Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-08-25

of future reward or promotion.
You are not here in obedience to the do
tates. of any one man You are, not the
inc, ,mbents of lucrative Federal |
off ces. drawing pay from the government
for the time you spend in coming here and
to your homes Then why are
Won here? You are here as the representa-
tiyes of an immortal principals principle
as lasting as the desire for freedom itself.
You are here to assert your independence of
a one man power. You are here to proclaim
your unalterable opposition to deniagogism
and vice in high places. You are here to
ouard your own good name and reputation
and the good: name and reputation of those
who. above all others under the sun, are
most dear to you.
You have honored me by selecting me as
YOUR representative in the conflict of sobri-
etv against inebriety, of fidelity against
infidelity to public trust, of honor against
dishonor. With full appreciation of the
fierce contest involved, with full knowl-
edge of the hard labor and self sacrifice re-
auired, with full understanding of the
unscrupulous warfare that will be waged
against me, l accept the trust confded to
me, and promise you that I shall dis
charge my full duty to you j and
to the intelligent, patriotic masses
of this Congressional district, with what.
ever zeal and ability l may possess. l
know it is no childs play. I know that it
will require courage of no ordinary degree.
But have carefully studied over the whole
ground, and am ready for the conflict
A few weeks ago, when, yielding to the
solicitations of may friends throughout the
district, I consented to contest the seat in
Congress now held by my competitor, the
undertaking seemed difficult one. But
had ever been respondent could be no
longer
When l look into the faces of the sturdy,
gray haired men before me, who are,
taking such intense interest in this matter
l Say, 'Old men for counsel, and with
such counsellors I cannot go astray. When
1 look into the brighter eyes of these young
and middle-aged men, l see that l have
most who are ready for the active work of
the campaign, and cannot despond. 1 do
not boast leave that to others-but if the
men who are here to-day in this audience,
hailing from every county in the COMPRESSION
al District will go to their homes and work
with the same determination that has
brought them here, and exert the influence
they are capable of exertng, there Is no
more doubt of my election IN November
than there is that the sun now shines IN the
horizon. Acampaign of brass bands, rlng-
ing bells, noisy shouts, sensational posters
and similar clap-trap, will not tell against
the determined efforts of honest farmers,
hard-fsted mechanics, professional men ana
business men of the district
Now, returning to you my sincere thanks
for the honor you have conferred upon me,
and promising you that l will carry your
banner into the thickest of the fight, and
do whatever is in my power to secure the
victory you merit, l viii bring my remarks
to close for the present and allow you to
proceed with and finish the business for
which you have assembled.
At the conclusion of Captain Rules re-
marks, Col. J. NJ. Thornburgh was called
for and made short speech, which was
well received.
Judge Andrews was called for and made
a short speech. He said that after the ac-
/ ton of the convention, so far, there was no
need of speech.
/ Rev. S. w. Pate (colored, of Sevierville,
made very humorous speech, relating
| several anecdotes very applicable to the oc-
! casion.
At2 D. M, Major A. s. Prosser, of Knox,
from the committee on resolutions, appear.
ed and submitted the following report:
Whereas, The Second Congressional Dis
trict of Tennessee, the most reliable Re-
publican district in the South, and one
heretofore represented by honorable and
distinguished men of pure and nationa
fame, should have in the councils of the
nation a representative of the intelligence
honesty and sohriety of its people; and,
Whereas, Our present member of Con
gress, L. G. Houk, does not represent these
elements of our population, and has by
his conduct at home and at the seat of gov
eminent degraded himself and disgraced hi
district and his State, in the face of The
whole nation, and has thereby and by reck
less. uns fupulous and intolerant efforts t.
obtain and hold the position for which h
has shown himself unworthy, forfeited thu
it impossible for intelligent rejecting ano
self-respecting citizens to sustain him b.
their votes; and,
Whereas, The indisputable facts are tina
the whole past career of l.. G. Houk ha
shown him to be unfit to be the representa-
tive of respectable constituency; that a
minister of the Gospel he dishonored thu
name of reli lion; that as soldier he wa
disgrace to the army, and was compelled
to resign therefrom by reason of his IN
competency, worthlessness and drunken
ness, for the good of the service; that a
Judge his sympathies and association
were with the criminal classes, which he en-
couraged by precept, example, conduct ant
by his habits. which were disgusting ant
corrupting: that he dishonored the judlcia
ermine, and was conn elled to resign iron
the bench to save himeaf from impeach
ment by the Legislature; that for poilt1ca
ends he joined temperance organization
and went before magistrate OF Anderson
County and took and subscribed an oatl
that he would drink no more; that he
pretending to have reformed, reJolned tn
church, prayed and exhorted loudly III pub
lic and by long course of studied hypoc
ricy, deceived the people ard induced tn
Republican voters to submit to his can
didacy at time when the party throughou
the country was struggling to elect he
publican Congress, many hoping that IA "a
pretended reformation was genuine, Whll
others feared that the running of anothe
Republican would result In the loss of tn
district. which had. under the leadership @
men of high character and tried integrity
fprown to be the strongest and most rellabl
: gRepublican district in the South, remaInln
steadfast and true, when all others III To
\ State and nearly all in the South were los
to the party; that he has for many yeal
> been an incessant and chronic otfice-seekel
5 to the detriment of the State and Repubhca
Z party that he has bolted Repubhca
Conventions, and run against its chose
candidates whenever he believed it to b
interest to do so; that he recently pretende
!; to be in favor of the election of Hon. DO
, ace Maynard to the United States Senat
!; while secretly laboring to defeat him; thu
:. | during his recent brief Congressional cares
he has sunk to the lowest depths of brut
!, debauchery, and has in consequence there's
f been, during a large portion of the tim
z unfit and unable to attend to public bus
: ness, or the interests of his constituent
e that he has repeatedly been upon the tio
s of the House of Representatives, before Il
d departments of the government, and upe
e the streets of Washington, in a condition
if such beastly intoxication that the nation W
d shamed, his State dishonored and his col
d | stituency disgraced; that he has been depo
4 r. 4 l. T..