Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-11-04
Why NOT vorf TO LfT m STANDS
WHY sbould Won not 90 TO the poll


trous policy OF Readjusterism? The
election is now here and you must
make up your mind. We ask you
to put these two questions to your
self, and in a calm, unbiased. dis
passionate manner weigh them.
We are willing to abide by the YER
dict of your own conscience. That
after all is the truest and best men,
tor. We cannot say anything new
to you; why you should go to the
polls and do all in your power, both
by your vote and by your influence
on others, TO have this vexatiOus
question forever removed from the
politics of the State. If it is sus-
tanned this time, If you give Read
justerism hard and telling blow
at this election, it will never rise
again in Tennessee /; it will be dead
eternaIly and forever. Then why
not kill it here in its infancy? If
it is allowed to grow, If it is encour-
aged by your vote this time, al
though you do not so intend it, it
will be all the harder to crush out
next time.
You say you are State Credit
man. Then why not vote to sus-
tain State-credit, why not vote to
let the best settlement we have ever
obtained, or are likely to ever Sc
cure, stand. No one who holds the
debt to be legal, no State Credit
man will claim the settlement is
unjust. 1t certainly meets all the
equities ever claimed. AS gener-
Gus and liberal compromise, the
history of the world does not show
its equal. 1t gives us at one sweep
ing stroke a reduction in principal
and interest of S15, 200, 900.
Will you vote Ia break it up be-
cause you think it was not Demo
cratic measure? You are mistaken
about this. it was procured by the
Intervention of leading Democrats
of the State. 1t was negotiated by
a Democratic committee of DEM
ocratic Legislature and passed the
Senate by the votes of an equal
number of Democrats and Repub-
licans. Every Democratic member
of the House who was elected on
the Wright platform, either voted
for the bill, or while voting against
it on account of individual pledges,
admitted it was just. Every Dem
ocratic platform, since the DemOc-
racy came into power and the set
Element was question, has recog-
nized its validity. II is i'm exact
accord with the Democra tic plat
form OF 1880.
Is it burdensOme? No man, who
at all understands the question, will
claim that il is. 1t is even less liO-
eral with our creditors than the
readjustment fraud by Malone in
Virginia. You have censured Ma
hone and his reputation crowd in
that State, are you now prepared to
follow his example and help to dis
honor your own State. Democracy
cannot afford to advocate the read
justment of a settlement which is
conceded to be just, liberal and ac-
eOrding to her own platform and
policies. We put it to you in all
confidence and sincerity, can she
do it? Can she thus repudiate her
own record and utterances in the
past-thus trample upon that senti-
ment of justice and honesty, which
has been the proud heritage of our
honest, notwithstanding yeoman-
ry. No, TenneSSeanS cannot afford
it, they will never do it. You have
been told that if you voted to read
just this debt, your action would
injure the cause of the National
Democracy. 1t is true, it will do
il. 1t will be the saddest, cruelest
blow you ever struck the principles
of IA cause you have loved and
know to be right. II you will con-
slider it, calmly weigh all the con-
sequences. we do not believe you
will go to the polls On Tuesday
next and vote to injure your State,
your party and yourself. 1t will be
madness, almost crime to do ii.
You are sick and tired of an agita-
ton that contains nothing of good
to the State, all of evil and unhappy
consequences. The heart of every
good citizen yearns for quiet prog.
ress and the quicker advancement
of the interests of Tennessee. The
blind following after those whose
only aim is office and political plum
der, will never bring these. The
only argument ever advanced by
the noisy apologist of this unwar-
rented movement towards readjus-
terism and ultimate reputation, is
that it will purchase for us the Gov
ernorship and temporary possession
of "a few offices. Expediency, not
principle, is their great battle cry.
All, Tennesseans, the correct, the
true, the time-hOnOred principles of
Democracy are not to be bartered
away, sold for such paltry mess of
potage as the GOvernorship of Ten
nessee, for two short years. She has
a cause to battle for that looks be-
yond this-a grander, higher, no.
bier destiny to fulfill, and whenever
she forgets the glorious principles
which have made her great, chief
among which are to "strictly main
tain the public faith and credit"
and administer "equal and exact
justice to all men," she had best, in
the language of another, be decent
ly but hastily buried while the
green memory of her past glOries is
yet present with her.
SO, G',d grant, Tennesseans, that
you may on Tuesday next, go qui-
city but resOlutely to the ballot-box
and vote to maintain the honor,
GOOD name faith and credit of VOur