Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-10-07
YoK PoPULI, N0x DEL. ~

This is political heresy of the
most dangerous tendency, the literal
meaning of which is that rninori-
ties have no rights which majorities
are bound to respect; given full
sway it is the very essence of COM
munism, and life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness, of those who
happen to be in the minority, are
subject to every within and caprice
of the party which for the time be-
ing may be in the majority, held as
it were by mere sufferance, liable
at any moment TO be swept away
by any burst OF passion, or in the
interest Of any fancied advantage to
the majority; thus mobocracy is
the legitimate result when the
rights of Others are ignored in def
erence to the dictates Of this AFRO
CANT maxim. Are Tennesseans
prepared for such a state of affairs?
Are the American people? Will
they permit it? Certainly not; and
yet ii this spirit were permitted to
go unrebuked and unchecked most
assuredly il would lead directly to
this result, for it is one of those
evils which grQWs with its growth
and strengthens with its strength.
But the readjusters may say that
this picture is Overdrawn, that there
Is no danger of anything of this
kind occurring in this country.
True, / think there is not, for l
have an abiding faith in the hon.
esty Of purpose and regard for right
and justice OF Tennesseans and
Americans, and when they come
to examine into this matter and
get true understanding of 1t and
see that "conscieucele5s set of
demagogues" oxide, COurier-Jour-
nall have used this deceitful cry to
gull the people and to further their
own selfish purposes, they will turn
with scorn and disgust from them
and meet the just demands of their
creditors, rendering unto Caesar
the things which are Ca5ar's,"
alike to the creditor and the dema-
gogue as they each deserve; for
there are many, very many good
men who for want of proper I'M
Outstanding of this question are
being led 10 do thing which they
would utterlyacopdemn if seen in
its proper light. TO this end let
theirs ge q faiF and q fall disenssi0n
OF the merits aud dement's of the
question, lot all the light possible
be thrown on 1t, let each and every
portion of the debt be subjected to
close scrutiny as to its business and
the liability of the State for its pay
ment, then let the full consequences
of failure to pay, or of a breaking
up of the present settlement and
the direful effects upon the already
crippled credit OF the State be un-
derstood as they should be and
there is no danger but. what the
people of Tennessee will do what is
right. For the sake of expediency |
and in the heat of political can
Vass, in the intense desire to "beat |
Hawking by eIecting man who
claims to be Democrat, many are |
apt to give the matter small heed,
and while they condemn in I'M
measured terms the platform
which he endorses, propose to vote
against their own convictions, be-
cause they think majority is that
way, others have never had the
time, opportunity, or perhaps, in
clination to examine into the mat
ter closely, and propose to follow
the lead of those whom they think
are better posted without giving
themselves any further trouble; this
is all wrong, each one should seek
every means Of getting at the truth,
read and listen to the arguments OF
both sides and after fair investiga-
ton vote as the Judgment dictates.
The State Credit party ask and
challenge debate from one end Of
the State to the other, all they de-