Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-10-26

Houk at SevierviIIe,

oEV1ERvILLE, october 10.
| Mr.. EDITOR Houk spoke here last Mon
day to about 300 people, old and young
Every effort was made to rally crowd to
meet the noted speaker, but only 100 men,
counting Houk and his Knox County
bosses, were able to march into town. The
speaking was done in the grove. Houk made
about the same speech he made when
here before, with some additional efforts
of slang and filth which he spread out in
the most disgusting manner upon Capt.
Rule and his followers; and In the mean
| time, SURF bundled by set of low down
puppies, who we're posted in different cor
ners of the crowd, yelling for Houk, all
through his speech, and cursing and abusing
Rule men. Yet, while the greater portion
of the crowd, both of Houk and Rule
men, were of the best men of the coun-
ty, and would occasionally quel the rows,
some of Houk's Knox County scouts rem
dered themselves very ridiculous, getting
drunk, cursing and swearing. Such men
are of great benefit. aouk should urge
them to follow hi Il around the district By
all means have the Paynes and Mondays.
Houk said Rule was bolter; said Rule had
sworn lies and might do so again; said Rule
was running in the interest of the Demo-
cratic party, while he (Houk) was the nom
inee of the party, and the party had COM
missioned him to lash Rule from one end of
the district to the other.
He spoke of his convention said he had
never attended as large and respectable
one before. He said they were charging
Io1,1 Il Iah
He showed some testimonials from Police
man Hepery Corkhill and others, swearing
it was all a slanderous lie. But the speaker
failed to show the people his innocence.
He never said single time that he was not
in the 'boose. He never said he would have
the rascals punished for their slanderous
lies. He had just as well have said nothing
about his calaboose story. The more he
talks it, the more the people believe it.
Houk said this campaign was making
history for every man in this Congressional
district, and for the next 80 years, when an
Office is to be filed, either high or low, the
question would be asked, ''Are you Houk
man or Rule MANI" If Houk, that in
sured his election; if Rule, he is nailed to
the board at once; and, after the
18th of November you can't find
man in the second district
1o btll, WIZ Will Cfcl oWA LO W 40 AOA 4sNiO'
But if there was a Rule man under the
sound of his voice he wanted to say to him
that he would be branded as traitor; yes, it
was worse than treason.
He said Brother Ruble was going around
making public speeches in Rules interest,
disgracing his profession, and was bringing
digrace on the church, as well as politics,
and the result would be rous
ing def at to the reasonable efforts
of the disorganizers,' and would
prove a rebuke to that element as it did in
Ohio, where the ministers undertook to con-
troll the Republican party, which resulted
in the defeat of the party.
Houk's speaking was as poor thing as L
ever heard from him. He looked very
much like man who had been condemned
of some unlawful conduct.
Now, as to his war upon the ministers, he
raised his right hand and said, God knows
l have never made war upon the
church and the ministry" He said, Il
have never sworn an oath for 80 years, and
anyone who says have tells an infamous
faIsehood" Yet, Houk has, at divers times
and places am told, boosted that the only.
OBJECT he ever had for taking out licenses to
preach IN the Methodist Church was simply
to enable him practiclng public
speaking and has SAID he mad tried
to farm; the carpenters trade: TO practice
law; to preach, and many other things, but
preaching Was the poorest business he had
ever tried Yet he must make war on ther
ministers for meddiing Ill politics, but 1t Is
all right for him.
Now as to his war upon the church, and
he and his friends are casting their slurs
mostly at the Nj E. Church, l will say,
there Is not Methodist miuister in Sewer
County for Houk, to my knowledge,
and their war upon the Methodist
Church has united the ministers of the Bap-
tlst Church, with one exception, for Rule,
in Sewer County. Houk has one very in
huential minester to offer bread and wine
to the Houk brethren, and he has recently
drawn a pension, for which he gives Houk
honor
Now, as to Judge Houk He is now a
member of the Second NJ. E. Church,
Knoxville. He has also been licensed min
lister of the Southern Methodist Church,
took ont license at Shiloh, in Sewer Coun- !
ty, about 1856 or 81. Now, while l am a
member of the NJ E. Church. l have the |
greatest respect for Judge Houk as a man,
but his ways very much disapprove. 1t
is bad enough to vote for drunkard, who !
doesn't make any pretensions to Christian |
ity, but it is too bad TO support |
man who has been a minister of
the Gospel and who is yet member of |
the church, who will get SO drunk and dis
honor himself, his wife and children, his |
church. and worst of all, his God and coun-
try. Yet, Houk will tell the people they
ought to bear with and return him to Con-
gress; that he will do better, and all these |
things, and yet have gangs of rowdying |
boys follow him around. | am informed |
that, at Fair Garden, whisky and bit
tiers were passed around in bottles, free for
drinks A man who was in the neighhor-
hood, says the bottles were carried out by
the arms full. Yet, this is the man the
people must bear with and return to Con-
gress. He never mentions his Garfield
slang, which he knows wont do up here.
Too many people heard him have the talk.
SEWER.