Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-12-18
TIE OTHER SIDE
me Loyal Indemnity business
Reviewed = A Gentleman Aon

4
H. accommodation from Captain Clay
Roberts. of Nashville, whom We know BY
,on,,a,iou to be q gentleman. The
or,;cle alluded TO was written under a
misapprehension as to who Captain
Roberts was; and while We do not believe
that claimants will get cent frs'm the
United States Government, we would
not impute any dishonest motives TO the
gentleman who writes the subjoineo
letter:
NASHVILLE. December ID. 1907.
EprroRs LEpeER: One of the editors
of the Republican Banner of this city
to-day handed me q slip taken from one
of YOUR late issues, headed Viliaipy
Fxnosed--A New Way of Raising the
Wind by Nashvillian (which does
me great injustice, and which am salts
fed YOU will correct when You know the
facts. As to who / am and how stand
in aoc;ety, refer you'to A. j. keilar, OF
the Avalanche, and 70 Mr. John League,
your County Court Clerk, who have a.
least business acquaintance with me -
served through the war Ia the Con-
fedorste army, with the rank of Captain;
never voted Republican or Radical
vote in my life Except for Gov. Senter);
and 40 far as Rndicslism is concerned, 1t
never had q more bitter opponent than
myself. During the late canvass lett
nv private business, at Q greet sacrifice,
and became Secretary of the Conserve
tive Executive Committee, and devoted
nv whole time to the duties thereof.
When the Law was passed Il send you
copy by this maiD to indemnify loyal
citizens for damages sustained by the
rebellion, Mr.. Thomas Waters was APP
pointed Nv Governor Brownlov Commits
siouer for the State. Some time last
summer be was appointed to aposition
in -the United States Revenue Depart
ment, and vacated his office OF Claim
Commissioner A short time before the
meeting of the present Legislature, Gov.
Senter appointed me to wind mp the
business CT the office, which did by the
meeting of the Legislature, and urged
the repeal of the law.
The act passed by the present session
of the Legislature repeating the law
nroyides "thst ell claims filed In
The office of the Claim Commissioners be
filed in the office of the Secretary OF
State, and claimants are authorized TO
withdraw thu same by ledring a certified
COPY thereof in the office of the Secre-
tsry of State. There is amongst these
claims q number OF Quartermssters
vouchers and other evidences OF claims
that are good, and can be collected from
the United States Government.
y am only acting as clerk for the Secre-
tary of State in getting eff copies of
these claims, and the fec Of two dollars
charged is q fraction less than the Secre'
tary of State is entitled to under the law.
There is no vilIaiDy" whatever in the
transaction, and the Secretary of State
| is only carrying out the provisions OF
law passed by the present Legislature.
| I enclose circular issued some time
since, which I hope you will find suffi-
GENTLY satisfactory az TO who l am.
| Now, / am informed, by Albert Roberts,
of the Banner, that you are q gentle
man, and will set me right in this matter.
Should you feel willing TO correct this
matter through the columns of the paper,
please be kind enough to send me copy,
and if not please write me. | have
never written to any of the claimants
myself. and suppose you had reference
to the enclosed circular, Issued by the
Secretary of State.
Hoping you will do me justiee on this
subject, am, yours truly,
CLAY ROBERTS
The following is the circular which has
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been sent to claimants:
| NASHVILLE, December 10. 1862.
DEAR Sra: By the provisions of an act
| passed at the present session of the Geo.
eral Assembly, the law passed 18th Feb
ruary, 1868. ITO secure to the loyal citi-
zsns of Tennessee recompense from the
United States Government for Losses in.
currsd by the rebellion" is repealed, and
| eli parties who have fled claims are su-
thorizsd to withdraw the same upon
leaving certified copy in this Office.
Your claim has been approved BY the
| General Claim Commissioner and by the
Governor, sad if you desire to withdraw
the same, to be presented for payment,
you can do so by forwarding to Clay
Roberts, late General Claim Commissions
err, Il sshyille, Tennessee, two dollaru, the
fees for the copy end certificate.
A. ]. FLETCHER, Secretary of State.
Mr.. James d. Davis, Of this city, who
is good authority, says that about eight
thousand claims we're made out in Shelby
county, and that the average for all the
counties in the State Is aho1t fifteen hun
dred. At rough estimate this would be
over one hundred and twenty-five thou
sand claims II half of them are sent
for By the owners, Mr. Secretary Fletcher
will make over one hundred thousand
dollars 10 fees. This ID too much of o
good thing for one man snd bis clerk,
altogether, even if done in strict &C.
cordenee with the letter of the law and
| re do no. believe that those who voted
for the repeal of the Indemnity bill ever
thought that such On advantage would be
taken of it's provisions, There is Ger.
tsinly nothing in it to suggest two dollars
to casual reader. Beware Of a man
who wants two dollars.
LADIEs' white cotton hose, 81 rs per
dozen worth s3), at Kraus, 2lS Msin.79t
| Tup RrsT IL TINE CHEAPysT.-J De-