Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-09-30
THE srATs DesT.
Who are the 5ondboissrs ?

DO as adversar1es do In law.
strive mightily,buteatan and drink as friends
Timing of the Shrew
In order TO understand what sor
of people invested their savings il
Tennessee bonds, 1t is necessary Il
refer to we'll known facts and learr
why 1t was they became bondhold
ers.
-Four years after the close of the
war the Legislature of Tennessee
then overwhelmingly Democratic,
declared, in 1869, that "the honor
and good name of the State" de-
mande,l that the interest and the
principal of the State debt be secure
ly provided for.
In 1870 and 1872 Gov. Browns
declaration that ii was the duty
and the interest of the State to nav
the entire debt was sustained by
Democrats at the ballot-box.
Again in 1874 and 1876 the DEM
ocracy in convention assembled de-
clared solemnly their purpose to
oppose repudiation in every form.
Here let US pause a moment to con-
slider in this same connection an
other fact which has been lost sight
OF in heated political discussion.
During these eight years when
Democrats in Tennessee were Civ
ing public assurances that the bonds
were valid and the State ought to
pay them in full, good Democrats
and the honest people living out
side of the borders of Tennessee
were thereby induced to believe
these assurances. In consequence
of this faith in the plighted honor
of Tennessee, the price Of the bonds
rose (up to 9l3 at one time in 1919,
and the class of prudent, saving
people, who are always among the
better portion in all communities,
invested in them. They did. not
take the bonds on speculation, rbut
as a legitimate method of laying
aside their savings for the use OF
their families. State securities have
always been favofite investment
with trustees. even before the Leg
islature of Tennessee twice author
lied guardians and trustees of es-
tates (1S62 and 1967-8) 10 invest In
Tennessee bonds. Ltfsf .HH45l
To the question then, "Whog are
bondholders ?" answer, from per-
sonal knowledge, that beyond all
peradventure they are largely Of
that trustworthy, thrifty sort of
people who, in the State of Tennes-
see, invest in industrial enterprises
and who lay by savings in your
bank stocks, and coal and iron com
pany bonds. AS God crowns hon.
est labor, with success and moral |
Improvement, you will usually find |
these bond and stockholders fore
most in all good works which bene- |
fit the people. Hence, if'you would |
seek i'll Tennessee the likeness of /
this large class Of bondholders, you
nave only to go into your various |
churches and communities and pick |
out the most enterprising, trust
and prosperous among the
people. You have only to refer to
the stock ledgers of your banks and
the best corporations, and take a
list of those worthy Tennesseans
who invest their surplus earnings
in such stocks for the benefit of their
AS such TennesSeans deserve the
more respect, because they are in
tent on benetitting society; 80 does
this large class of Tennessee bond
holders deserve fair treatment, be-
cause they also spend their lives for
The benefit of society. / delight
to claim the kinship which ought
10 strongly bind the two together.
tbs bslHce {Rseginping gnd t3 write this ar;
slave State-have received checks
for 1925 and for 5000 to apply to-
wards education of poor Tennessee
youths. But these small gifts,
which may be the precursor of 9TH
ers, happen TO come from two Ten /
nessee bondholders. The parent of
one and the most estimable husband |
Of the other owned these bonds |
which the fatherless and the widow 7
have received by inheritance.
small with great, these |
would be found pos
sessed with the same kind of dispo-
sition that prompted George Pea
body, of Massachusetts, to give six
millions of dollars for education in |
the Southern States; Slater, of Con-
necticut, a million, and Poul Tulane,
of New Jersey, (very lately) anoth-
er million, in order to elevate char
acter in the South. They are all |
kindred in spirit with Mr.. Seney, of |
New York, who has bestowed |
$3.50, 900 on Wesleyan university, |
and S225, 900 for literary institutions |
in Georgia.
l hope l may not be misunder-
stood. ! claim no favor for bond
because they are wise in the
OF their property, bat
only name facts in Vindication OF
character which has been assailed
in heated canvass as coWardly, as
disgustingly selfish, and as belong
ing TO an oppressive money power
that is adverse TO the Interests OF
Tennessee. O.
So far is this reprOach from be-
ing correct that / vOuch the firm
belief, that the wisest and best citi-
zens of Tennessee have not her true
prosperity more nearly at heart,
than have Il large class of her bond
holders. Their habits of Christian
life have enlarged their views and
no political distinctions or State
boundaries can destroy their hearty
sympathy for the welfare of their
fellow citizens of Tennessee.
Very respectfully,
@. HEYHOE.
Rockland CO., N. ", Sept, 1882.
p. ST. could wish that many
editors in Tennessee would publish
the foregoing short yiudication of
character, in order that their read
ers may understand "who are the
bondhOlders." / am sure that If
they knew large portion OF them,
Il strong bond of sympathy would
be felt and vast amount of preju-
dice would be dispelled. sent the
above article to the World several
days ago, with the hope that it
would be published simply as Al
matter of justice.
A BoLTER in 1880 was a patriot.
A bolter in 1882 is II renegade.
These are Egyptian definitions.
The true definitions are: In 1880
boiler was Il man whose reputation
theory the Democrats OF that year
scorned to put in their platform.
In 1882, IL better is true Democrat,
who, seeing the principles OF 1880
betrayed and abandoned, and the
flag OF Democracy struck to the re-
- r b.. In