The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1892-09-22

tails of this bill. 1t is sufficient for us
to know that the only purpose of the
measure is to control, for partisan ad-
vantage, our elections, State and fcd.
eral, chief supervisors are authorized
to employ whatever United States
troops they may deem necessary at
the polls or elsewhere for the purpose
of carrying the law into effect. Homes
of citizens may be ruthlessly invaded
and swarms of officials, strangers to
the people of the locality, may be EN-.
ployed; arbitrary arrests without war
rants may follow, old men may be
dragged to distant courts upon tech
nical charges to be tolerated under
this law decisions of State and lower
courts may be set aside, the federal
officials are to take part in the count
and may handle the ballots and al
reign of terror may be instituted
whereby the legitimate and honest
electors may be inundated by we'll
concerted end obnoxious display of
governmental power. This is an cpl
tone of what may be attempted and ac
complished under the Davenport
scheme to promote the "purity of the
ballot box" in several States in the
Union.
The law would be expensive in its
operation, dangerous in its enforce
ment and is OF doubtful constitution
ality.
1t would drag the judges into poll
tics, degrade the army, weaken the
respect for federal authority, provoke
conflicts between the races as well as
between the people and military, and
the present era of Cancellation and
good feeling would be superseded by
the prevalence of spirit of bitterness
and hate. The bill is a desperate at
tempt to prop up the failing fortunes
of the once great political party; it
was conceived in political animositY
is urged from the narrowest and worst
of motives, and is unworthy OF place
among the statutes of the American
republic. The Democratic party de-
sires free, honest aud fair elections ev-
erywhere. 1t desires them, not merely
because they would enure to its bene-
fit, but upon the unselfish and high
ground that they are essential to the
preservation of our free institutions.
Our party has suffered much in the
past from the corrupt and tyrannical
election methods of our adversaries
The Republican party is party Of
wealth, plutocracy, of corporate inAu-
ence and of protected monopolists
Ours is the party OF the plain people,
men Of moderate means, "the bone and
sinew Of the country"
We have neither the disposition nor
the means to corrupt our elections and
our party has been foremost in all
laudable efforts OF recent years to
place upon our statute books those re-
form election laws under which cor
ruption, bribery and intimidation are
rendered difficult if not impossible.
There has been no such condition OF
affairs at the South as to justify the
enactment of the Davenport measure.
1t is true that colored people in large
numbers are there voting the Demo
cratic ticket, but this affords no sufil-
cient reason for taking away from
them, or from us, the control OF their.
or our, elections. The colored people
were not freed from slavery to become
slaves of the Republican party
| THE SOUTH is LOYAL,
honest and capable, and if permitted
as it should be, it will work out its so
cial and other problems in its own
way without injury to the colored race
injustice to the North or to the Repub
lican party, or danger to the elective
franchise. In any event, the majority
of the American people will never ap
prove the measure which threatens
their liberty, legaizes unfairness and
absolutely guarantees partisan victo
ries to the INSCRIPTIONS party tina
dares to enact it
Fellow citzens, | n,cL not urge
you to perform your full share in thi
campaign. Kings county was neve
known to falter in its duty. The in
terests involved demand the creates
sacrifices and our highest and best ef
forts. 1t is the welfare OF the old Dem
ocratic party which we all love so well
which is at stake. | plead not for in
dividuals, but for the cause. In
r great contest like this men are moth
ing, but principles are everything. Ou
, candidates represent our principle
and our principles can not prevail
without the election of our candidates
g The contest may be severe one, bu
e so much more glorious will be the viz
D tory if we win.
You need have no uneasiness, 9Th
old guard" will do its duty
g Look out for raw recruits. | believ
e that a large majority of the people :
q this country are convinced Of To
! rightfulness of Democratic principle
and want them to prevail. But th
0 election will not win itself, and thel
n must be complete organization. r.
peat the injunction | uttered befol
g the Democratic State convention
February last; at is our dyty to 0
Y ganize, organize organized
'i With this motto inscribed upon OF
v banner, "public Office is public trus
Il supplemented by the other sentimen
! which | have endeavored to presel
- to you tonight, "no public taxation f
"a private purposes" aud "no Fore bill
o. let us close up our ranks and buck