. The
Nashville American still processes to
be State-credit paper; will it har-
monte ON that basis? Will the
Chattanooga Times We think not
VIII the Murfreesboro News, the
Gallatin Examiner, the Lebanon
Herald and the Athens Post? We
think not. Such proposition is an
insult to our creditors. A settle
ment, so>called, upon such a basis,
would consign the name of Tennes>
see to the very depths of
infamy. To take from our
creditors one half of what
we owe them, without con
sulting them, would be robbery
After such a proceeding, the crime of
Mississippi in repudiating her obi,
cations, would sink into utter insig>
nificance, and, as compared with
Tennessee, her reputation would be
that of answering honesty and peer
less integrity.
| The course of Tennessee Democ,
racy on this question, has been vacil>
ating and cowardly. It has been one
continual succession of promises
made, and promises broken, Under
its domination, the people have
been 50 educated that it will be only
natural If great many of them
should fall in with this basis of com,
promise proposed by the Memphis
regulators Ii the debt should be
scaled, as proposed by the above reso-
buttons, there is no reason to doubt
that in the course of the next two
years, some .'harmonizer" will pro
pose to scale it again; and if the peo-
} pie, by their own act. can repu-
date half of the debt, there is nc
reason why they cannot or will moi
repudiate the whole of it.
} What reason can be given for pay
!, ing only fifty cents on the dollar
, with 3 per cent. interest? Will il
| be urged that the State is not able tx
pay more Certainly not for il
t would be false. 1t would be a vile
SANDER on the energy, industry and
capacity of the people of the State
Such plea would be so obviously
false, that all the world would Join in
denouncing Tennessee, not only as a
community of robbers and swim oilers
, but also as liars and deceivers. Will
the Democratic party of Tennessee
harmonic on such basis We will
see.