The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-07-25


"a Presidential year. and though Mr.. Sims
seems willing 10 defeat his party rather
than keep his promise. the Democrats Of
this district should see 20 il that lac re-
spects his pledge for the good OF the party.
Mr. Sims from his printed declaration
TO the public, seems TO think that the dis
tuct may as we'll 60 without a represen-
tatve as TO elect a new man. There are
thousands OF his constituents who think
differently; besides, there is still in the
public mind a decent regard for public
honesty, which demands that candidates
who make pledges 10 get Office, shall keep
their pledges after they have made them.
distinguished TennesseeGn Of the old
school said that "pledge breakers take
back seats" and the sons and brothers
OF the Democrats OF that day still believe
that a mans word should be as good as
his bond, and that @ man who forlelts his
word or seeks to evade his promises is
unworthy Of trust.
/ challenged Mr.. Sims, in a public
speech at Lexington, Tenn, on July IA,
l0O2-the only time / have succeeded in
getting him before the public with me in
Joint debate-to successfully deny that
he made the pledge publicly in a speech
at Henderson, Tenn. just before the cleo
ton two years ago, that, If the people
would then elect him, he would not run
again; and ] challenged him to meet me
and his other competitors on the stump
and face the record which he has made
in this district. / confronted him with
the proof OF his pledge, and his only de-
tense was, the old insanity dodge, that If
if he made such a pledge (and he denied
it not, it was because he did not know
what he was doing. He could not defend
his record then, nor can he defend itnow.
II he could defend himself he would be
eager for the opportunity 10 meet me at
every appointment l make, instead OF
presenting the spectacle he does in rum
ming away from his record, and saying as
he said at Lexington that he will not an.
swer these charges. | renew the chal.
lenge to Mr.. Sims. and will press it on
him to the close of this canvass.
While Congress was in session hC
sought to reflect upon his competitors
and to gain an unfair advantage over
them, by publishing a private lettel
which they addressed him, inviting hin
to come home and meet them on tn,
stump, by protesting a holy horror of tn
idea OF leaving his post of duty and en-
gage in what he terms ''an unseemly per
sonal scramble for denomination"
call attention to the fact that he di
leave his post of duty while Congress wa
in session, and did come to the State cor
vention at Nashville, and did spend aboU
a week in San unseemly scramble for re
nomination" among the delegates to tina
convention from this Congressional dis
trict. He never thought about the dar
ger the whole country was in on accoul
of his absence from Washington until h
found out that his competitors propose
to discuss his record on the stump. The
he suddenly discovered thathe was equi
to two Republicans on a vote. and that h
stood like a Roman soldier at the bridg
holding the Republican majority in chez
and preventing them from looting ii
Treasury. The whole country can no
draw a sigh of relief when / tell the
that Mr., Sims stood at his post of dut
and with his usual success as a watch dc
of the Treasury, prevented the Republics
majority from taking much more tina
= 81 900, 900, 100000 out of the Treasur
Heretofore we have had billion dolli
< Congresses, but this last session is Gale
the Billion Dollar Session. AS usual
when Mr.. Sims is on guard-the Repu'
Leans got everything they wanted.
MIR. Sims has ever stood in their We
N when they wanted more private pension
II no one has ever heard of it. The recol
is shows that he pledged himself public
IS on the floor of the House that he won
n never make the point of no quorum on
5y private pension bill.
i'd Now that Congress has adjourned, Il
,y people have Alright to hear what Mr., Sin
at has to say on the stump, in the presen
of his competitors, not so much abo
.y what he has done in Congress, for that
S. too inconsiderable to demand attentio
e. but what he has done and is doing in tn
r district Mr.. Sims with lofty disdain r
&c lers to the race for Congress as can u
re seemly personal scramble for Office"
le wish to call him down from his lofty per-
re long enough for him to answer me al
Id his other competitors, and the Democra
ne of this district this question:
IL Who was it thatintroduced the unseel
Id ly personal scramble for office in this d
ne triCt in 1896 and 1900, which resulted
IL giving to the proud old Eighth Congre
IL sional District the name all over the Ste
e, and Nation OF the Fraud and Doodle D
RI trict"?
IL Fellow Democrats, ask your merchar
tic who 60 out OF the district to foreign m;
[r. kets, ask your delegates who attend Sta
conventions, ask the drummers who trs
an ell abroad, ask your fellow citizens W
he have been abroad, what kind of repu
or ton this district has away from home, a
he then ask them who gave it that repu
ng ton. appeal to you to say what was
that made Democrats proud of their d
of trict when Atkins, and Taylor, and Enl
no represented it, and what is it that n,
he causes Democrats everywhere to t.
mt about the fraud and corruption that ha
:.