Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-05-13
THE REPUBLICANS AND THE STATE DEBT.

Col. John NJ. Flemming, the bril-
liant correspondent of the Courier
Journal, in writing to his paper Il
short history of the formation and
growth of TennesSee'S debt, thus
arraigns the Republican party on
the question, and shows that the
unfortunate condition in which the
State now finds herself, is largely
due to the INSCRIPTIONS aid which
the Republican party has always
lent to the LOw-taX party against
the true Democracy of the State.
Col. Flemming is as conversant
with State politics as any man in
Tennessee and speaks by the card
when he says:
mo sooner had something like
an organized, outspoken opposition
to the State-credit policy of the De-
mocracy begun to manifest itself
within its own party than subsI-
dence of Republican "honoSty" sot
IN. The Democratic revolt against
che Funding Act received all posi-
BILE encouragement. Republican
Journals became flippant in their
characterizatiOns of the act as Sin
famous" and Oppressive" while
the "bloated bOndholder" came in
for his share of denunciatiOn. The
Republican candidate for Governor
i'm 1875 was thrown overheard and
the 'lOw-ta,l" Democratic OppO-
nent of the Democratic "State-cred-
it nominee" received the support OF
the great bulk of the Republican
party in the State, Though there
was no formal recognition of the al
lance,
TIE COALITION AT THE BALLOT
was practically Us complete as that
between the Republicans and the
Mahoneites in Virginia. MOrethan
this, the Republican minority in
the Legislature, at various times
and by various resorts, have baulk-
ed and defeated the efforts of the
State-credit Democrats, when, with
Republican cooperation, they
might long since have finally and
satisfactorily disposed of the vexa-
tiOus question.
Except as the necessities of their
position have compelled them to be,
or policy has required it, the Repub-
licans of Tennessee, AS such, are not
a whit more "hOneSt" than they
ought to be. There is no special
virtue in the Tennessee section of
the party to single it out for special
cOmmeniatiOn. Its leaders are
shrewd and watchful. They are by
no means bunglers in political STRAIT
egy. Just now they are very hon
est, very; and just now they are
sincere in their promises for the
very sufficient reason that just now
they believe their success depends
upon doing precisely what they are
promising now to do. They believe
that by giving their cordial aid in
the immediate settlement of the
State debt, upon the reasonable
terms proposed, they will insure
such another division of the Demo-
cratic party as that which threw the
State government into their hands
at the last election. They believe
that the
STATE-CREDIT DEMOCRATS
are honest and manly, and will not
salute and follow the flag of repu-
dittion. They believe that the
"low-tax" Democrats, encouraged,
embOldened and strengthened by
the decision of the Supreme court,
will rally in force to capture the
June convention and declare in ia
vOr of multiplying any settlement
that may be made by this Legisla
ture. They believe that such ac-
ton will result in the overthrow of
the Democratic party in the State,
not for two, but for ten years. They
know that no party can sustain
itself in Tennessee that plants itself
upon the present "low-taX" plat
form, and hence they expect and
desire that the "low-taXers" will
succeed in declaring themselves the
Democratic party of Tennessee.
Again, the Republicans and slow
tax" Democrats of Tennessee are
working to the same end-the dis
memberment and prOstration of the
Democratic party in the State.