The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-09-17
The Tenth Congressional District.

The Memphis papers of Wednes-
day contain a full account of a politl-
cal debate at Bolivar between the
rival candidates for Congress, Hon
James Phelan and Col. Josiah
Patterson. Both gentlemen being
men Of high character and ability.
acquitted themselves with honor and
credit, and the friends of both are
loud in their praise. The debate, as
was to be expected of mon Of such
character, was on a dignifed plan
and free from all personalities or un,
kind feelings.
There was one fact developed in
the debate that is of special interest
Col. Patterson in his speech attacked
certain Of Mr., Phelan's views on
political issues, and read from the
editorial utterances of the Avalanche
of which Mr.. Phelan is proprietor,
to show what those views were. To
this Mr.. Phelan promptly replied
that he was not responsible for the
editorial utterances of his newspa-
per, and that he did not agree with
its editor upon any of the issues
named. He declared that he was
as strongly opposed to the Blair
Educational bill as Col. Patterson,
and that he was opposed to the
collection otone single dollar in ex>
cess of the actual needs of the
Government economically admins
tered, He was opposed to a protec-
tive tariff, and would not undertake
to defend the doctrine ofprotecton.
The peculiar interest which attaches
to this lies in the fact that Mr..
Phelan had been generally believed
to share the cranky views and pollt :
icai heresies of his paper, and it Is
an interesting and instructive fact
that before an audience composed
largely of the readers of that paper
he distinctly and emphatically
repudiated all responsibility for its
utterances. We are not seeking to
connect Mr., PheIan in any way with
The AYalanehe's que ernesses nor do
we intimate that there is anything
incredible in his avowed attitude of
utter irresponsibility for the editorial
u tterances of his newspaper. The
American as party newspaper
cares nothing for Individual candidates
so that their doctrines be sound. and
it would not 10 Mr.. Phelan the iniu-
ry of attributing to him the views
OF the editor of his paper. What we
wish to call attention to as a signifi~
cant fact, Is that in the Congressional
district where the Avalanche Is most
widely known and read, no man dare
stand before the people as a candi-
date for office unless he clear him
self Of all suspicion of being IN sympa-
thy with the Avalanche's views.
Because the Avalanche has advoca-
ted It high protective tariff, because
1t has urged the passage OF the Blair
Educauonal bill, many people have
attributed like sentim ents to its pro
prietOr, MIR. PheIan, suppOsing that
lie directed and controlled the 20 i
cY of his paper on puaiic and political
questions l. must ba u little CALLING
to the AYii.auChe' editor TO see The
Aydtauc!tu > proprietor loseed to de-
lend himself from the charge Of being
responsible fer lis political views,
AMI openly and pubiicIy repudiating
them on every stump.
The singular but evident truth is
that the worst enemy that MIR. Phe-
Ian has IS his own paper. No man
can stand under the burden of It's
rank heresies, and its proprietor has
not been slow in recognizing that
fact. Il he receives the Democrat tic
nomination it will be because his
frank, open and distinct declarations
will convince the people that ne has
no sort of sympathy with, and no re-
sponsibility tor the course pursued ard
doctrines advocated by the Memphis
Avalanche. If he is defeated 1t will
be due, to a great extent at least,
to the fact that lis paper has sad
died upon him a burden which no
Democrat in Tennessee can wear.
The reports published IN the Mem
phis papers state that Mr.. Phelan
made a good impression upon the
people Of Bolivar, and it is apparent
that he owed 1t all to the fact that
he placed himself squarely against
a protective tariff and the Blair Ed
ucational bill. This is one of the
straws which show how the political
wind is blowing in the Tenth Con-
gEessional district. "A merican.