The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-10-21

Columbia was all aglOw with
Democracy last Friday. The Joint
debate between the opposing candi-
dates for Governor brought a large
crowd to town, and Benton Nc
Millin, the Democratic flag bearer,
made the welkin ring. The Opera
House was crowded; standing room
was at premium; and for three
long hours some of the people stood,
while others sat and listened to the
political debate, which was ably,
fairly and dispassionately conducted
on both sides.
Besides the speakers, the promi-
nent personages present on the stage
from a distance, were Senator w. b.
Bate, and Congressman Carmack
and Cox.
The candidates take time about
leading in the discussion, and it was
Mr.. Fowler's dav to speak first here.
Col. Geo. w. Blackburn introduced
him to the audience, and the scat
tering lilly whites" below and
lamp blacks" above, greeted hiTs
with applause. He spoke for some
thing over an hour, and from his
standpoint made strong speech.
He had kept, it seems, an accurate
Inventory of every mistake made or
crime committed by the Democrats,
and proceeded to detail them with
"damnable inaccuracy
He criticised the bookkeeping
done at the Capitol, and was par
ticularly hard on Comptroller
Harris, whose books he said were
unintelligible to any one save him
self, and VIGOROUSLY incorrect.
Something was rotten and wrong
at the Capitol, and he wanted a
sight at the books. In answer to
this Mr.. McMillin denied that there
was anything wrong with the books ;
but said that as he would be Govern
or next year, he felt at liberty to
promise Mr.. Fowler as many long,
lingering looks at the books "a he
might desire.
He charged that the State had two
many office holders, and was run
two much in the interest of these
office holders; that committee had
been appointed by a Democratic
legislature to examine into the mat
ter, and was prepared to report that
the State had two many Judges; but
the report died in the committee
room, and that same Legislature
made room for three more of their
number on the Bench. Mr.. Nc
Millin answered this by saying that
at that legislature, instead of the re-
port from the committee to which
his opponent had alluded, Mr.. Whit.
thorne of Maury had prepared bill
to redistrict the State, looking to d
reduction of Judges, but that the
bill was defeated by the solid Re
publican vote, assisted by a small
minority of the Democrats, The
three Judges afterwards named were
needed at those particular places
but that whether they were or not
one of them was proposed by a Re
publican, and all three Of them wer'
voted for by both Republicans anC
Democrats.
: amendment combining the Circuit
and Chanceiy Courts, and the practi
cal adjustment of the County Court
t Mr.. McMillin replied that there wer
too many judges and courts in Ten
, nessee, and that reform was needed
- along that line, and that the Demo
cratic party was pledged to that re
form, and that as Governor he woult
e carry out that pledge. He though
= the remedy proposed by his oppo
4 nent was too radical, however, an
he doubted the sincerity of his par
s ty, because they had voted agalns
i a constitutional convention, tn
: only practical way to bring abou
the various reforms needed.
He made an appeal foc the Goa
mining industry of East TENNESSEE
l. and said the State mine operated b
Il convicts was driving other mines
d the wall. The remedy for this cor
!, dition was to take the cOnvicts froI
" the State mine, send the short teri
Is men to the counties to work tn
= roads, and employ the balance
the manufacture of articles of gel
eral use. This appeal, Mr.. McMi
lin said, was not in the interest
Is the state, as a whole, but solely an
Of directly in the interest of the r.
3 publican division of the state. Tt
O. convicts, whether they made wal
ons or builded roads, were compel
10 ed to come in competition to
IN more or less extent, with hone
v. labor; and he thought the coal mi
D. ers of East Tennessee Republics
, strongholds were entitled to no mo
CT protection from this convict lab
n competition, than were variot
~ other manufacturing industries
Middle or West Tennessee.
He charged that the State otficia
o had compromised with the salo,
9 keepers Of Memphis, whereby Il
III saloon keepers made $4,000
Id taxes, and the state lost that niue
n Mr.. McMillin replied to that by sa
r. ing that his opponent had been mi
informed as to the facts. The IS
loon keepers of Memphis" were n
ng compromised with; they were ma
ad to pay. The facts were that und
nd a new law, the officers deemed
their duty to collect what is call
Is saloon license from a lot of smi
n groceries in and near Memphis, r
mainly by old and decrepid men