Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-06-17
THAT PLATFORM

The platform of the Tennessee Demo
cracy is an amazing production on ac-
count of its arrogant assumptions, fla
grant contradictions, and picturesque
disregard of decency and truth. The
oftener it is read and the more closely
it is examined, the more it excites the
scorn and indignation of every man
who loves honesty and fair dealing,
reveres historical accuracy, and takes
a patriots pride in the stainless purity
of official life. 1t is an earnest, wilful,
coolly matured but unavailing attempt
to defend crimes, the infamy of which
will stick to our State till the sun grows
cold, n a sweeping, unblushing en-
dorsement Of a set of men who have
few equals and no superiors in con.
cocting and carrying out schemes of
oppression, robbery and theft. 1t
lionizes the old moral leper and politi
cal debauchee who stole the Governor.
ship of Tennessee and holds it by fraud
and u~surpation, and who for near two
years has been running his hands into
the State treasury and taking out
money which belongs to Gov. Evans.
Aside from its ELUSIVE adulation of
INC G|ubernatorial thief, the Demo-
cratic Convention reached the ex-
tremity of its fine and shameless scorn
for all things proper, right and noble
IN mar and party in the following de.
l%iverance: 1--WE endorse the action NJ
the last legislature in preserving the
integrity of our election laws and in
purging of all votes unlawfully cast in
the preceding election; and we demand
in the future a rigid compliance with
the wholesome laws enacted by the
Democratic party to preserve the pu-
rity of the ballot"
Shades of departed glory and free
dom Of all brazen a~udacities, of all
insults to common sense and inteIli.
gence this is the cap sheaf. The cleo.
ton laws referred to have brought free
government in Tennessee to n hone
lessly moribund condition: without
the process of courts, without iurv
trials and convictions for felony, with.
out justification or excuse save to per-
petuate the ruinous misrule of as cor.
rupt and c-onscienceless dynasty as
ever dishonored and enslaved n peonle
these election laws have disfranchised
thousands of Tennesseans. They are
charged with all the burdens of citi-
zenship and denied its dearest and
most sacred privilege. And at the
same time the contrast between the
moral purity and political integrity of
this large class that have been driven
from the ballot box and the debauch-
cry and corruption of Pete Turney and
his gang of ~freebooters is as great Ms
the contrast between the whiteness of
the crystal snow and the ~blackness of
coal dust. Preserving" indeed 'the
integrity of our election laws that are
a standing affront to the genius of
American progress and development
and a set of revamped barbarians
Against which the proud spirit of every
Tree man has always heartily revolted.
And then too "purging of all votes
unlawfully cast in the preceding cleo.
Every honest and decent citi.
zen in Tennessee, regardless of party,
hung his head in shame-he was as.
founded and paralized by the audacity
md diabolism of the frauds and ont.
committed by the qualification
committees" under the instructions of
The central machine. There was no
show of fairness, justice or honor.
From start to finish it was the despera.
ion of w~ickedness and anarchy-a
sustained frantic lust for. office and
'polis. The fat of the greedy and re-
norseless horde stifed the voice of the
PEOPLE. The angel of freedom was