Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-10-07
DEMocRAcY IMpERILLED.

combined Wright and Wilson vOte)
33,646. There is steady falling of
The loss in two elections was $500
and in the last of the two 1904
Ii the loss is the same this year tn,
Democratic combined majority will
only be 1868. With the grOwins
sentiment for protective tariff il
manufacturing and mineral centres
and for internal improvements il
rivers and counties, the supremacy
jeopardy. Two more years of agi.
tation of this question may result
in Republicanizing the State. Lei
those who propose to break up this
settlement, without substituting a
| feasible plan for settling the debt al
once, bear the .reproach.
SAs the Republicans can only
thrive by Democratic discOrd, and
as the debt question is the main
cause of difference, time will vindi-
cate those who are for letting the
debt remain settled, and the charge
of aiding the Republicans will re-
ton, pursue their own immediate
advancement, and, regardless OF
consequences, reopen this Pandora's
box replete with evil to the Dem
ocratic party and the State of Ten
neSSee.
a NATIONAL DEMOCRACY.
We are making this fight both
for the good of our State and the
good of the Democratic party. The
reasons set out, in our estimation,
are sufficient to vindidate the pa
triotism of our course. Our duty in
behalf of the party is equally clear.
The National Democracy, from its
beginning, has cherished "the hon
est payment of our debts and sacred
preservation of the public faith" as
an essential part of 'the creed of
all political faith, the text of civil
instruction, the tOuchstOne by
which to try the services OF those
we trust" Its last platform, that
in 1880, declares for "a strict maIn-
tenance of the public faith, State
and Nationaln In 1881, for weeks,
il fought in the Senate of the United
States the coalition between the
Republicans and the repudiating
Readjusters of Virginia, headed by
Malone and Riddleberger. Not
withstanding a declaration from
Senator Harris that "the Democrats
had fought Malone because he was
traitor to Democracy, not because
he favored Readjlsterism,n the fact
as shown by the, record, demon
strates that they did fight him and
the Republican party for enforcing.
by their coalition, the disgrace of
Readjusterism upon the proud and
hOnored State of Virginia. . Z
Senator Beck, in that contest,
said: ..- ,....-.-. ......E =.
"Mr. President Il stated that
what rose to speak for was to tell
my people why l am here and why
/ believe the Democratic party is
here. 1t is because we are not GO
ing to allow, if we can help it, the.
worst elements of Virginia society
20 control that State. The
honor of that old State is involved.
The contest next November will
determine whether, or not a Repub,
lican Senate can bring. together all
the. bad elements of white society
there, and throw in the colored
vote, most of it honest but ignorant,
because when it is backed by the
Republican party it will think that
it is right to follow in the lead of
that great party organization, and
thus aiding the ignorant and mis-
guided portion of the Republican
party to the worst elements of the
Democratic party in their efforts at
the destruction of the credit of that
old wealth. In that con-.
test / will leave nothing undone to
defeat you that the rules will al
low, because and my fellow DEM
ocrats believe that you are seeking
to degrade and disgrace one of the
grandest and nobiest States in the |
American Union, and the Demo
cratic party does not intend, if it
can help it, to allow you to do it,"
Mr.. Bayard stated the positions
of the two parties, which are, ideh-
tical with those OF the correspond.
ing wings of our party, as follows !.
"The debt of Virginia as it stands
upon her statute books as atteSted |
by the bonds issued under her seal, |
Is every cent of it admitted by the
debt paying or funder party of /
but they call upon those
who are creditors to consider their
condition and make with them d I
arrangement. or compro-
mise, just and honorable to both,
and which they can, with care and
carry out; in other words
he debt-paying and funding por-
ION of Virginia will do nothing |
with their public obligations except
hat to which the creditor consents.
Volenti non fit injurIa. The Read
listers say, "We do not ask the con-
'ent of the creditor; it is not what
We owe, it is not what he asks, it
s what we see tit to pay him. We
will make new contract with
him; we will fix our own TERMS"
This is the position of the Nation
Il Democracy on the question of
public faith, and it must maintain
t. 1t can never espouse the cause
IF Readiusterism in Tennessee with
lut forfeiting its claim to the conf
ience of the nation. 1t would at
'nee abandon its advantage over
he Republicans for their Malone
lilies. 1t will not do to be merely
10 worse than the Republicans.
We must surpasS them and lose no
scoign of yahtage.u They are In
md hold the citadel, and we are
he assailants. and must afford a
which will overcome
heir advantage of situation. We
must command the confidence Of
he great commercial and financial
interests. If this is essential for the
rational party, it is equally SO for
Is component parts, the parties of
he several States. II they are re-
)udiators and Readjusters, the poi
ION that corrupts their honor will
infect and destroy the honor of the
)arty composed of them. We are
to save the Democracy
If Tennessee from this suicidal pol
cy. The whole party shall not be
committed to that policy and es-
ablish it by success. The success
IF a party in establishing a had
may ruin 1t, fop il demon
trates its inclination and capacity
o do evil, but the failure of a fac
ion of a party in IA bad cause dem
on the rontrary that its
power when unworthlly iny4kad Is
by q conservative minor
ty, and this Is a guaranty of its
rustworthiness. We will preserve
hp Democratic faith and OroaniZa-