Year: 1869

The news had gone forward fron. Nal


vile and other points that Sentt


had sold himself out to the Rebels.


claim to day to stand upon the great pr.


gressive platform, which is able an


strong enough to sustaiL the whole Amel


lean people, / took nay position at Nash


willie, and have not syerved from it. II


then read the following extract from hi


speech made in Nashville:


@rhe Republican party must liberalizei it
policy in order TO be In accord with "a


Republican party, the presses Of the hatio'


and in unison with the administration
| the government. We cannot hold out an!


longer in opposition to the enfranchisemen
! ofthe people-ought not to makesuch efoft
| II elected Governor he would in his mes


sage 10 the Legislature recommend thu
! calling of convention TO remove disabiii
1 ties and restore TO the people of Tennes
see the rights of freemen. He was IN
| favor of at once, or as soon as it can pos
| sibly be done, restoring the franchise II
all the people of The State, to those who pay
taxes as well az those who do not" There
is a certain class Of the colored citizens whc
are not required to pay taxes. 1 am for
them having the franchise 1t is not their
fault that the constitution stands as 1t doesi
it is the fault of the Legislature, snd
tried by bill, or otherwise to, remedy that
bill but was not able to do it. took that
position in the fret place because there ia
not Radical Journal in the United States
but what supports and sustains me. My
competitor cannot quote one ling or letter
OF a Radical Republican journal that has
200 subscribers but what endorses my Po-
sition. Gen. Grant speaking OF universal
suffrage in his inaugural address says:


"The question of suffrage is one likely
to agitate the public mind of the country
80 long as q portion of the citizens OF the
nation are excluded from its privileges In
any State. 1t seems to me very desirable
that these questions shonld be settled now.
entertain the hope and express the de-
sire that it may be by the ratification of
the 18th article of the amendment to the
constitution"


My competitor says that The 10Th Article
of amendment to the constitution only
means that it entities men who are voters
in Tennessee, to go to Indiana and have the
same rights there as they now have.


Gen. Grant says: 1T seems to me very
advisable that these questions should be
settled now"8 Now is there anything
palmer than that. Cob, but Senter, you
are alone upon this question" says my
competitor. l told HIM that when we
came over into Middle and West Tennes-
see he would be like the fellows
wife who was going to move to
Missouri. The morning came to start
she declared she would not go. Well my
dear can't help it and started of, left her
in the house without anything TO keep her
alive. When this young fellow got to the
creek he stopped to water his horses and
while the horses we're drinking, he looked
around and saw his wife coming, she got
to the wagon, she says where shall L
ride I tell my competitor that when
we get into Middle and West Tennsa-
see, he will say Senter where am going
to ride.


William G.. -Brownlow, who never
wrote Duncan letter, but who was In
prison until be contracted disease which
will follow him to his grave, says that
there are but two parties in the country.
| have his indorsement upon the question
of universal suffrage, and have the in
dorsement of his own paper. My COM
petitor is hunting place to ride, and bis
organ in Nashville is helping him. What
did l propose That the Legislature "a
soon as it should assemble, call conven-
tion Of delegates elected by the people TO
amend the constitution of the State. l
find Mr.. Grisham, the editor of the State
Journal, my competitors organ, coming up
and endorsing this in just about the time
the canvass closed in East Tennessee.
When this Legislature calls convention
of the people of the State there will be
men coming up on one side and say that
they are for Stokes and restricted franchise,
and the other side wi come up and e1-
press their opinion. The people
will select their delegates and they
will 60 to the convention and if a
majority Of the delegates say no it will
aot be done. 1t is right that people
should be heard at the ballot box. Now
l want to ask my competitor one ques-
ton, and leave it to the best Stokes men
in the crowd il it is not fair question
Will you, if elected Governor of the
State of Tennessee, recommend such
legislation as will give the right of the
elective franchise to every man IN Ten
nessee who will take the same oath as
you did after you wrote the Duncan
letter L. Ir..


Then turning to Gen. Stokes he said,
answer that question and here is five
dollar bill. A--.- --


Gen. Stokes did not say anything.


Gov. Senter said that Stokes was like
the monkey the negro saw in the cage at
the show. There was q full sized
monkey in the cage; the negro would
walk around and take look at him ;
did this several times, and finally said
what are you doing in there ? You are
smart. You know that if you talk that
the white man will make you work. My
competitor is smart in this thing, for he
knows that if he answers this question,
yes or no, / will make him work during
the latter part of this canvass. If he says
yes, without further law he allows every
man to go to the ballot-box that will
take that oath. If he says no, he does
not accord to the people of the State
the same honor he has for himself Sc
it leaves him in a bad predicament'
There are other questions.


Gov. Senter then dwelt at some length
upon the finances Of the country, giving
an account of the many State institu-
tions, their Indebtedness, etc. My COM
petitOr says that it is not the issuance oi
bonds, but the waste Of them, that be
objected to. / uphold no man squandering
the public funds He says that have
the appointment of railroad receivers
and asks me bow much money Receiver
Davenport has paid over have never
appointed a railroad receiver since
have been Governor My competitor
knows that the Governor has nothing &C
| do with the finances of the State
| The only government money he touches
is his salary. Your Comptroller is the
man who regulates the finance OF thu
country, and he is responsible for all th'
money. He also mentions the name o
DIR. CGffe as Receiver of two roads, snt


asks how much he has paid over. DR.
| Clffe handles none Of the money, ha
never paid the interest collected for fare


or anything of the kind. His business


5 to see that his road is kept in order


DR.. Cliffe is Receiver upon the Memphis
& Clarksville and Louisville Railroad


but for the two roads he only receives


one salary, and 1 dare my competitor II


deny it.


| joe Mabry is charged with receiving


$2S, 900 for lobbying a bill through tn


Legislature. Joe Mabry has paid his in


terest, and hence the Governor has NJ


power over his road until it fails to pa!


its interest. My competitor says that al


the school funders are for you. Gen


Eaton, who is the present General Super


iutendent of education, was elected b.


the people of the State. My competlto


knows that have no more control owe


that officer than the man in the moon
| 1 L Il e. - ssaT,o