Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-02-02
LETTER from nov. saw. ) RANDALL.


We found the following letter in
the Fayetteville Observer Of last
week and reproduce it as it will
doubtless be interesting reading to
many of our subscribers:
To Messrs j. B. Lamb, G.. w. Jones, w. N.
Wright and j. ID. Ti.iman, Fayetteville,
Tennessee,
GENTLEMEN-I thank YOU very
sincerely for your frank and friend
ly letter Of the 5th inst. You ex-
press your sincere regret at my de-
feat for the Speakership, -''although
we may differ touching one of the
political questions OF the day, and
yet that in common with the great
mass of the people of this great
Democratic county of Tennessee, we
hold you in high, very high, esteem
personally and politically. We have
never forgotten, and trust never
shall, Che efforts made by you, in
behalf of our oppressed and perse-
cuted people, on the floor, of Con-
gress of the United States and
should the opportunity present
would gladly show our appreciation
a the balIot-box."
Il Shakespeare tells US that "praise
from Sir Hubert Stanley is praise
indeed" and when L recognized
amongst your number the name of
Hon. George w. Jones, who served
for sixteen years in the House OF
Representatives ofthe United States
from 1843 to 1859, and lett an hon.
orable record as the Watchdog
of the Treasury" which so many of
us have tried to emulate, feel that
i am not altogether without conso-
lation in the loss uf the Speakership
which has brought me your marked
and generous approval.
Do what man may he cannot
save himself free from mIsrepresen-
tatiOn by his enemies, and | shall
be content to stand upon the Ohio,
Virginia and New Jersey platforms
where | always have stood from the
beginning opposing alike the di-
vers theories of mere doctrinaires,
impossible of practical application,
and seeking only to do that which
was possible, and at the same time,
in my judgment, most conducive
to the best interests and general
welfare of the whole people. My
whole public career, if it has had
any purpose at all, has been one OF
unrelenting opposition to monopO-
lies of every sort of description.
have never forgotten the lesson oil
history that Carthage, where indi-
Vidual citizens were richer than
kings, was so enervated by luxury
and corruption as to fall an easy
prey to the brave and frugal and far
from wealthy Romans Of that day ;
and / have, therefore, been an hum
BILE follower of Albert Gallatin, the
most wonderfully administrative
financier this or any other country
has ever produced, who was in ia
Vor of the most economical admins
tration of public affairs and opposed
to all unnecessary taxation, prOduc-
ing surplus revenue and leading in
eVitably TO eXtraviganee, fraud and
eruption. With him, / have re-
garded the excise, or internal taxes
2 as offensive to the genius of our
people, and tolerated by the trainers
of the Constitution only rs meas
ure of necessity in the emergency OF
war, and that just so soon as the
occasion for them had passed away
they should cease to exist. He and
Thamas Jefferson, as the very first
act of Jefferson's Administration
secured repeal of the internal tax
es, and relieved the people from
their inequality, inquisitOrial an
nOyanceS and hordeS of officials
clothed with dangerous powers.
Only i'm these latter days have
heard men camly claim that these
war taxes are still necessary, a gen.
erationafter the war, which gave
rise to them, had closed and it is
a very suggestive and suspicious
feature of the affair that those upon
whom the tax is laid clamor loud
ly against it being taken off, regard
ing it no doubt as a protection
against competition to the large
monopOlies.
As | have been in the past, so i
shall strive to be in the future, and
it will not be my fault if the House
of Representatives shall not be sue
cessful In maintaining an economi-
cal and honest appropriation of the
public funds. 1t has been a favor
tie maxim of mine that frugality
has made some people great, while
it has never impoverished or ruined
any; and it is just as true now as
ever before.
Thanking you very heartily for
your good opinion, and begging to
be especially remembered to each
and all, 1 am
Very truly yours,
SAM. j. RANDALL.