The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-08-03
Col. Ho1man's Speech.

acter, then l must say the goot
name that preceded this gentleman
was not fully sustained by the
speech. While it eyinced talent, anC
ingenuity in some, it was exceedingly
unfair and fallacious in NAM
respects. Then the many smuttl
and disgusting anecdotes were no
calculated to benefit the cause b,
so ardently espoused. He held ~
the Russell platform as model o
excellence and purity-purely demo
cratic in every particular, and on
that every true democrat could no
do otherwise than endorse. Thu
Bate platform was a complete de
parture from democratic principle
Indeed, he said, there was not /;
democratic plank in it. Now how
is this? The Bate platform ha
9 planks and the Russell s. Th,
Bate 7th is the same as the Fuse
4th in regard to public schools, ex
cept the addition of the 4 mile planl
in the latter. The Bate 9Th is tn,
same as the 4th and 9TH of Fussel
in regard to railroad commissions
and tax thereon. The 9th of Bat,
and Russell It'll agree in opposing
q constitutional convention, and thu
Sth of each arraigns the republican
party. There are then four plank!
of Bate identically the same will
five of Russell. These four plank.
of the Bate platform were so pure
and democratic in the estimation o
the Russell convention that they
were almost literally copied.
The two platforms differ in this
The mode of settling the state debt
which is really the only material
difference. The Bate platform, how
ever, has two planks besides the one
in regard to the state debt not il
FusselPs, and FusselPs has two not
in Bates. The two in Bates are
the 1st claiming the right and duty
of the dominant party to settle, and
the 9th, claiming the right for the
people to instruct their representa-
tives. These two planks are not
only democratic, but constitutional;
and had this constitutional provision
been observed by members of the
Legislature in the last extra session,
the COG act never would have be
come Il law A number of the
members, including our own, were
instructed to vote against it and had
they all done SO the bill would have
been defeated by a decided majority.
Now we see that although accord
ing to Col. Holman there is not a
sound plank in the Bate platform,
yet four of them are the same as
five of the Russell planks-and two
others in strict accord with the con
stitution. But the whole Russell
platform was pure democracy, such
that all pure democrats can endorse
and which he begged everybody to
read and study. The three planks
in the Russell platform not in Bates
are, the 1st opposing reputation
the 2nd favoring the COG; and the
3rd opposing what the End favors-
class legislation and laws; and a
part of the 4th opposing the repeal
of the mile law. The 1st and End
planks of this platform are in direct
conflict with the 3rd. The very
first section of the COG act is class
legislation. 1t discriminates in
favor of a certain class of bonds,
which is so much condemned in the
3rd plank of the Batee, and it even
favors paying a class of bonds not
really in existence, l mean 1.-The per
manent school fund bonds" Surely
no reasonable man of intelligence
will say the COG act is not repudia-
ton. 1t proposes to pay go cents,
and only go cents, on the dollar,
which in principle is as much re
pudiation as to pay only 90 cents
or indeed none. This is answered,
however, by saying we pay all that
is asked. According to the pub
lished list of the American and
World of the bond holders agreeing
to take go cents, there were only
about One-fifth so agreeing and they,
as alleged, through party and specu-
lative influence. But as to the
blind girl and others who do not so
agree it is certainly reputation.
Then away with such fallacious
planks. And as to the four mile
plank, it is only to catch votes, and
is the worst species of "buncombe"
and demagoguery. What party or
what people were asking a repeal of
this statute? Just as well might
they have a plank opposing the re
peal of the statute requiring the
of the Sabbath or the
one requiring punishment for crime.
Now it is not claimed by anybody
that the Bate platform is perfect.
Indeed, l have never seen one that
was, but it was made by a conven-
ton, the largest ever held in Ten
nessee, and one that would compare
fayorably in point of talent and
character with any
other heretofore held. And this
platform was adopted in spirit of
and Cancellation, and of
the 400 delegates there participa-
ting, only about 60 dissented and
succeeded in getting up another con
ventiOn. In the first CON
vention motion was made to
bind every member thereof to its
action, but a gentleman Immediately
arose (and this gentleman 1 learn
was Luke Wright, one of the four
bosses of the Russell convention to
l question of order. His point of
order was that such motion was a
reflection upon the honor and in
.egrity Of the members, as every one
vas, by virtue of his presence, bound
)y the action of the convention
The chair ruled the point of order
we'll taken and the motion was not |
There are other points of the |
speech wish to notice
lot specially referred TO by Mr.. L.
}. McCord in his short, but happy |
md telling reply. l refer more es-
,ecially to the comparative itemized |
mounts the state will have to pay
lnder the two platforms. l may
how this in the next CITIZEN. The
Inference, however, in favor of the
,0-3 is S13, 723,551 in the 80 years.
What he said As to the moral !