The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-05-23
TIE FREE TRADE ORANKS AND
TIE SPEAKERSHLP.

emily exchanges, the reported views
of Hon. Ralph Saunders, of Ten
nessee," on the subject of the next
Speakership of the House of Repre-
sentatives. They are given, with
much gravity, in special telegraphie
correspondence from Washington.
We presume the gentleman quoted,
who seems to have been as voluble
as sagacious, is none other than our
old time friend, ROlfe, the ubiquit-
Gus cosmopolitan, who, when last
heard from, was said to be " caught
on" to the Southern Industries, at
Nashville, rs his latest way-side d.
vertisement. 1t appears to be
the solemn conviction of our stock
breeding statesman and agrieul-
tural and mechanical philosopher
(for the time being,) that the
election of Hon. Sam. ]. Randall,
of Pennsylvania, to the Speaker
ship, would be a spring Of direful
woes to the Democratic party-in a
word. that it would "effectually de-
stroy all hopes of electing a Demo
cratic President in 1884" He mod
estly ventures the opinion, further
more. that Mr.. Randall need not
count on any support from Tennes
see. nor, indeed, from any Of the
Southern States, beyond the CRATE
full remembrance of a few personal
favors during his former occupancy
of the chair.
Now, this oracular outgiving, from
our wayfaring political economist,
NAV be a present source of great
comfort and encouragement to the
other trade cranks who have
demanded Sam Randalls head in a
charger, but it only disturbs us 10
the extent of causing US to offer a
few plain words on the special sub
iect TO which it relates. The VIC
lence of the crusade against Sam
Randall, on the part of the Waiter
sonian reformers, has led US to seri-
ously question, recently, whether
the personal warfare upon Mr.. Ran
dali is maintained for the purpose
of advancing the interests Of the
tariff for revenue only idea, or
whether the sudden teapot-tempest
on that subject has not been stirred
up for the express purpose of de-
| feating Mr.. Randall. The marked
unanimity with which all the light
and heavy war engines Of that belli-
cose faction are now trained upon
Mr.. Randall, gives weight to the lat
ter view of the matter But in eth
err view, the object sought is likely
to be defeated through the very
means adopted for its accomplish
ment. On the one hand, the free
trade eranks are not perceptibly
weakening Mr.. Randall by their
savage assaults upon him; nor, on
the other, would his defeat result in
any substantial triumph for their
free-trade vagaries. For, that even
temporary victory for Watterson-
ism in the next House, would insure
the defeat of the National Demo
cratic ticket in 1884, is too plain for
serious doubt. After such a calam-
ity, the most enthusiastic partisan
might easily count the Democratic
States for 1884 on the fingers of his
two hands and have fingers to spare.
The lesson of 1880 is conclusive on
this point. Four weeks before the
election, General Hancock would
have been triumphantly elected.
The Republicans saw the vulnerable
point in his armOr. 1t was the
''tariff- for-revenue- only" Upon that
point they concentrated their fire
and the gallant leader of the best
equipped Democratic army that ever
took the field, found his assured VIC
tory converted into a disastrous de-
feat. SO, and much more, will ii Re
again, if the free trade marplots of
the Democratic party are permitted
to have their way in the next House
of Representatives.
1t must sound strangely in the
ears of the great body of the Demo
cratic party throughout the country
South, as well as North-that the
reelection of Sam Randall to the
Speakership will insure Democratic
defeat in 1884. Democrats have
not forgotten the dark days when
Sam Randall was the tower of Dem
ocratic strength in the House of
Representatives; when he stood
forth as the great, the matchless
parliamentary leader, and, day after
day, night after night, and week af-
ter week, baffied an arrogant, domi-
neering majority in their schemes !
of partisan and oppressive legisla-
ton; when he was, in fact, the one
grand figure upon whom, for the
time, the eyes of the Democracy of
the nation were fixed with hopeful,
anxious intent. Nor have they for
gotten with what signal ability he
discharged the duties of
Speaker; nor how, in every impor-
tant crisis, he has proved his fidelity !
to ms party by the most conspieu-
Gus services. And il will require !
more authoritative than
the opinion of "Hon. Ralph Saun-
ders, of Tennessee" or the ipSe dirit |
Of the political jack-in-the-box at
Louisville TO convince the honest,
intelligent, hsat-otthe day Democ-
-acy that the election of Sam Ran
iall to the Speakership would be
fatal disaster to the party. If Dem
,cratic hopes for 1884 depend on so
slender thread as the goodwill of
he trade dynamiters, they are
rot worth the cherishing. Happily,
there is good reason for
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