Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-10-14
HA MINOR QUESTION:

1.-The State debt is a minor ques-
tion and should not be allowed to
disrupt the party" is the cry raised
by tour Tennessee delegation in
Congress, and echoed all along the
lines by the Readjusters OF less CALI
Der and smaller pretensions. Well,
gentlemen, if it is a minor question
why in the name of common sense,
patriotism and party fealty did you
not let it rest? Why drag it into
the campaign after it was settled ?
We had settled the question on a
basis alike satisfactory to the cred
itors and honorable to the State,
and according to Senator Harris in
the only way in which it could be
settled, the contract is now being
carried out and the bonds when
funded are beyond the power of
any men or set of men to disturb or
alter without further consent Of the
creditors. Yet in the face of all
this your party demands that the
settlement be set aside and the debt
be readjusted according to your
higgling, at the same time saying
that it is minor question and
abusing all who refuse to yield their
honest convictions as boilers, trait
ors and Republican aids. OF all the
thin subterfugeS resorted to by this
party of subterfuges this is about
the thinnest, the application of the
anecdote of the boy aud billy goat
is so plain that even a Readiuster
must acknowledge the corn 1t was
immensely funny to the goat so
long as he was chasing the boy
around the stump, but when the
boy made rush and grabbed him
by the tail, the game was changed
and the goat commenced bleating
piteously, the boy, however, held
his grip grimly saying, ooh; yes,
d-n you, you can ba-a-a, ba-a-a,
now, but who commenced this
thing ?" So with these gentlemen,
thinking to curry favor with the
masses they tiercely attacked the
COG settlement, denouncing all who
refused to join in with them, as
Republicans and as having sold out
to the bondholders finding out,
however, that the Dol. Gas they
choose to call the action those DEM
ocrats who still held on to the
pledges and principles of the party,)
was so much larger than they had
calculated on, and that not only
those prominent men whom they
intended to disgust and drive out of
their way, but the rank and file,
the bone and sinew of the party
refused to become partners in their
communistic designs, they become
alarmed, crack the party whip try
ing to keep Democrats i'll party
which is sailing under false colors.
They say that this is only minor
question and does not AFFECT the
integrity of the party, that the only
test of Democrat is that a man
shall vote for Bate and some candi- |
date for the Legislature who will |
promise to vote for Harris, even |
though he be one of Ed. Shaw's i
communistic radicals; they find
that they pursued their game lit |
tie too far, and when they feel the
powerful grip of the sky blues, then
comes the pitiful bleat; ah, they |
may bleat, but we know who COM
meneed this thing, all that the true
Democracy asked was to let the
matter. rest let the contract of the
State be made good, let her credit
and good name be restored by sus-
tanning settlement already made
or at most pretermit the question,
but no, it was not minor question
at the June convention, they said it
was the question of the day, and
finding themselves in control OF the
convention arrogantly demanded an
unconditional and utter reputation
of the acts of the Legislature and the
record of the party in regard to pub
lie credit This was their ultima
tum, it overshadowed everything
else. This, in measure, had the
desired effect, in causing the with
drawal of many distinguished gen.
tlemen who were in the way of the
tricksters that were manipulating
the convention, but with them also
went enough good men and true
to convince them that success was
impossible and their boosted major
ity a myth, unless they could arouse
the prejudices and passions of the
people and drive them in blind an
ger to support men on Il platform
which they cursed, kicked and spit
upon. To this end they now bleat
out "minOr question:" and by every
means known to politicians seek to
put men instead of principle first.
They scruple at nothing which they
think will assist their waning
cause. A mans past record is moth
ing, no matter how high he may
have stood, if he opposes them he
Is to be denounced and dragged
down; if on the other hand, he is
with them now, let his record be as
black as it may; let him for life
time have been marplOt and a
breeder of disturbance in the party,
or let him have done any and all
things heretofore to the injury of
the party, he is now lauded to the
skies and his praises shouted from
he hOusetOps. {
But all this fails to convince in
,elligent, thinking men; they say,
t is not minor question, on the [
contrary, that ii is a question
So Il =, ffonI,, th<. .1an |