Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-01-07

Courier-Journal,

PakL3 All CAlue1tt3o6 oe76llAo IL DC 0d'
all healing, which, considering til
cause, is not to be regretted. A 8,
! idity purchased by the sacrifice {
convictions, by the suppression {
, opinions, can not long be mair
, tanned. When the repudiation el
ement left the Democratic conven
, tion at Nashville in 1880 the issu
was clearly made; harmony the
could only be secured by commit
ting the party to readjustment, t,
reputation, to refusal to fulfill 50
cred obligations. Before the divis
ion the debt paying element wa
anxious for compromise; the,
consented to sacrifices which wer
exceedingly dangerous; they mad,
concessions which, later on, thei
calmer judgments could not Justify
When these were rejected, wher
the repudiatOls demanded all OF
nothing, and, falling to secure theil
demands, set up a seperate organ.
ization, the Democratic party, re.
lieved of a discordant element, was
enabled to plant itself In stronger
position and secured a popular sup
port and approval, which otherwise
would have been sought for in vain.
| The course of the Tennessee Dem
ocrats was approved by the Nation
al convention, and it commends it.
self TO right-think;ng men every
where. Defeat under such circum-
| stances was far more honorable
than victory purchased by compro-
misses. By the determination of the
party in 1880 to use all its power TO
wipe out the stain of Reputation,
more was done for Tennessee, more
for the party, more for the advance
ment of Southern, interests, than
was possible by any coalition with
the repudiators.
The time to plead poverty In the
South has past. Every Southern
State has for five years been free
from the domination of the carpet
bagger. Virginia, Tennessee, Ark
ansas and Louisiana are all abun-
dantly able to meet every obliga-
tion they have incurred. If repu
diation is now brought about, it
will be without excuse. The scheme
for readjustmept is dishonorable
and dishonest. Ii they succeed, il
will be by n union of the dangerous
elements in society and a division
among the conservatives. In Ten
nessee the Readjusters in the cam
paign of 1880 pOlied q surprisingly
small vote; the Republicans carried
the State and a bill passed the Leg
islature settling the debt dollar for
dollar at three per cent. interest.
The consumation of this settlement
the Readjusters have sought By ev
cry means to prevent. Charges of
corruption have been most reckless
ly made in the public prints and
before courts of justice, but they
have been supported by the fiimsi-
est kind of evidence. The Fund
ing Board was enjoined from issu-
ing the new bonds; when the argu-
ment was heard the injunction was |
dissolved. An appeal was taken |
TO the Supreme Court, not with any |
hope of a reversal, with no conf
dence whatever in the case, but |
to delay action until an0th-
er canvass could be made before the
people. In court the charge OF cor
ruptiOn has to be supported by ev-
idence; on the stump it needs only
to be supported by a pistol or a
These agitators urged
delay, but the Supreme Court over
ruled them and insisted that if il
was justice they appealed for it
could not be granted too soon. The
,ase is set for hearing January 18th,
and there seems little doubt the
court of last resort will sustain the
lct of the Legislature providing for
he settlement of the debt.
This leaves the Readjusters little
ground on which to stand. They
nave been defeated at every point.
They sought to secure the indict-
nent of Senators for bribery, and
Wo grand jurieS have decided their
violence insufficient even to estab-
ish a f0rinaa fIcie case. The Su-
,reme Court says in effect they are
My seeking to obstruct Justice.
even the pistol fails to destroy the ,
majority of one by which the COM
'rOmise was adopted. {
These misfortunes only make
hem more desperate and reckless. !
'olitical animosities are becoming
eeper every day. Passion is APP !
ealed to, cOmmunistic feelings are
character is ruthlesSly c
and the rights of property {
uestioned. Here is party, COM c
osed largely of desperate political
which Is in search of !
lilies. 1t expects assistance from U
ne Republican party and a Repub- Z
can Administration. 1t hopes TO I
e recognized as dispenser of Fed 9
raj patronage. Malone has num- [
er of iioitatOrs i'm Tennessee, but .
hey see difficulties in the way t
'hich did not exist in Virginia. I
irst, the Republican party is in h
he majority in the State, which it e
IN maintain as long as the Demo- |,
-ats are divided they will not be II
} willing to abandon their party G
rganization as were their fellows In
Then the popular dis "
)ntent in Tennessee has not been as 1.
idespread as in Virginia. The \
eople are reasonably prosperous; n
Notwithstanding short crop, taxes a
II two years have been paid this Il
.ason with less murmuring than II
yer before. Then the reputation 81
ement is composed of the most II
gOted and hide-bound classes of n
le Democracy. There - absolute II
nothing in the record of the RI
or in their promise to Il
lcite enthusiasm. h
These are the reasons which, on b,
e surface, seem to make it improb- W
lie that any successful alliance can d
made between the Republicans al
I'd the Readjusters of Tennessee. II
ct political necessity knows no t.
w. Parties are disintegrating; bl
lrty ties bind most men lightly b,
lrty allegiance has little indurance.
atronage is the potent factor, and Il
obedience to orders from Wash
gton, il is not improbable the un-
,ly alliance, which has succeeded v,
Virginia, may be consummated al
Tennessee. w
--.- tr
The political chaldron is Begin 1t
ng to "bOil and bubble in Arkan- ell
8, and is likely to produce little p.
sides 'ftoil and trouble" The I'll
party, il Is learned, is re
'pelessly split upon the bond id
Iestion. General b. ID. Williams III
talked of as compromise candi- tr
tie, but il is very doubtful If even gI
at much wisdom prevails. Gen. &C
al Williams Is conservative hi
i /