Year: 1879




J0nesborO Centennial.
Jonesboro Special to the Gin. Commercial.


AT the Centennial celebration


here, to-day, Postnaster-Gener


Key spoke about half an hour. HS
+ opened by referring to the fact that


he felt very much at home in Jones.
\ boro, as his father, his mother and
himself were all born in the adia-


cent county of Greene, and that its
soil contains the remains OF two gem


erations of his ancestors.


Referring to the most vital ques-
tion now before the people Of Ten
nessee-the State debt-he said 81
cast no reflections upon the honesty
of our people. / believe that Ten
nesseais-are as honest as other men.
But ,io say that he who thinks
our State would be justifiable in re-
pudiating the bonds which have
been issued by its officers under Jaws
enacted by our Legislators. hes such
want of discrimination between
right and wrong aS 10 disqualify him
for being n safe custodian of public
trusts. Public faith and public hOn-
or are not safe in his keeping. His
knowledge of the boundary line be-
tween good faith and bad faith is
too much involved in confusion and
uncertainty to make him q fit i'm
strument to determine what belongs
to the public and what to the indi-
viduai.


81 believe none of the political
parties of our State have, in their
platforms, advocated reputation.
We have had some very shabby and
reckless platform building, which
allowed great elasticity of conscience
and construction OF opinion, but up
on its face it purported to sustain
the honor of the State. In our next
election the question of State honor
should be made the test of an ortho-
doX political faith. 1t rises far above
the mere partyisnls of the day. For |
myself, | am tree TO say that, in fu- |
ture elections, / shall not act with /
any party which shall not, in its /
declaration of principles, in clear.
terms, take ground in 1
favor of such policy and measure as
shall maintain the honor and good \
name of the State. If neither party
has the courage and patriotism nee
eSSary to wage contest in favor of /
such policy, then it seems to me
that the men of all parties opposed
to Reputation should band togeth-
er and make this the paramount is
sue until its final settlement shall
be accomplished. hope there may
be no necessity for such a course.
No one will be more gratified than
If all parties shall unite and coop
crate in the honorable settlement Of
the question. But l fear there is
little ground to expect so desirable q
result.


Judge Key here quoted at length
rom statistics 70 prove the ability
Df Tennessee to pay her debt, and



"But it is said that we lost so
much by the war, that we cannot
afford to pay it. Grant that our los
les were great, and they certainly
we're, 1t was as much our fault as
hat of any one else. j speak as a ,
southern man to Southern men. We
engaged i'm the fight,
Ind did ali we could to win, but
allied. We got what we risked-we
rot whipped. Victory would have
,ost us much. Defeat cost us more.
md why blame Others for risk we
ourselves took and cOurageously la
)Ored to make successful. We met
! Drawer and more powerful enemy
han we expected, and he succeed
ID and we failed. IT was a trial OF
trength and do not see that he is
O blame because he would not per-
nit us to whip him. The war has
)een over for nearly fifteen years.
\ large number of those engaged in {
t are gone, and those who remain
re growing old. A new genera
ion is coming upon the stage, There
re many things which we ought to I
Orget. Let US lay aside passion and
and look To the future" !
lie then argued that it would be
'etter for the State to pay all the {
Iebt than TO repudiate any part Uf {
t. He contrIsted her condition q
With that of other States, and showed \
hata comparatively light tax would
t least pay interest upon the debt
ntii the State was able to e. adually |
the principal.