The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-11-08
Thomas Paine writes Washington

Thomas Paine writes Washington a
letter, and publishes it saying: "Treach-
erous in all private friendship and
hypocrite in public morals, the world
will be puzzled to know whether. we had
better call you an apostate or an impos-
tor, and whether you abandoned good
morals, or never had any," That is
Thomas Paine's opinion Of George WASH
ington.
John Quincy Adams declared that he
was solaced in regard to the scandals and
the anathemas inflicted upon him by the
fact that his father, John Adams, had to
go through the same process, and John
Quincy Adams declared he really thought
in that present election there were men
who gave their entire time to manufac-
turing falsehood in regard to him. Mar
tin Van Buren, was always pictorialized
as a rat. Thomas 81. Benton and Amos
Kendall were always pictorialized as rob-
bers with battering rams breaking in the
door Of the United States bank.
On the day on which Thomas Jeffer-
son was inaugurated president Of the
United States, March 4, 1901, the fol-
lowing appeared In The Sentinel Of Bos-
ton: Monumental Inscription. Yester-
day expired, deeply regretted by millions
of grateful Americans, and by all good
men, the Federal administration Of the
government Of the United States, ami
mated by Washington, Adams, Hamil-
ton, Knox, Pickering, McHenry, Mar
shall and Stoddard; aged twelve years.
It's death was occasioned by the secret
arts and open violence Of foreign and
domestic demagogues. Asone tribute of
gratitude in these times this monument
to the talents and services of the de-
ceased is raised by The Sentinel. Un-
der such defamation as that Thomas JEFF
ferson went into Office.
My father told me when Andrew jack
son was running for president of the
United States, the whole land was flooded
with coffin handbills- pictures of six
dead men In allusion to the six deserters
whom Andrew jackson had had shot,
and all the pictorials of these times rep
resented jackson as taking his Office from
the hand of the devil.
l saw at Put-in-Bay, Ohio, in museum
prominent paper of 1874 which spoke
and a murderer; and the manner in
which he was DETAINED and the outrages
which were heaped upon him may be
well guessed from Mr.. Clay's eulogy OF
his native state, Kentucky. He said:
"When seemed to be assailed by all the
rest of the world she interposed her broad
and impenetrable shield, repelled the
poisoned shafts that were aimed for my
destruction, and vindicated my good
name from every malignant and un-
founded aspersion."
Defan1ationl 1t is the curse Of the
American ballot box. Just as soon as in
the great cities man is put up for Office
he is made the target. The fact that he
is up is prima facie evidence that he
must be brought down. His public life
and his private life are scrutinized, and
! all the electric lights are turned on. How
often it is that men have gone down
under such things. In every autumnal
| election the air is filled with carrion
crows scenting carcasses. Cav! Cav
Cav! There are newspapers in the
| United States that in the great au-
tumnal elections take wild license for
liberty. They are filled with calumny.
The editorial columns of such papers
reek with it; their columns are
stuffed with it. There are newspapers
in the United States which in the great
popular elections breakfast and dine and
sup on indecency. They wallow in it.
Swine like the mire. They give more
for one quill full Of it than whole hogs
head Of decent product. There are in
these great autumnal elections men ait
ting in editorial chairs who write with q
quill, not plucked from the stupid goose
or the sublime eagle, but from a turkey
buzzardl Ghouls! Ghoulsl They tip the
city sewer into their editorial inkstands.
| Defamation of character is one Of the
| curses of the American ballot box today.
In your great presidential elections who
can tell from what he reads who is the
man he ought to vote for2 Bad men
sometimes applauded, good men de-
nounced.
THE PART THE SALOON TAKES IN POLL
TICS.
Another powerful foe of the sacred
chest, the ark of the American covenant
the ballot box, is the rowdy and drunken
caucus.
The ballot box does not give any choice
to man when the nominations are made
in the back TT of groggery. Wher
the elector@ Dmes up he has to choose be-
tween two evils. In some Of the cities
men have come to the ballot box to vote
and have found both names such scaly
greasy and stenchful crew they had NJ
choice. You say vote for somebody out
side. Then they throw away their vote
Christian men Of New York and Brook
lyn, honorable men, patriotic men, gC
and take possession Of the caucuses
First having saturated your pockethand
kerchief with cologne or some other dis
infectant, 60 down to the caucus ant
take possession Of it in the name of tn,
Lord God Almighty and the American
people, though after you come back yol
should have to hang your hat and Goa
on line in the back yard for ventila
ton.
In some of the states politics have go
so low that the nominees no more nees
good morals than they do bath tub
Snatch the ballot box from such men
Where is the David who will go fortl
and bring the ark of the covenant bacl
from Kirjath-jearim2 Do you not thinl
politics have got to pretty low ebb Il
our day when Tweed could be sent t.
the legislature of New York, and a Johl
Morrissey, the prince Of gamblers, coul'
be sent to the American congress?
Now, how are these things to b
remedied2 Some say by propert
qualification. They say that after mai
gets a certain amount Of property
certain amount of real estate-he Is fin
ancially interested in good government
| and he becomes cautious and conserva
tive. 1 reply, a property qualification
, | would shut off from the ballot box
5 great many of the best men In this land
! Literary men are almost always poor.
l pen is a good implement to make th
world better, but it is very poor imple
) | ment to get livelihood ordinarily.
have known scores Of literary men VIII
. never owned foot Of ground and neve
! will own foot of ground until they &c
j under it. Professors of colleges, teach
t ers of schools, editors Of newspaper
r ministers of religion, qualified in ever
!, possible way to vote, yet no worldly sus
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