Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-08-12

oOiO Aihu. IdIkt6S- Wert ulhuc lOE
the good of men, but when they are
perverted into machines to get men
into power, they do evil and only
evil.
What is this treason to Democra-
cy? He had studied the question
not as railroad lawyer, and he
believed he understood it. He had
been told that this would be his
political grave. Let il come. Let
his political head roll off his shoul-
ders, before it carried a false tongue
or double one on this great ques-
ton.
1t had been stated that Mr.. o.
Connor, the ablest lawyer in the
land, had said that the railroads
and not the state were liable. This
was not true. He had sent to Mr..
O'Connor for his opinion and had ii
here. He then proceeded to read
from book exactly what MIR.
O'Connor did say, and it was di-
rectly to the contrary of the asser-
/ ton.
He then went on and referred
to the coming grand contest
of 1884. He said that De-
mOcracy all over the land was
marshalling its hosts for that mo-
mentous struggle with every pros
pect of glorious victory. Its face
was toward the sun would they
mar all of its bright prospects and
hopes by their course on this debt
question? There was no middle
ground, there was no half way
place between the platforms of Fus-
sell and Beasley-either we owed
this debt or we did not. If we owe
it we have fair, just and honorable
settlement, if we do not, common
respect says support Beasley. The
great leader Harris, who says Fussell
stands alone, urged the settlement
in III and said it would be dishonor-
able to make a counter proposition.
Genn Atkins and other members of
Congress said in substance the same
thing. If it was dishonorable then
how infinitely more dishonorable
was ii to chatter and higgle now
when we have a settlement clearly
made?
He closed by most eloquent ar
raignment of the Republican party.
1t was a party of corruption and
spoils; the people were tired of its
rule and it was now in a state of
disintegration on account Of its
bossfsm, its greed for spoils and its
tendency towards n centralized
government He was for ousting
il, but it could not be done until
Democracy stood solid upon princi-
pie. Let us place ourselves in line
with the grand Democratic party,
with equal and exact rights TO oil,
but exclusive privilege to none, and
last and above all, the honest pay
ment of the debts and the successful
fIIfillment of its pledges. That
was Democracy as expressed by
JeffersOn's inaugural of 1901.
The party that succeeds in this
grand contest must plant itself on
principle. Let principle be to De-
mOcracy as a cloud by day and pill
low of fire by night. Let it be our
only guide and our duty to apply it
to all conditions of party, and l
plead for Tennessee Democracy to
stand solid for principle now and
for all coming time.
HON. L. a. JAMES.
After a pleasant allusiOn to for
mer visit to Clarksyille, when he
met many of our people, Mr.. James
said that no point bearing on
this question had been left untOuch-
ed by the gentlemen who had pre-
ceded him, and he thought by the
day of the election there would not
be as much of the readjuster party
left ~ there were fragments of their
platform now. He said readjuster
friend in Nashville had tried to
dissuade him from entering the
canvass with the threat that Sena-
tor Harris was on the other side,
and would "clean up" all the State
Credit speakers in the field. He
thought from the speeches made
by Messrs. Jackson and Cooper that
Mr.. Harris would be much like
Artemus Ward on certain occa-
sion, when he wore a fellow to a
fraZZle. Meeting a friend II few days
he was asked how he
came out in the fight. Ward, who
had patch over his eye and his
arm in sling, replied that he
whipped his man, wore him liter
ally out. "In fact" said Ward, 81 |
punished him so severely that ]
had to be carried home on shut
ter" lie thought the shutter would |
come in quite handy for Senator
Harris before the canvass was over.
Mr.. James said that what few re.
marks he would make in this speech |
were not intended for the masses of
the Readjuster party, for he be-
lieved they were honest, and but
for the false teachings of their lead
ers they would be right to-day. He
to address himself to the
leaders, for they were responsible for
thesplit, and not to the rank and file.
He was glad that Senator Jackson
had discussed the question from
national standpoint, and that he
had shown so plainly the departure
of the Bate party from the old
and its antagOnism to
national Democracy. There could
be no success fOl Democracy az long
rs a State party adopted a platform
and advocated teachings at vari-
ance with its great head, National
the one was part of
The other and both must be together
Il, nrino;t,la aud In tQaahtOO nF