Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-03-01
The State Debt Question.

KNOX COUNTY, February II, 1882.
Mr.. EDITOR: We have reached
crisis in the affairs of our State when
it becomes the duty of every patriot
to weigh we'll his actions, and what
ever he does, do it Understandings.
In country governed by political
parties, the relations of citizens to
political organizations have very
high Importance. The theory and
ethics of party construction, fealty
and action, are outside of law, and so
far as our literature goes, almost out
side of morals. The law ignores in
the interest Of perfect electoral free.
dom; the church ignores them in the
interest Of spiritual independence.
At first view it would seem that
absolute majorities were not neces-
sary in government constructed as
ours is; the election of persons is
usually effected by the highest num-
Der of votes, and so far as officers
with executive or judicial functions
are concerned, elections are for the
most part by maxima. Legislative
officers are chosen in the same way,
but they act by maiorities. A bill
can become law only by the votes
Of majority of the members. This
provision reacts upon the whole sys-
tenn of elections, and practically con-
verts a system of maxima into one Of
majorities. If any doubt remains
whether it is necessarily so, none can
be INDUCED that we are practically
under the government of majority
system. The parties may have
made it 80, or an inher>
emit force in our system may
have created the parties. With
legislators the first thing is to make
laws. IF you can secure the passage
of such laws as you desire only by
gaining a majority in the Legislative
body, parties should be formed so as
to divide the voters into only two
divisions. The questions in our ma
tional politics are so numerous, and
the interests SO conflicting, that
party managers find it difficult te
construct satisfactory platform o.
principles for their parties. TIL.
usual custom with the shrewd politi'
cal manager is to select one princi'
pal question, state it plainly, ant
fight courageously ON that to tn
end; stating the others vaguely
> of ten SO they can be read both ways
in fact, adjourning all others, ant
> making the fight on the issue selected
) And parties having an unwrittel
law nearly as strong as our nationa
constitution, they manage to kee,
house, as it were.
q But, as is the case with our Stat
f debt question now, we sometime
I meet with issues (which will nc
| down. at the bidding of politics
, managers, and on which parties al
i divided among themselves. Here
= presented one of the greatest objee
i, tions to our system. The difficult
a of readjusting party lines so as
obtain full, free and untramele
. expression of opinion OF the gree
K mass of voters on subjects OF tn
d character. This question, thoug
a. is of such paramount important
4 that there cannot be any trouble
= a proper readjustment of parties
70 as to bring all the forces to bear
- the coming election. Let eye1
n other question stand adjourned fl
the present, and let the people sett
!. this question finally and foreve
. through their representatives chose
. for this express purpose.
9 The past has taught us that nett
o er side in this controversy will abal