Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-10-13
er to declare war on me as his "bitter

LIST. When in Congress l voted for
$4,000 per annum as compensa ton to
Congressman. After this, l being a
candidate for Congress and he for
Governor, he said upon the stump
that my vote was wrong, and that he
should not have so voted if in Con-
gress. Some of my constituents
thought this a stab under my fifth
rib, and spoke of not voting for him.
l said no, let us all vote for him; he
may think he is right. 1 suppose he
now thinks it right to get $1,000 and
mileage, although $4,000 was too
much for Savage in 1857.
I'd. In 1867 and 1859, in my can
vass for Congress, I spoke against the
issuance of State bonds to railroads,
and told the people that in toll and
trouble some day they would be call
ed upon to pay them. AT that time
Governor Harris was signing railroad
bonds by the millions, without pro-
test or warning, and recommended
the Legislature to exempt them from
taxation.
Sd. In 1876 / canvassed the State,
and published thousands of printed
speeches, asking relief for the people,
and charging that railroad bonds
were inequitable, oppressive and lille
gal. Senator Harris and his follow
ers opposed and ridiculed me. / was
called repudiator, demagogue, Office
seeker, and other hard names. The
Senator then said the State debt was
"a mere bagatelle, no more than a mos
quito 6ite."
4th. In 1877 l visited New York
as chairman of the Legislative COM
mittee to consult with the committee
of bankers appointed by the bond
holders. TO this committee the 60 and
6 proposition, with coupons receiva-
BILE for taxes, was offered by the bond
holders. If / had been willing to
sacrifice the State and to ratify this
proposition, the people and the bond
holders would have made me Gov
ernor. But / knew the coupon was
first mortgage on all the state reve-
nues, and that the bondholder must
be paid first, if the courts, schools,
and the insane should perish; that it
was a sacrifice of State sovereignty,
and would give the Federal courts
jurisdiction over the State. Senator
Harris then wrote his "higgCia'g" let
ter, saying in substance that the State
could not honorably make PROPOSE
ton to the bondholders; that the
State would be dishonored if she
Higgled," and did not accept the 60
and coupon proposition. l opposed
it, and helped to save Tennessee from
the sad trouble since inflicted upon
Virginia by Federal courts.
5th. In 1879, in violation of parlia-
mentary law, the so and 4 bill passed
the Legislature. The Senator wrote
and spoke for it. l opposed it, and
the people rejected it by $1,000 ma
jority.
9Th. When the 100 and bill pass
ed, with coupons receivable for taxes,
Senator Harris approved it, and gave
neither service, money or advice to
defeat it. | was first to sound the
alarm, and demand that a bill be
filed to enjoin it.
eth. In 1882 / declared myself a
candidate for U. S. Senator, and
made it convenient to say to Senator
Harris, priUateLy, that the best thing
that could happen tor the good of the
democratic party and the people
would be his retirement from the y
S. Senate. | said to my confidential
friends that / should run agains
Harris, and should beat him unless
he let go his grandilOquent talk, anC
should come down flat-footed upor
the low tax platform. If he should
do this, and my policy should tri
umph, l could afford tc suffer defea
for the Office. He did not "higgle.'
He split his own rock wide open-re
pudiated the millions of bonds sign
ed with his own hand, and made low
tax speeches like Thompson, Wilson
and Snodgrass, for which have al
ways awarded him due credit. Thes,
facts do not show me to be an enem.
of Senator Harris. On his part i
looks more like the wolf charging thu
lamb with muddying his water.
Sth. 1t is reported to me that tn
Senator says | am his enemy becaus
of occurrences during the civil war
l have no malice for him or any 9th
er man. at is human to err, ant