, ▁a ▁Y ellow ▁F ever ▁ep ide mic ▁had ▁dec im ated ▁M emph is , ▁putting ▁more ▁stra ins ▁on ▁the ▁economy . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁Mark s ▁took ▁office , ▁his ▁party ▁had ▁split ▁into ▁two ▁fa ctions — ▁those ▁who ▁fav ored ▁full ▁rep ay ment ▁of ▁the ▁deb t ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁state ' s ▁credit , ▁and ▁those ▁who ▁fav ored ▁only ▁partial ▁rep ay ment . ▁ ▁Mark s ▁appointed ▁a ▁legisl ative ▁committee ▁to ▁investigate ▁the ▁deb t ▁issue . ▁ ▁The ▁committee ▁determined ▁that ▁rail road ▁agents ▁had ▁acted ▁un eth ically ▁during ▁the ▁Brown low ▁administration , ▁and ▁had ▁attempted ▁to ▁def ra ud ▁the ▁state , ▁and ▁thus ▁should ▁only ▁be ▁entitled ▁to ▁partial ▁rep ay ment . ▁Mark s ▁agreed , ▁and ▁a ▁new ▁rep ay ment ▁plan ▁was ▁negoti ated ▁with ▁banks . ▁ ▁When ▁this ▁plan ▁was ▁put ▁before ▁the ▁state ' s ▁vot ers , ▁however , ▁they ▁sound ly ▁rejected ▁it ▁by ▁a ▁vote ▁of ▁ 7 6 , 3 3 3 ▁to ▁ 4 9 , 7 7 2 , ▁leaving ▁the ▁issue ▁un resol ved . ▁ ▁Mark s ▁did ▁not ▁seek ▁re e lection ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁real izing ▁his ▁party ▁was ▁still ▁badly ▁split ▁over ▁the ▁deb t ▁issue . ▁ ▁The ▁divided ▁Democr ats ▁were ▁defeated ▁in ▁the ▁general ▁election ▁for ▁governor ▁later ▁that ▁year . ▁ ▁Later ▁life ▁ ▁Following ▁his ▁g ubern atorial ▁term ,