Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-04-24
Senator Harris School Fund.
Tullahoma Republican.


Our esteemed contemporary, the
National Review, has re-opened this
question, and proposes to reprint the
facts.
As co laborer with the Review in
the Republican cause in Tennessee, it
does not become us to say whether the
discussion of this matter will rebound
to the good OF the party in the Senate or
not.
II Senator Harris stole the whole
amount, and the publication OF the fact
will not make MS votes, we can see no
gond in publishing them,
There are thousands OF Republicans
in the State who cherish the bitter
memories OF the war period. The recl-
tails of wrongs growing out OF 1t will
possibly delight them. On the other
hand, there are fifty thousand men in the
Democratic party who would be Re-
publicans but for the freeing OF the
negroes" their enfranchisement, the
disiranchisement OF the whites, and
other unwise acts OF the "Brownlow
legislature"
Thousands OF Confederate soldiers
have aligned themselves with the Re-
publican party on account OF its pro-
gressive principles. They have reso-
lutely turned their backs upon the
past and look alone to the future. Frank
Reid's nomination for Governor was
pledge that the war was over. II, how
ever, we are mistaken, and the past
must be recalled, its bitter memories re-
vived and its outrages on both sides de-
Tended or condemned, we, for one,
must take a political reckoning.
We denounce Isham G. Harris poll
cy in 1860 and 1861, but never for one
moment did we question the sincerity
of his motives, or his personal integrity.
Nay, more. We never heard o man
who knew him personally, do SO.
Now, as to this school fund business
Gov. Harris never had this school fund
in his possession. 1t was all the time in
charge OF the officers appointed by law,
and as acting Governor his only duty
was to see whether the law was falth-
fully executed.
He drew his salary in gold, it is said.
That he had the legal right to do SO no
impartial lawyer ever questioned.
Whether he should have exercised
this legal right is a question OF proprle-
ty that was very proper to have been
discussed years and years ago.
But it is claimed that during the last
two years OF the war he was not Gov
ernor. The Tennessee soldiers who
voted for him thought he was. Had he
not been driven out OF the State by
armed soldiers he would have been
Governor de juris as well as de facto.
He was certainly AS much entitled TO
the position as Andy Johnson, milli-
tary appointee.
Mr. Harris returned to Tennessee
while the Republican party was SUI
preme in the State and Nation. If he
was guilty of rohqery, embezzlement,
malfeasance or any other offense, why
was he not tried and punished /? The
fact tuat he was not tried and punished?
The fact that he was not tried and pun
ished is presumftive evidence, after
twenty years, that he was not guilty.
Our esteemed contemporary may un-
derstand his business better than we,
and may see where the line of policy
that he has marked out will strengthen
the republican party, but for our part
very little of the old war memories goes
long way with us, and we imagine
that most Of the Confederate republi-
cans are in the same fix.
This bloody shirt business is dan
gerous thing to monkey with. 1t has
helped the Republicans in the North, in
the past, and to our certain knowledge
a democrat wants nothing better in
Tennessee than the "acts of the Brown
low legislature" for platform.