Year: 1878

, gomery counties had a large raj
road debt that had been voted upO
them before thewar and if the pOwC
! was still continued by a bare mi
jority TO vote taxes upon you, Go
only knows what would have bee
: the condition of Davidson count
to-day. Go to Kentucky, wheI
this doctrine Of a bare majority {
, vote tax on the people prevail


and see the condition some of he


counties are in. So depressing


their bnrden that some of the count,


officers have absolutely resigned ii


order to avoid issuing bonds tina


have been voted.


This thing of voting taxes upOl


the people is not a question ina
pertains to suffrage. If / subscrib,


for stock in railroad it is all right


but if you vote it on me, you fore,


me to make a contract against my


VIII. 1t is mere dollar and cen
| transaction.


Ny competitor says he does not


question the purity of my motive


in introducing these resolutions, but


he thinks | was mistaken. But.


take 1t upon that ground, is ihat


any reason you should vote against


me. Suppose l was mistaken i'm


the remedy. My object was good
| according to his own admission. II


was to protect the Taxpayers of the


State, of the county and the city


from total ruin, world without end.


III you do think i am mistaken, is


that any reason why you should


not vote for me. If / committed


any crime you have twice condoned


it. You have elected me twice
since the Constitution was ratified


by the people of Tennessee. Why
then go back eight years to this
record. / say it is a source of pride
to me that after my competitor has
ransacked my Congressional record


he has to go back eight years behind
my record as your representative to
arraign me on some resolutions that
| introduced i'm the Constitutional
Convention. But / do not think it
was wrong. / assume the full re-
sponsibility. "Tell it in Gath, pub
lish it in the streets of Ascalon,"
that if there is one act of my public
life of which / am proud it is this
effort of mine in the Constitutional
Convention to protect the tax-ridden
and war-broken people of the State
OF tennessee from ruin. [ Applause !


L know you can cry property
qualification and create a prejudice
in the minds of men who do not
understand ii. L do not bow to
such prejudices. There are not
seats enough in Congress nor upon
the American continent to make
me disavow q principle that / be-
lieve is right, [applausel and /
stand by it. Applause.


The report that | ever introduced
a bill in Congress requiring a man
to have any amount of property be-
fore he could vote is so absurd that
l wonder any man could give il
credit for moment. The charge is
false from beginning to end, from
center TO circumference. No such
thing ever occurred. | am not now
and l never was i'm favor of a prop
erty qualification for men to vote.
j abhOr such a doctrine. / voted i'm
the Constitutional Convention to
allow every man in the State Of
Tennessee, rich and poor, whiteand
colOred, to vote. This is well known
and the records of the convention
show it. This cry of property quail
ificatiOn does me gross injustice,
and now that / state the truth of
the matter, / trust that such of my
former friends as may have been
induced to do me injustice by be-
lieving me capable of such thing.
will now, that they have learned /
the truth, do me simple Justice in
the premises.


You have honOred me twice with
your confidence and suffrages and i !
have endeavored TO represent you
to the best OF my humble ability,
and no one is more sensible than |
myself how far / have fallen short |
Of what | would like to have accom- /
plished, but ! have done the best / /
could under the circumstances. / /
have no eXtravagant promises to |
make you. The man who makes /
such talks at random. All that / |
have to pledge or promise you is
his: | have tried honestly to do /
my duty, and if you re-elect me /
shall pursue the same course. If |
you think my competitor will rep
resent you more efficiently, more
wisely than / have done, il is not
)nly your right but your duty to
elect him over me. It is your mat
.er, not ours. The personal interest
which Col. Claiborne or myself may
nave ought not to weigh a feather;
or if we go there, we go as your
servants, your agents. IfyOu think
hat he can do you more good more
work, be more faithful to
your interests than | have been, l
,ay it is your duty to elect him
md if you should prefer him to me,
hOugh | would regret the defeat, /
would take it as philosophically as
most men, and would retire to the
practice Of my profession and to the
hades of private life without muir
nur. This is your matter, alto
,ether yours, to decide.


If have proven false to you on
my occasion, in any emergency; if
have not stood by the rights of the
Oilirg millions of this country upon
he floor of the Congress Of the
United States, and of the rights Of
he South and of this whole country,


am not aware of it.


/ have endeavOred to discharge
ny duty, and whatever may be
Tour decision of this contest, moth
ng shall ever rob me of the pride
nd satisfaction / feel in knowing
hat / have enjoyed your confidence
nd been the recipient of your hon
rs.


Since returning to my home, in
among the people Of this
district, | have met with expressions
# appreciation which have glad
lened my heart, for next to the
of duty performed is
he assurance that those for whom
We have endeavOred to labor APP
,rOve our efforts i'm their behalf.


/ thank you, fellOw-citizens for
'our attention. Applause.


The Coming Hog Season.


Kentucky Live Stock Record.