The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-04-26
OUR SENATOR'S ADDRESS.
Re Renders an Account Of His Acts
in the General Assembly.

ID Tue G6u6Gd4 6SS6U1 DlEt
To THE VOTERS OF THE COUNTIES OF LIN
COLIN AND GILEs-MY CONSTITUENTS
Having been honored as your repr,
sentative in the senatorial branch
the general assembly which closed i
labors on the Both ult., it is not i'm
proper that give you a brief and i'm
perfect account OF my stewardship 8
such representative | desire frs
however, To avail myself OF the priv
lsge uff'-red me to tender my grateil
ack now Judgements for the confidenc
implied by my election. This conf
heDce | labOred Increasingly TO sustain
and when lett the senate chamber O
the evening Oi the adjournment did s
with The full satisfaction of not having
IN a single instance IN entiOnally for
feited that confidence and that l hat
done INV whole dury. That all my ACT
should meet your approval, | could no
hope. Where questions for cOnsidera
ton were so multifacious and diversi
fled it would be impossible to please all
| On questions not outlined by platform
of the party, or promises made in the
canvass, had to exercise my own judg
ment MS to what would be conducive {,
as democrat and yield to no man in
| tealty TO the party, voted on two oc-
casions rs the only democrat with the
united republicans. l told my republi-
can friends found myself in bad COM
pany, but was very glad to find them
in such good company. One of these
votes WAS given against the repeal OF
the noted 60-3-4-5-6 act. voted aqainst
it because of the righteousness and alb
surdity of pretending to repeal what
had no existence. This act was a dead
letter, having expired by its OVID limit
alton on the first day of JRnuery-the
day the Legislature met-and already
the two houses of the general assembly
had made joint order interdicting the
payment OF the interest on tha new
bonds issued under that act, and in adj
ditiOn to this my mind was not free of
doubt as to the constitutional power OF
abrogating the contract made under the
boDdhoIder In taking his old bond and
giving therefor a new one. That such
repeal would abrOgate and make void
such new bond did not believe, but
believed the repeal implied as much. /
Was the only democrat in the two
houses who voted against this repeal
and, although for this vote have been
charg with being ''sky blue' have
2Orne the charge complacently and have
never one time regretted my vote. On
another occasion | voted alone with tlie
republicans of the senate for measure
also of q non political character 1t
was for bill OF q republican senator
introduced, requiring that all state
hOnds, which might be declared illegal
or fraudulent by the state authorities
ar faan ri hn IL.
the courts as to their validity. This
bill was contested on the 2nd reading,
and voted for it because it was the in
variable custom to pass all bills on the
lst and 2ud readings and contest them
only on the 3rd reading. AS a matter
OF respect and courtesy, therefore, to
the author of this bill, who is q clever
and courteous gentleman, voted for it
OH the second reading and declaring at
the same time that If 1t were the third
reading l would probably vote against
1t. l regarded the bill as only propos-
ing to test the Udlidity OF such bonds
and not compelling payment thereon.
/ had again to take issue with my pOliti
cal and party friends upon the bill
argued upon in the caucus of the demo-
cratic members OF the two houses for
the settlement of the state debt. The
democratic platform was so clear and
explicit upon this question that 1
thought there could be no difficulty with
democrats in the settlement, except per-
haps In agreeing as to what constituted
the estate debt proper. The platform
requires the ate debt proper to be
funded in iull, including accrued inter-
est, except the war interest OF four years !;
the bonds held by educational, literary
a iROr rif i.ls
gard TO locality, and those held by Mrs
,'olk tn be paid in tn!l, including war
interest and AL the rest OF the bonds to
be fun ied at SD cents in the dollar with
3 per cent interest. The bill presented
~ the caucus and passed tiIe two houses
without any amendment whatever l in
LIST d, deviated in TWO particulars from
the democratic platform, and l at
Pted In the senate to amend IL, but,
because IL was the work OF the demo
ratio caucus anu 1t would be wrong To
disturb that work, ! tailed to have il
amended, though democratic senators
told me that they aw the force OF my
position, but il would not do Ito open
the door Tor amendments rs there would
be no end to them" The democratic
platform requi'es the bonds beid by all
educational, literary and charitable in
stitutions. aud those he by Mr.. Polk
To be paid in full. The bill to settle the
debt requires the bonds held by thu
Peabody Institute to be scaled at 50-3,
and accounting to my construction OF the
act all bonds held by all other educa-
tional, literary or charitable institu-
tions--including the 80 held by Martin
College--here are repudisted, or at least
the act is susceptible of such eonstruc-
ton, and likewise are those held by
Mrs. Polk. l attempted toamend so
that all educational bonds-including
those of the Peabody destitute should
be paid in full. / made no effort to en-
brace the Polk bonds, as | would have
been rather glad, could it have been
JOne without my agency, TO have these
bonds scaled at 50-3.' Not withstand
ing my serious objections to these two
features OF the bill-knowing it was
not the intention OF the trainers of the
bill TO repltiate tile educational bonds
oi our state, though l believe it was
done-I voted for it believing, as
alleged in the explanation gave OF my
vote, that the Legislature would ye
make provision for such bonds. II
had not believed s..ch provisions woulC
he made | certainly would have voteC
against it. l gave the following ex-
PLANTATION OF my vote, which is entered
on the Journals: ~ a.
"Mr. Speaker:--l seriously except t.
sections and II oil this bill-to the OIL
section IN discrimination against tn,
bonds held by the Peabody Insril ute
whose founder has done so much for
and is still doing SO much for our state
and because, too, it is in direct conflic
with the democratic platform to which
vas so solemnly committed in the lat
canvass. And I except to section L
because taken in connection with sec
ton 8 it is al least susceptible of tn
construction OF denying the payment O
the bonds held By educational, literar,
and charitable institutions, as well a
those held by Mrs. Polk. But believ
ing that the general Assem- bly, will ye
properly provide for these bonds IL the,
are r, ally repudiated by these sections
[ shall, In order TO settle this vexe,
question vote aye"
1 introduced special bill for tn
funding oil the Peabody bonds, but be
cause, as was alleged by many demo
Gratis, it would be acting in bad faith b
the democratic caucus, many democrat
and enough Co defeat the measure votes
I aHoiust ff In fha EaNata fhiS hill 20