Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-07-15
81 A YEAR in ADVANCE

: N w WIG iiSHI Vi suffrage in a por-
Vlon OF the counties of the State. while
only the property qualification is re-
quired IN other counties. Another law
mas been enacted prescribing a ballot so
exact IN all its proportions that a free
porn American citizen may be deprived
Oh MS vote, il he makes mistake in the
size OF his ballot one eighth of an inch.
lhe enactment of these laws SO utterly
subyersive of the rights and liberties Of
the people, some of them violative of the
constitution, ought to be sufficient, IL
seems to me, to forever condemn the
party that enacted them, in the minds of
all right thinking people. The patriotic
masses, however, have quietly submit
ted and endeavored to conform to and
carry them out In the last biennial
election they repaired to the various vo-
ting precincts in the State, and with
their sworn officers holding the elec ton
proceeded to cast their ballots, cut ac-
cording to regulation size, for the sew
eral candidates for Governor. A man.
distasteful to certain class of politi-
clans, was duly elected, receiving plu-
rality of all the votes.
The legislative department of the Gov
ernment proceeded to pass an ex post
facto contest law, unconstitutional in
some OF its provisions on its face, under
which form Of investigation was gone
through with at cost Of thousands of
dollars to tax payers Of the State. In
many localities the committee charged
with the investigation, by method un-
known to law, proceeded to guess how
the vote ought to have been cast and
counted, without even the form of an in
vestigation, thereby DISTINGUISHING hun
dreds of voters of both the leading poll
tioial parties which guessing process, as
was doubtless known in advance ,disfran-
chised most on the winning side. Thus
the candidate that was elected was
counted out and the candidate that W as
not elected, was counted in.
In nominating the one man only, who
it Is thought can hope to lead the party
TO success in this, our Centennial year.
the Democratic leaders in Tennessee,
have endorsed this great outrage upon
the liberties of the people--this stab at
right of free suffrage, by endorsing it in
their platform. Much as may esteem
personally the distinguished magnetic
gentleman who has been selected as the
great physician TO heal up the pleading
wounds Of the goddess Of freedom, and
get the people to endorse the sitting Of
their own voice, can not support him
on such platform.
-Four years ago the opponents of the
Democratic party charged, that 1t could
not successfully run the government, IL
entrusted with power. A majority Of the
people thought different and the party
was given the reins in all the depart
'ments fthe national goverSment and
was continued In power in Tennessee.
1t is not necessary to go outside the
Democratic ranks for proof that said
charge has been abundantly verified.
The Democratic press, from one end Of
the country to the other, is full of it, and
Democratic orators proclaim it from
every platform.
Turning sadly from this national fail
ure, we need call none but Democratic
witnesses to sustain the charge as to our
own loved Tennessee. The report Of the
Democratic Legislative Penitentiary In
vestigating Committee, which is q mat
ter of public record, and the declaration
of the late Chairman of the State Demo-
cratic Executive Committee, that "Ten-
nessee is the worst governed State in
the Union," certainly establishes the
last proposition beyond all controversy.
Viewing the field over, as an humble
private citizen, who seeks no political
preferment of any kind, desiring to see
the great boon of free government per-
petuated and handed down to posterity
untarnished, l can not longer follow the
lead of the Democratic party. The Re-
publican party has unsectionalized it.
self by the removal by the present Con-
gress, from our staute books, the last
vestige Of legislation that in any man.
ner discriminates against the people of
the South. There is no longer, there.
fore, any reason why the prejudice Of
our Southern blood should control, il 1t
ever existed, instead Of calm, dispas-
sionate common sense. have therefore
decided, in the conscientious discharge
of my duty to my country, as God per-
mits me to see it, to support the Repub-
lican ticket. Yours Respectfully,
GEORGE II. MORGAN,