Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-10-27


of the past, and we trust they will
not dishonor their place in the his
tory of the future. The election of
a person so disreputable as Houk to
represent them in the Congress of
the United States may be excused
once or twice as an accident, grow
ing out of abnormal circumstan
The first time he was elected as a
national legislator it was an experts
ment His second election was
owing to the fOodtide of
Presidential election, when all
minor considerations were merged in
theissue which conferred in the head of
the ticket. No such excuse can be of
fered or accepted now. This is an
off year. So far as federal offices are
involved, Mr.. Rule or Mr.. Houk will
be at the head of the ticket Mr..
Houk cannot, as at first, solicit a
tentative trial He has been fully
tried and found wholly wanting in
every element requisite to faithful
discharge of public duty. No one
with nice sense of honor would ask
your endorsement under the circum-
stances; but then it is not possible
that any one with a nice sense of
honor could have such record as
Houk
Therefore the responsibility rests
with the people of this district to
say whether they shall be any longer
disgraced and misrepresented in Con-
gress by drunken debauchee who
has proved recreant to every
trust, and has already brought
grievous scandals and disgrace upon
those he should have magnifed and
honored by faithful service. And
rest assured, We voters of this dis
trict, that although Mr.. Houk may
be your preference, and return to the
Capital, he has defiled with drunk>
ards vomit, with your endorsement
of his disgraceful career, yet he will
have no influence with his colleagues
or the administration to promote
your interests either in the halls of
Congress or before the departments
Many of you have personal inter-
est superadded to any concern you
may and do feel in the general wells
fare of the country, and it is scarcely
necessary to suggest to you that the
reelection of Houk would be poor
investment We have already
stated that during his whole
service as a Congressman,
he has succeeded in getting only one
claim paid, by act of Congress, out of
the large number of just and merito
rious claims now on file-onlv one
claim for constituent and one other
claim he has had paid-his own for q
pension Perhaps he thinks himself
entitled to pension every time he
succeeds in getting constituents
claim through Congress!
On the trial of another person who
had abused public confidence and
outraged the rights of the people, it
was proud day in the life of Ed
mund Burke when, for the prosecuN
ton of Warren Hastings, he said:
My Lords you will reckon with him
for it, or tho world will reckon with
YOU
We have on trial far worse man,
though far less great, than Warren
Hastings. The Governor General of
India had not oppressed the natives
so much for any personal advantage,
as in his mistaken zeal for the crown
of England But Houk has been
guilty of no excuses in his zeal
for you, but has simply outrag-
ed and disgraced his constituents by
the prostitution of himself ! You
, will reckon with him for it, or public
sentiment will reckon with you!
AS we started out by saying, the
choice lies between the one you twice
have tried and who has disgraceC
{ himself and brought reproach up
or the people of this district, by /,
career unspeakably bad, and thu
: other who has honorably and faith
fully discharged the duties of ever
: Office he has ever filled, whethe
3 as a soldier or citizen, ant
5 whose character for sobriety
) integrity, morality, and good sens
has never been questioned! From
= poor boy, once employed in the print
ing Office of the late Senator Brown
S low-where, under the fostering en-
g couragement of that sympatheti
: friend of poor boys, he laid the foun
drtion of an honorable and usefu
T. life-he has by successive step
a reached his present position, as tn
/ choice of the better element of tn
E" Republican party of this district, TO
T their representative in the Congress
n of the United States.
S The time is short, and only fe'
: days remain for the deliberation c