Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-12-13
A HAsTY ACCUSATION.

monlous discussion of the merits and
dement's OF the Railroad Commission
system, which was rampant during
the recent State canvass, naturally en-
gendered bad blood and occasionally
provoked the use OF epithets; hut, SO
far as our observation extended, the
personal probity Of the gentlemen
who endeayored to accomplish the de-
feat OF the Democratic nominees was
not called IN question. Now that the
election is over, however, and Savage
and his colleagues are beaten, the true
ulant Knoxville Tribune comes to the
front with the explicit assertion that
the fifty-six Tennessee newspapers
which advocated the Scratching" OF
Savage a. Co, @hired their columns
and their brain boxes 10 the railroads
10 defeat the Democratic nominees"
The fact that the list OF filty-six
newspapers. referred to contains the
name oil the Lebanon Herald makes
the Tribune's assertion personal to US.
So far Us the other fifty.ive Journals
are concerned, we have TO say that we
personally know the editors of many
of them, and know them to be gentle
men, whom no amount of money could
influence 10 advocate a cause which
they did not believe to be right and
just We are decidedly averse TO the
use OF epithets in a newspaper discus
sion, but there are, unfortunately. in
the journalistic as in all other voca-
tons, blackguards whom only the
plalnest and most vigorous English
will reach. Hence, as the Herald, dur
ing the canvass printed many articles,
both original and selected, opposing
the election OF the Democratic candi-
dates for Commissioners, it is incum-
bent on US to say that the assertion,
whether made by the Knoxville, Tri-
bune or any other paper or person,
that our course in this regard was
influenced, directly or indirectly, by
money or any other means OF @hire,
is.a csuseless and cowardly lie. s- n
The above was sent out several
weeks since with the compliments OF
the Lebanon Herald, and quite NUM-
Der Of the papers prominent among
the "scratchers"- of the late campaign,
have been pointing to it and saying
~them's my sentiments"
SO far as the CHRONICLE, Cor its ed
itor, personality is concerned, we
could readily adopt all the Herald
says il we were sufficiently agrieved.
but really we don't feel that our honor
is in any way damaged by such asser-
tons as those credited to the Knox.
Vile Tribune, they are calculated more
TO provoke our mirth than to arouse
our Indignation.
Some latitude must always be al
lowed party that rankles with the
soreness of defeat and, we don't believe
these journals really mean all they
say. r.
There is our beloved contemporary,
the GAINESVILLE Democrat, for instance;
that delectable paper with which the
CRRONICLE has had so many tender
passages. The Democrat says that all
the scratchers who were not disgrun-
tied Sky Blues were purchased by the
railroads, and we know our affection
ate neighbor meant this only in n
Pickwickian sense, without thinking
OF the full breadth of its purport.
Now, according to this wholesale &C
cusatiOn, Brother Watterson, the arch
apostle of the Democrats faith, the
shining light in whose footsteps it has
delighted to follow, is nothing but a
common bribe taker. When the
Nashville American made any insinu-
ations concerning British gold OF talk
ed too freely of the Golden Club, in
connection with the Honorable Henri,
the Democrat was ready to resent such
IntImauons. VIII II now assert that
its hero has been purchased by a few
railroads whose wealth compared with
that OF @Blarsted Britishers" is like the
dirt in mole hill to the sands of the
desert?
The Democrats accusation would
include not only the newspapers at
whom it is directly hurled, but 1900
very respectable Democratic voters
who trained with the "scratehers." sIt
would imply that all these citizens
who were not disgruntled Sky Blues,
but yet refused to vote for Savage &
Co, either sold their votes or were
the guileless dupes of those who had
been bribed. There are three hun
bred such men in Montgomery coun-
ty against whom The Democrat did
not intend to make this charge. Fus-
sell received only 178 votes in Ciarks-
Vile, but there were 30S scratchers
here. The Democrat certainly did not
mean to say that there are 100 Demo
Gratis in this civil district who sold
their votes. Not meaning to be per-
sonal, but only illustrating our point,
we will say there are prominent bust
ness men in this city who supported
Gov. Bate very earnestly in 80 but
who. nevertheless scratched the Com
missioners. Our contemporary could
not have intended to charge that these
gentlemen were either bought or the
dupes Of those who were. ....
The trouble with the Democrat is
that it is growing TO be one of those
bloated monopOlists Of which it has
formerly so much complained. 1t
wants to reserve sll honesty of opinion
and purpose for itself. the Memphis
Appeal. the Nashville World, and
few more journals OF the same ilk. 1t
needs to learn tolerance and would do
itself more credit by extending that
liberality to its political opponents
which it expects from them in return.
The Democrats structures on the
ex-Sky Blues do not apply to this
writer and lie does not feel called on
TO answer them. In fact, it is not
necessary that they be replied to, the
personnel of the PuSsellits in this inn
mediate community ID such that
denial of these imputations would be
The editor OF the Demo-
crat 1--WE refer to the gentleman who
wrote the editorial we have been
speaking of was himself Wilson
msn, the party that elected Hawkins