The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-03-07
WARNING FROM SENATOR BAR
Pig

Nashville Banner.
In his letter to Col, Patterson
Senator Harris makes this state
ment:
THE great virtue which / found in
the platform was in the fact, that upon
II, we could look the world in the face
and truthfully say that we pay every
dollar, principal and interest-(mark
those words, principal and interest) III
that debt which we admit we owe. and
Only propose TO compromise the claims
which a larg proportion of the people
of the Stale homes ly believe to be Meth
er legal nor moral obligation upon
them Nothing was better understood
by the people than, If our ticket sue
ceeded, the State-debt proper would be
settled at ono hundred cents in the dol
lar To fail to settle upon the
basis so we'll understood, and thor
oughly approved by the people, will in
my opinion, powerfully tend To destroy
confidence as to the integrity and frank
ness of the party. Nothing
could be more unfortunate, if not alb
solutely fatal, to the fortunes of the
Democratic party than failure to set.
tie the debt upon the basis agreed upon
on the Goth of June, and approved at
the ballot-box by the verdict of the peO-
pie, And | earnestly hope tina. before
adjournment settlement upon this
basis may be had, and the people be no
longer harrassed and their councils dis
tracted by the agitation of the ques-
ton.
As a politician, Senator Harris
can have no interest in the DISPOSE
ton of the question or its intermin-
able agitation. He has firmly de-
termined and so announced that his
present official term will finally end
his long, public service. He intends
to retire from politics and office
holding and ofice-seekinG, and is,
therefore influenced by no selfish
motive in his advice. 1t should be
well considered by the members of
the general assembly. 1t comes
from a man who carried the day on
the 9TH of last November the effect
of whose influence was recognized
IN his election to the United States
Senate. 1t comes from a man who
canvassed the entire State, and
whose advice and counsel, and in
depreciation of the platform had
more weight with the people than
any other supporter of the action of
the June convention. We have no
intention Of depreciating the favor
with which Gov. Bate and other
speakers were received, but it is an
admitted fact that Gov. Hawkins
would have been re collected had it
not been for the work and influence
of Senator Harris. He, therefore,
has right to speak and to be heed
ed. He can have no other than pa.
triotic motives in urging the legis-
lature to settle the proper debt in
full, principal and interest, and not
leave a portion for "future legisla-
lures to SETTLE and thus longer
distract party councils and harass
the people" Senator Harris says
the intention to settle the State debt
proper in full, principal and inter
est, at one hundred cents on the
dollar, was thoroughly understood
and approved by the people" Who,
of the Bate Democrats, had more
advantages or a better right to
know the opinions of the people
than Senator Harris? Instead of
twisting and turning, eliminatin g
and ashutting off, recognized debt
proper bonds, in order to conform
to the admitted erroneous Figures"
of a politician, in whose bonnet the
bee is still buzzing, it would be much
better for the members to carry out
the will of their party, and the let
ter and spirit of their platform by
settling this proper debt ain full. "
We do not mean to intimate that
the views of any politician are dis
honest, but that they are most apt
To be unconsciously warped by self
ish aspirations and ambitions. Much
better to take counsel from you own
and disinterested per-