The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1884-09-03
about SEC, 900 of $1,000, 600. The

VAIN } OA " NCAn pe11 . OhAo nieh tAAN
amount funded under the other
acts-the Republican acts-and the
cost Of funding. Under the. act of
1873, they took two years to fund
about So, 100000. That was under
Gov. John G. Brown, and under
Goy.Portef 81, 900, 900 were funded
SO you see bondholders are a little
slow in funding their bonds but
considering the fact that the whole
State debt is about $30,000,000 /;
that about Sill ,0O0,000sof it, which,
with the interest, we will say makes
SIS, 100000 in round numbers, is
tied up in the Federal Court, OF
rather the owners are awaiting a
decision in the case of the bond
holders against the railroads of the
State now pending in the United
States Supreme court, makes me
able to say that nearly half of the
State debt in a condition to be fund
ed under the SOB act, namely, sew
en- millions, is funded.
The speaker then explained the
nature of the suit referred to and
declared that the SOB act was OPP
Grating admirably, besides which it
was no longer cause of breach in
the. Democratic party of this State.
q The Republican candidate for
Governor tells you" said the speoll-
er, ''that you were wrong in MAX
ing this settlement of your State
debt that it is criminal and will
cause a curse to blight you. Such
is the strong language of my COM
petitor. He says it is conspiracy
against the peace and dignity Of the
State, and that it is not we'll settled.
This he enunciated in his speech at
the Masonic Temple. He says
perhaps you think that God has
gone to sleep, and that lie will
wink at your crime :? .E a..
I" These utterances are deliberate,
the result of a carefully prepared
and well digested document, from
which he read on that occasion, not
spoken extemporaneously, but stud
led, written and read. Now, fellow
citizens, let me ask you who sent
these men to the State capitol to
make this plank in your platform a
law? Do you think you have been
guilty Of a crime in getting this
State debt settled? He says IA
vor no settlement not agreed to by
the creditors He modified this in
his speech at Knoxville, for what
reason he will explain to you"
Mr.. Bate followed this with Il
number of references to remarks
made by Judge Reid in his various
speeches throughout the State on
the State debt question, all Of which
have been fully reported from time
to time in the american. One of
these was to the effect that this
monstrous outrage" the SOB act,
was enough to bring down upon
us the wrath of God. The speaker
referred to the various States that
had scaled or repudiated their
debts, Georgia, South Carolina, Yir-
ginia and Alabama The Governor
asked why it was that these great
States could repudiate and scale
their debts and not be considered
criminal and yet when Tennessee
did the same thing under similar
circumstances, the cry was raised
by the. Republicans that her citi-
zens bad committed criminal act,
and they would bring down the
wrath of God upon the State.
In speaking of the effort of the
Republicans to beat tho Democrats
SO that they could again get the
spolls Of office in this State, Gov.
Di. e said Houk and that class of
Republicans who help distribute the
patronage in this State from Washs
ington got together apd said We
must get man to beat Bate. Now
the only man I think who has any
chance to do it is Judge Reid. And
why? Well, Reid was an old Con
federate soldier, he comes from an
old Wing family, he might get some
Democrats to vote for him.4t is our
only chance; we must try it.
Now, gentlemen, who is this
that is going to beat me? The
standard bearer of the Republican
party in this State. Why do they
want to beat me So as. to waste
the peoples money; and 1 want to
show you where [ have tried to be
economical. The report from the
Hawkins administration of Decem-
Der, 1882, shows that it had cost
1903, 401 to run the State that year.
Under the Democratic administers
ton, the first year after their return
to power, it cost 1897, 108.79, malks
ing a difference of 100000. But to
this you must add a number Of
items that the Republican admins
tration left unpaid, the largest of
which was $25, 900 for running the
State Asylum for the Insane, which,
together with the other small items,
a list of which | have in my hands,
amounts to $4,000. Add this to
the 100000, and you have about
500, 900 saved in the cost of run
ming tho State. / charge tbs Re
publican party with extravaganza,
for / can show that it cost $142 900
moro a year to run the State under
the Hawkins administration than it
did under mine. You remember
Mr.. Hawkins had called so many
extra sessions of the Legislature
that he gained q certain notoriety
by it. lie had extra session No. l,
extra session No. 2 and extra SEES
sion No. 3. Comptroller Nolan's
report shows THAT these extra ses-
sionscost $4,000, and under the
Democratic administration the Leg
isIature cost the State $4,000.
These figures show for 4hemselves.
When the penitentiary shops burn
ed down under the Republican ad-
ministration they were not insured
and it cost the State $4,000 to re-