Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-10-21
Extracts From Hon. n. p. Coles Speech.
Dresden Democrat.

Dresden Democrat.
Below we present four extracts
from the speech of Hon. r. P. Cole,
made in the last session of the Leg
islature, prior to the passage of the
6O-6 settlement bill. Mr.. Cole on
that occasion, as was acknowledged,
made the ablest speech on the SUBJ
iect under discussion. Read these
extracts with an unprejudiced mind,
and then answer their eloquence
and logic if you can.
"Shall we accept and make a set
tlement satisfactory to our creditors,
or will we settle without regard to
their wishes? Shall we force them
to part with their bonds or proper
ty for less than they are willing to
take? If so, how much less? If you
can force them to 90 cents, can't
YOU force them to % cents, and if it
is right to force them to take %
cents why not take it all and make
a clean sweep of it ? If we repudiate
half, why not repudiate all? 1t is
lust as honorable, and far more
profitable. The effort to force an
adjustment regardless of the rights
of the creditors is not a new one in
Tennessee politics. In 1877 a prop
osition was made by the creditors
to settle at COS. This proposition
was modified by some of them to
500, and the legislature convened
to consider the proposition. The
debt then amounted to about $22,-
100000. Had the proposition been
accepted the debt would have been
reduced 81 100000 while it cannot
now be settled for less than ST ,000,-
600. Here, sir, is an illustration of
the suicidal policy of attempting to
defeat the proposition of your cred
itors in the hope of getting some
thing better. Who now endorses
the policy that entailed this enor-
NOUS debt of $28, 900, 900 upon US?
The Democratic party is a party
of principles, and it is SANDER to
say it can no longer be held together
except for public spoils and offices
for a few of her ambitious sons. AS
well tell me that the patriots whose
footprintsrlnarked in blood upon
the SHOWS of Valley Forge fought
for no principle; as well tell me
that the boys in blue who followed
the Stars aud Stripes during the
late war were impelled by no patri
otic motives; as well tell me that
our own half clad and half fed SOL
diers of the South who followed the
Confederate flag through all the
changing fortunes of war, through
victory and defeat, were held to-
gether by no higher motive than
booty and spoils of war, as to tell
me the Democratic party has no
principles that are worth maintain
ing, or that can be abandoned
for the sake of temporary success"
"The failure to settle, then, has
paralyzed. our industries. retarded
our prosperity, and given us a
mountain of debt; it has severed
the Democratic party and given us
a Republican administration in
Tennessee The Republican party
came into power, and this great
calamity, singular enough, can be
laid at the very door of the oppo-
nents of this measure. Singular
enough, that the men who did so
much to defeat the settlement in
the legislature are to-day leading
the opposition to the present meas
ure. Not content with heaping up
this debt upon the people of Tennes-
see, they are trying to lead them
into still greater ruin"
- "Let us stand by our principles
let us stand by our greatest states
men; let us stand by the platform
on which we were elected; let us
stand by the platform of National
Democracy. He who would advise
us to desert these principles for the
sake of temporary success, or a few
offices, is unworthy the name of
Tennessean he is reproach to the
State that gave him birth, and un-
worthy the confidence of Democ-
racy."