Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-03-14
"The Fight is On"

Hon. Frank Wilson, of Sumner
county, at the meeting in Nashville
the other day, used some plain talk.
He said:
at have nc. disposition to question
any mans right to go where ne
pleases politically, but it is time for
Tennessee Democracy to let the peo'
ple know what it is and what it in
tends. / have no disposition TO crit
icise the present administration, but
ask III the executive head has demon
strated proper or true comprehen-
sion of the tenets of the Democratic
party. No man will say that the
present administration has been In
accord with Democratic policy, NO
Democrat can say this. Is the OcaIa
platform in accord with the spirit OF
ancient Democracy? If the govern
or OF Tennessee, elected as the nom
inee OF the Democratic party, is not
In accord with the Ocala platform the
public is much deceived and niisled,
and it is deceived and misled with
the consent of the governor. Has ne
ever disowned or repudiated the
Ocala platform? The Democrat who
conceals his views Is unworthy OF
public confidence. Great cheeringD
The fight is on, Mr.. Chairman, and is
made by men who intend to redeem
the Democratic party, and, by the
image of the grand old man-Generai
Jackson-whose statue adorns the
east end of this capitol, they will re-
deem it. The Alliance men say they
are going to capture the coming con-
vention. What rlght-let us ask
has any man in a Democratic con-
vention who gets his political insplr'
alton elsewhere than in the party ?
For my part intend to challenge
the right of all such men in my
county and ask ruling from the
chair"
Nothing could more clearly indi'
cate the gravity of the present situa'
ton than words like these from
Frank Wilson. No man will go to
the length of saying that he is not
Democrat and not friend OF the tax
PAYERS of the State. The low tax
men will not forget the gallant figh
he made for what he thought to b'
right on the State debt question
His bold assertion now that he viii
challenge the right Of any Alliance
man to place in Democratic con
yention shows to what dangerous
lengths the leaders Of the Allianc
have lately gone.
"What right" says Frank Wilson
"has any man in Democratic con
vention who gets his political inspira
ton elsewhere than in the Democrat
ic party" In the Alliance are to b
found Republicans, third party me-
and believers in all sorts of isms ant
schisms, and shalt these, hehin
locked doors, determine the policy
the Democratic party? Why shout
people who so widely differ seek t
be political bedfelIows? Once tn
Alliance was but farmers organ
cation without political significance
Now-thanks to Mcdowell, Terre
and the rest-that is all changed
They boldly demand the sub treas'
ry scheme, woman suffrage, govern
ment ownership of rallro DIS, and tt
increase of pensions to Yankee so
diers and seek to force these mea
ures on Democrats. Can DemOcra
submit to such as this? Suppose a
the Republicans, white and blacl
were to rush to our next distri
meeting here and demand hie
tariff and the denomination of Ha
rison. what would the straight Dem
crat do? Suppose men, advocatir
the sub.treasury, woman suffrage al
more pensions to Yankee soldier
come, Wnal SnHli We w
is free country and every ms
has a right to think and act as
pleases, but people Of widely diift
ent views ought to march under d
ferent flags.
"The fight is on, says Frank W
son, and we are afraid he is rigf
There are differences between mi
who were once Democrats in TIE
nessee that perhaps had best he st
tied by the people at the ballot DO
as the State debt had to be settled
the people at the ballot box. 4
over the State now this is the feeliu
The so.called Turney movement h
inst this significance. The oppo
ton TO Governor Buchanan com
rom the fact that he is not regard
asa Democrat, but as an Allian'
man. which is now understood to
something wholly dideSnl.