The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1882-07-19
THE FIRST GUN.
SPEECH OF HON. WIN. B.
BATE AT JACKSON WE'D
NESDAY.
A Full Review of the State Debt,
and His Explanation of the
State Debt Proper.
Tribune and SUMS Report

menSe ana long continued applause
Indeed the reception was perfect
ovation, demonstrating beyond all
possible doubt that the Democracy
Of Madison were united and conf
dent. X X x X j
He next referred to the Democrat
ic split in 1880 as peril which
beset all the best interests of the
State, and illustrated it by the cor
ruption that had come with Repub-
lican rule. He said lobbyists, rail
road rings, money rings, to con-
troll legislation were unknown in the
days of Wings and Democrats, and
that Clay and Jackson and their
compeers would have kicked such
corrupting meddlers from the halls
of legislation. But with Republi-
can rule these vile agencies come
and grow, until legislation begins to
smell with corruption. The only
way to destroy such vile influence is
to unite and solidify, the Democratic
party-the party of the people.
He spoke of both wings of the party
as having been prompted by honest
motives. He said the Wright men
and the Wilson men were all Demo
Gratis, standing shoulder to shoulder
upon all the great issues of the day,
and divided only upon single local
question that could not rise to any
higher dignity than that of policy.
But he urged that division had
shown them that even upon a local
question union is strength, and
without it perils increase. He
spoke of how the 1908, with its
ninety nine years of mortgage, was
born of Democratic dissensions and
how it came very near to being fas-
tened on the people. He spoke OF
60-6 as a measure in the same direc-
ton but as a measure passed in the
face of the protest Of both wings OF
the party. He said that these perils
has aroused the Democracy to the
duty and imperative necessity OF
union, and hence that magnificent
convention on the 10th of June, in
Nashville, of the Democratic masses
of the State. He said the people
came to that convention in crowds
They came there in brown jeans OIL
copperas breeches and brogans, and
as their heavily-shod feet ratified
upon the smooth rock pavements o.
the capital city the old politica
bosses trembled. They were men
who could not be bribed with rail
road passes or champagne suppers
or with fiattery. They came to rule
the party they had so long served
and harmony is the result, on s
platform between extreme views
He deplored the Wright and Wilson
fight, but said one was the Salladir
and the other the Cour do Leon Of
Democracy. He said Hawkins was
the iackal that came along and fec
upon the meat over which the lions
of Democracy fought. He said this
feeding of jackals must cease, and
that Democracy must go and take
and ENJOY her own.
He then took up the Republican
party; showed its policy of centrali
zation, its alliance with rings, cham
pionship of monopolies, and it
fathomless corruptions. He spok'
with force and indignation of it
reconstruction policy, and its COW
ardly disfranchisement of whit
men in Tennessee in 1865. Whel
he mentioned Gov. Hawkins aston
ishing decision as a Supreme Cour
Judge sustaining these outrageou
laws, and his subsequent effort t
remand Tennessee to the rule of
military Governor backed wit
! bayonets, and denounced the Who'll
in words that blistered, the cheer
ing was prolonged, wild and louc
mingled with cries of "down wit
him"
He showed how the Republica
party had more than doubled th
State debt at time when the tax
payers were powerless. How thi
party had twisted law to justif
oppression, made the judiciary
political engine and built up th
lobby and the rings as factors i
legislation. He showed how thei
party in less than three years {
stolen and only partial power i
Tennessee had renewed the old e2
travagance and many of the oil
methods. How it planned and plo
ted against the people, and mad
all interests subservient to the ain
of the party. He referred to Houk
promise that the Federal admin
tration would use its appointin
power, and the National Republ
can committee would furnish none
to carry Tennessee permanently int
the Republican camp, and declare
that an effort would be made
buy men with offices, and none
would be freely used to produt
discord in the Democratic rank
In this distribution, he warned ii
colored men present that thel