Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-10-01
MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST.


eonoI character. II this is so, Houk
is the last person who ought to com
pIain, for there is no man living who
bv foul-mouthed abuse and vitupera-
ton of all who have dared to oppose
his ends, has more deservedly OBJ
tanned the reputation of a libeller
and a blackguard.
But unfortunately for Mr.. Houk,
he has forced himself into a position
where, demanding the suffrages Of
his fellow citizens, his personal
character and habits have become
public property. He demands that
his fellowacitizens shall set HIM on
high in sight of a whole people as
their Representative IN the grand
council OF a great nation-that he
shall, for them, perform their part in
shaping the legislation Of fifty mil
lions of people, shall give voice
to their sentiments and wishes, pro-
tect their interests, and shall reflect
to the eyes of the world the intelli~
cence, virtues, and moralities of this
community.
The man who makes such high de
mands submits to the criticism and
INQUIRY of his constituency all his
qualities of head and heart. They
have the right to know whether IN
intellect, integrity, and high purpose,
he is fitted to discharge these duties
and responsibilities, and whether he
will in the face of the nation repre-,
sent those qualities of intelligence
and virtue for which every decent
community desires to be distin-
guished.
But this is not all When a serv
ant, after a term of service, comes
back to his masters to demand an ex
tension of his employment, it is his
duty ungrudgingly to render his ac~
counts, and it is their duty and right
to demand of him how he has borne
himself in his stewardship.
In this position is Mr.. Houk. If
he is in intellect, morality, and mans
hood the fit representative of brave
and noble. Constituency he has
faithfully and we'll discharged the
trusts which four years ago we com
mitted to his care, let him now fear
lessly produce his record for our
inspection, AID there is no man Of
his constituents but will rejoice to
pronounce the words well done.
But if it be found that he has be
trayed our trusts, misrepresented his
constituents IN exhibitions of selfish
ness, corruption, passion, and vice,
and made the fair fame of worthy
community a thing for gibes and
scorn throughout the land, the pit
ful cry of personal canvass" shall
not shield him from just condemna~
ton or avert his merited doom.
The press has it's stern duty to
peri orm in this matter. It is not a
pleasure to US to expose to the light
of day the failings or the crimes of
our fellow man. We know that too
often the press has, in the hands of
: base men, been made the vehicle for
Islander and falsehood; and no man
in this community has more unscru.
pulously than Mr. Houk debased and
prOstituted it to this end. But when
the press is, as it should be, the
organ that voices the best and noblest
sentiments of society, when it speaks
for the right against the wrong,
when, trumpet -tongued, it denounces
fraud, hypocricy, and vice in high
places, warns the careless and negli,
gent of danger, and seeks to purify
and protect society, then does it full
fill its true mission, and its voice is
the utterance of the angel of doom.
We know our duty and we propose,
however unpleasant, to discharge it.
Mr.. Houk has forced himself upon
his party and is riding it like hide
GUS nightmare. He has forgotten
that he is the servant and we his
masters, and now demands as his
right that we return him to his be,
fouled seat in Congress, while he
cracks his whip in our midst and
with thick utterance screams his or,
ders to his office holding tools.
A long suffering constituency has
borne with him till forbearance has
become a vice, and they propose now
to abate this long nuisance. They
have seen him neglect his duties and
their interests, while fraudulentlv
and foolshly proclaiming that he
was spending his time and energies
IN getting their claims through Con,
gress and the departments. They
have seen him procuring for himself
fraudulent pension which he cans
not and dare not explain to his cons
shtuents, They know his disgrace,
full career in the army, his shameless
record as judge, and his hypocricy
IN religion. They have seen him
drunk for weeks together at home