Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-15

amounting 10 S6000O. Hence il will
be seen that Mr.. Burns has not paid the
S250,OO0 necessary to keep the road in
annual repair, nor the sinking fund Of
10000, snd but lii5l ( Be the original debt.
There Mss been mach talk about the gov
eminent seizing the road il this or that
directory should be elected. The govern
ment cares nothing about the individuals
in this contest 1t wants its money and Is
determined ohave H. President johnson
has, no doubt, kind feelings for the road,
but he can do nothing for us in this emer-
gency. He has other and more important
duties 70 attend 10. The great question
for ms 10 settle is, how to pay the debt We
owe the government
As to the question of coal or wood for
fuel, he was not posted thoroughly, bat
thought the people who lived along the
line Of the road should be encouraged to
furnish wood to the road, and that his
opinion was that wood would be for many
years the cheaper fuel. Governor Brown
said he was not satisfied with the profits
Of the road. 1t showed that the gross
earnings since the war 10 be S2,400,00O,
and that only 100000 were net income,
which Is but a fraction over twenty Eve per
cent. He had, while Governor Of Georgia,
the management Of the State road, and had
made that road pay into the treasury Of
the State fifty per cent. Of its gross earnings
every year, and that any road well equip
ped, should, with judicious management,
pay at least fifty per cent. Of its gross
earnings annually.
Col. A. S. COlyar remarked that what
GOV. Brown had said is entitled to respect
ful consideration. He is man Of reflection,
aud never speaks unadvisedly or without
a close reckoning. The Governor, however,
is incorrect in many Of the facts from which
he draws his deductions. The main ques-
ton for us to consider is how to pay the
debt we owe to the United Estates. Col.
Hamill is here as the agent of the United
States, and though a reputable man and a
Colonel in the United States Army, heis but
a subordinate officer. He is not the source
to which we must go for advice on this
great question. We must 20 to the fountain
head. The Burns ticket has the confidence
Of the authorities at Washington. There
have been two orders for the seizure of this
road before, and through the personal in
huenee of Mr.. Burns they have been sus-
pended Mr.. Burns has procured the sus-
pension Of the collection of the Govern
ment debt till arrangements could be eff
fected for the adjustment of the claim the
road holds against the government. The
Secretary of War does not regard Col. Ste
venson as a suitable person to take charge
Of this road. He is now sued, in connec-
ton with f. w. Cole and WIS. Gleaves, for
a million of dollars, made by the use of the
rolling stock of the road while within the
Confederate lines. This is all known to the
officials at Washington, and operates against
him. Il is true Col. Steyenson's name is
not on the ticket, yet it is none the less the
Stevenson ticket. 1t is in perfect sympa-
thy with him in his trials and Difficult
ties in regard to the pending lawsuit. E.
w. Cole, whose name is on the ticket, is
sued jointly with him John W. Bass
who is on the ticket, is his father-in-law,
and Godfrey M. Fogg, another name on
the ticket, is his brother-in-law. Col Ste
venson will not deny but what he is in full
sympathy with the ticket, and that it was
arranged by himself
Col Bosom, the State Director, reports
to the board that Gen. Thomas says, that
though the government should seize the
road If the Stevenson ticket should be
elected, it would turn it over to the pres
ent board.
We must do something to propitiate the
authorities at Washington they have us
completely in their power; they can crush
us by foreclosure of the mortgage on our
road. The Stevenson ticket, though COM
posed of some of our best men, is not in
good repute with the authorities.
President Burns is accused of spending
the 100000 voted for secret purposes, to
the payment of the dividend. Not one
cent of that money has ever been expended.
He is not to pay a single lawyers fee till
the case is settled. He was cautious and
shrewed enough to make this arrangement.
The books do not show any money expended
in this way. The charge is utterly false.
Gov. Brown had appealed to those who
live along the line on the wood question
There are other interests beside the wood
question. 1t is unpleasant to have to speak
Of this fuel question: as | am interested in
coal mine. Col. Stevenson, years ago,
when speaking along this line Of road, to
induce the people to take stock, held up
the coal interests as great indueement.
The amount of coal consumed by the
Nashville and Chattanooga railroad
did not weigh farthing with the
coal company. They could sell more
coal than they could get out of their
mines to Nashville and Atlanta, at
far better prices than the railroad
had ever paid them. 1t is evident from
;he number of roads being built around US
that we will have soon TO rely almost en-
tirely on the local trade TO sustain us, and
the coal interest will be no small share of
that trade.
AZ 20 the question of the dividend re-
Gently declared, no man was more clam
erous for it than Governor Brown. Mr..
Burns was opposed to declaring a dividend,
but said that if dividend was not declared
that Joe. Brown would be in a furry and a
fit of excitement. Governor Brown says
the profits of railroad should be fifty per
cent. on the gross earnings. Let us exam
inc the reports Of Colonel Stevenson during
the years 1889, and see if he reported
fifty per cent. profits in either of those
years. His reports show that his net profits
were not as much as twenty-five per cent,
while Mr.. Burns reports a net profit of
over twenty-seven per cent. The compar-
ison is a favorable one for Mr.. Burns, and
does not argue well for the Stevenson
Cole administration.
Gov. Brown, in reply, said that the point
with Col. Colyar was the lawsuit. 1t is
intimated that if the Stevenson ticket, as it
is called by his opponents, should be elect
ed, the lawsuit would be withdrawn. He
Gov Brown was for pushing the law suit.
He was interested to the amount of his
stock aud that if Stevenson, Cole 4 20. did
owe the road he was too selfish to give it
to them. He loved himself little better
than he did Col. Stevenson and that he
should favor the prosecution of the suit TO
its final termination. This law suit was
held, IN terraum over our heads at the last
election, and is a fine piece of electioneer-
ing capital for the Buns party. All they
have to doeis to delay this law suit from
year 10 year, and threaten all who may OPP
| pose them at the next annual election that
If the Burns party should not be e-elected
! the law suit would be dismissed and the
stockholders thereby lose one million OF
| dollars.
Judge John P. King, of Augusta, Ga.
said that this was question which had
aroused much spirit and feeling. Being
/ f-a,,, (.aor,y;o h had no 1ereonal feeling,