Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-10-09

on how we should control the sale Of
liquors in thirty Of the forty-two thou
sand square miles Of the State. In
stead Of fighting Republicans we
fought each other. This question, like
the State debt and silver, was no test
of political faith. Democrats and Re-
publicans could and did take either
side Of it without sacrificing their
Democracy Of Republicanism and leav-
ing their party. 1t was no test as to
whether they were JefFersonians or
Hamiltonians; for high tariff or low
tariff, for trusts or against them, for
force bills or against them. We d.
vided on it; the Republicans did not.
We lost; they won. We again turned
the State government over to them,
bag and baggage. Again the Repub-
lican party failed to make good by do
ing what they claimed they could dc
for the betterment of conditions.
Their effort is dismal failure. In
addition, they have given us the most
prodigal administration since the Civil
War. Let us take warning.
But, alasl These are not the only
instances of calamity coming to the
country from Democratic divisions
The greatest of all these divisions is
yet to be told. In 1860 Democracy
divided and ran two candidates fol
President, Breckenridge and Douglass
the American party ran another can
didate from the South, our own dis.
tinguished John Bell. On the mair
issue then confronting the country
they were all united; they all had sim
liar views as to the rights and powers
of the General Government of thu
State. But petty differences divided
them. There was enough opposition
to the Republican party, had these di
visions not occurred, to defeat it. Blu
the Republican party triumphed, Mr.
Lincoln's ticket getting less than /;
third of the votes polled, and our grea
Civil Wharf.-The tragedy of the ag,
and the continent-ensued. Nearl!
100000 brethren carried on for fou,
years the most gigantic civil war O.
history. No tongue can describe thu
suffering it entailed, and there is no
a manned soldier or a soldier GENE
terry in our Southland that does no
bear witness to the misfortune flow
ing from this great division. Let u
profit by these sad experiences an,
stand together like brothers in thi
and all future political contests.
FUNDING THE STATE DEBT.
Fellow citizens, we have many i'm
portant matters to be considered il
this campaign and by the next Legis
lature. l want to discuss such o
them as I can briefly to-day. We hav
a bonded debt of 81, 458,000, whic
falls due in 1918, and the funding 0
it will be one of the first question
arising for solution during the mex
administration, and very important
Most of it bears only 3 per cent inter
est. A sinking fund for its paynlen
was created during my first admins
tration. Payments were made unde
this during every administration sine
but the present. The amount G
bonds paid under said act is $5,O56
400. This, with the floating debt paiC
makes a grand total of near $4,000
900, third Of all we owed. The or
Grafton of the sinking fund and heav
payments made should and will er
able us to fund the balance withou
difficulty and aoithout high-priced me
chinery and big sGIGried officers.
This debt can be funded like tn
millions were paid between 1899 an
1911 through the Funding BoarC
whose members are already DRAWN
salaries from the State, and could a.
ford to discharge the additional dC
ties which this would entail for tn
State that so highly honored thel
without additional compensation. VIII
should they not do it? From the d,
feat of funding by friends of this al
ministration in the Legislature
seems to me that in certain quarter
! fat funding jobs are contemplate
| lucrative funding schemes are bein
Matched, and for all of these the pc,
| pie will have to pay dearly if the
3 are not careful in the funding lay
: This funding and caring for the Sta
5 debt should have been provided fl
Y by Mr.. Hooper during this admin
e tration. A committee of the Legisl
= ture was appointed for that purpos
a and through investigation was ma,
: at thousands of dollars of cost.
t bill was drafted by it and introduce
2 but was killed on second reading |
# the followers of Gov. Hooper. WI
t. was it done? 1t will not do to S;