Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-15
FIFTEEN CENTS A WEEK.

/ cheap merchandise means cheap men, ana
cheap men mean a cheap country, vein
dignantiy repudiate such an Interpretation
of American sentiment
Aud when another one, high in party
councils who has become notorious As the
advocate of eontrivance to perpetuate
partisan supremacy by outrageous inter
ference with the suffrage, announces that
"the cry for cheapness is un-American;n
we scornfully reply that his speech doesnot
indicate the slightest conception Of true
| AmeTicanisn.
| / will not refer to other utterances Of like
import from similar sources / content
myself with recalling the most prominent
and significant The wonder is that these
things were addressed by Americans to
Americans.
What was the occasion Of these condem-
nations of cheapness and what had honest
American men and women done, or what
were they likely to do that they should be
threatened with the epithets cheap,
| nasty and sun-American sn
1t is hard TO speak patiently as we am
swer these questions. Step by step a vast
number Of our people had been led on, fol-
lowing blindly in the path Of party They
had been filed with hate and. sectional
| prejudice; they had been cajoled with mis-
representations and false promises: they
had been corrupted by money ard by APP
peals TO their selfishness All these things
led up to their final betrayal to satisfy the
demands Of those who supplied the fund
foF their corruption.
| This betrayal was palpable; and It was
impossible to deny OF conceal the fact that
the pretended relief rendered to the people
in fultilment of a promise TO tighten the
burdens Of their life, made by the party en-
trusted with the government, was but a
scheme to pay the debts incurred by the
| purchase of party success while it further
increased the impoverishment of the
masses.
The people We're at last aroused and de-
manded IN explanation They had been
| taught for 100 years that in the distribu-
tion Of benefits their government should
be administered with equality and Justice
They had learned that wealth was not in
dispensable to respectability and that it
did not entitle its possessors to especial
governmental favors. Humble men with
scanty incomes had been encouraged by
the influence and the spirit of our institu-
tions, to practice economy and frugality TO
the end that they might enjoy to the
utmost the rewards Of their toll The
influence Of the American home was still
about them. IN their simplicity they knew
nothing of a new taliiss,efs,ltiun which made
cheapuess diSreputable, and they still
loved the cheap coats Of Lincoln and Gar
field, and hundreds Of their countrymen
whom they held in yeneraton. And thus
these unsophisticated Americans, uncon-
seians of their wrongdoing, demanded the
redemption of party pledges and clamored
for eheapness, in order that they might
provide the neeessaries and comforts Of
life for themselves and their families at
the lowest possible cost.
The leaders of the party, which was
caught in the act Of robbery, and which
wps arraigned by the people for violation
OF Is trust, were forced by their sad pre-
dicament to desperate expedient, 10 at
tempt to reverse the current Of true Amer-
icanism and discredit the most honorable
sentiments belonging to American man
hood, were the disgraceful tasks OF those
who insulted our people by the announce
inent Of the doctrine that TO desire cheap
ness was to love nastiness and to practice
economy and frugality was un-Amerlcan.
Thus do we plainly see that when the
path pointed out by patriotism and Amer
lean citizenship is forsaken by party in
power, for schemes Of seldshness and for
NiiHIiullNiOAS I1llalliutiCH lRI ilfiFNl1tiA
success, its course inevitably leads ta an-
just favoritsm, neglect of the interests of
the masses, entire perversion of the mis-
sion of republican institutions, and, in
some form, to the most impudent and out
rageous insult TO true American senti
ment
1t cannot be denied that political events
in the past have gone far toward encourag-
ing arrogant party assumption. Every
thoughtful and patriotic man has at times
been disappointed and depressed by the
apparent indifference and decentralization
OF the people,
But such reflections have no place In the
Fluctuations of tonight This is q time
when faith ia our countrymen should be
fully re-established The noise OF recent
political revolution is still heard through
out the land; the people have just demon
strated that there II a point beyond which
they cannot be led by blind partisanship,
and that they are quite competent to
examine and correctly decide political
questions concerning their rights and their
welfare They have unmercifully resented
every attack upon true American man
hood, and have taught party leaders that,
though slow to anger, they take terrible
revenges when betrayed. They permit us
to forgive our honored guest for all the
cheap coats he has ever worn, for they
have declared them in fashion. They have
also decreed that the Decalogue Inns q
place in our politics, for they have enforced
the command Thou shalt not steal, and
have rendered an emphatic verdict against
those who have borne false witness.
Nothing could so well accompany the
honors we pay our distinguished guest as
the celebration on his birthday Of the
victory which has just been achieved ia
vindication OF American cifizenship-fOr In
him we honor the man who has lest illns-
trated true American manhood. Our re-
joicng and his are increased, as we also
celebrate tonight the triumph OF the
Democratic principle for which he fought
and fell but two short years ago; and 10
complete our JOY and his we are permitted
to indulge in true Democratic enthuinsm
over the steasiifiastIiess aud devotion to It's
creed exhibited by our party, which know
ing no discouragement, has fought 70
victory in the peoples cause.
Who can now doubt our countrymen's
appreciation of that trait. SO well Illus
trated iii the character OF Allen g. Thur
man, which prompted him throughout his
issssg career, at all times and in all circum.
stances aud without regard 10 personal
consequences. 20 do the things which his
conscience and judgment approved, and
which seemed to him TO be in the interests
of BIZ country end III accordance with his
Democratic faith Who can now doubt
that Conscience and courage point out the
sey 10 public duty
= we entertain snore solemn thoughts on
fIfis occasion let them be concerning the