Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-09-30
The Local CANDIDATES At RossNEw.


Messrs. Alternately and Rhodes and
Milliken and Jones, the candidates
for the Legislature in this county,
spoke to the citizens of District No.
l at Rossview. There were about
fOrty-five white men present and
some twenty colored men. The
speakers were listened to with close
attention by those present, who
were evidently actuated with an
earnest desire to arrive at just and
fair understanding of the questions
at issue between the candidates.
Mr.. Milliken spoke first, occupy.
ing an hour and fifteen minutes.
lie began by saying that there was
only one question that divided the
Democracy of Tennessee, that of the
State debt, and the only point in re-
gard to that was as to whether the
present coo settlement ought to be
maintained. He touched in a cur
sorry manner upon the canvass OF
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES actions ofthe
Legislature that finally resulted in
the present settlement. He did not
for once question the validity of the
settlement or the inability of the
State to pay, but fell back upon the
poor argument that 1t was a Repub-
lican measure and did not meet
with the appreciation Of the people.
He then followed the example Of
other distinguished Readjusters and
tried to subordinate the great ques-
ton of whether this debt ought to
he settled now or not, TO ques-
tions of National politics; arraign-
ing the Republican party for its
high crimes and misdemeanors,
and dwelling at great length upon
the Importance of electing a Demo-
cratic Urited States Senator. His
speech was as good, if not better,
than many of those now being
made by the more prominent lead
ers of his party, but he failed to adj
vance any sound reason why the
present just settlement of the State
debt ought to be disturbed.
Mr.. Rhodes followed i'm a mas
terly presentation Of the cause of
State Credit Democracy. He hard
ly thought it necessary to reply to
the insinuation of his competitor
that the chances of the election of a
Democratic Senator by the next
---.--Dsa-.. AA~ EnarIeIIgcu ms COM
petitor to show where his DemOcra-
cy could ever be questioned Judge
Milliken here disclaimed any such
insinuatiOn). He said he could re-
count thousand reasons why he
stood and would always stand in
the ranks of the Democratic party,
aside from the greatest and best of
all reasons, that it was the party of
justice, of right and OF good govern
ment. He may not have fought i'm
the cause of which his competitor
spoke so eloquently,the reason why
he was too young at that time, but
those near and dear to him had de-
Tended with their lives those same
sacred principles, and slept to-day
among the hOnOred dead who died
for principle. No man who knew
his antecedents would doubt his De-
mocracy, but this was not the ques-
ton of the day; we were now face to
face with vital living issues it was
whether all that was left to us from
the unhappy but sacred memories
OF those days-Our plighted faith
and hOnOr-shOuld BIO violated and
the disgrace of reputation fastened
upon us. He did not think it right
to appeal to mems war prejudices
To decide question that bore di-
rectly upon their business interests |
and the material welfare of the |
State. He then referred TO his rec
ord in the last Legislature and |
showed why he had voted for the |
bills to settle the honest indebted
ness of the State. He asked them
to put themselves in his place and
then say honestly and without pref
udice if they would not have done
just as he did. His defense of his
course was OPen and above board,
and we appeal to every fair-minded
man in Montgomery
county TO hear him before condem-
nation. He proceeded to review
the record Of his competitors, and
showed where i'm 1876, Milliken had
stood among the lowest of the low
tax men, how since then he had
been in favor of 1908 and COG and
had vacillated from first one side
and the other, until it was hard to
tell what he was for this time. He
showed the fallacy of the argument
that the majority were in favor of
iisrupting the settlement; that it
was only the war-cry OF the leaders.
His argument in favor of the main
enance of the settlement was
sound, logical and irrefutable; he
showed by facts and figures its
and challenged his
to deny by proof sim
lie one of them. His entire speech
vas brilliant presentation of the
righteous cause of the true Democra-
", and we challenge any unpreju-
licial Readjuster to hear him and
lot be convinced of the truth of his
position.
Mr.. John w. Jones, the second
)n the Readjuster ticket, said he {
was not there to make speech
vas no speech maker and did not
lnow if he was, that he could add {
to what Judge Milliken
lad said. There was one thing he |
would say however in reply to Mr..
Rhodes charge of his inconsistency {
nj that was, that he had been I
endorsed by the DEM I
cratic Executive Committee Of !
Il