Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-06-15
OUR NASHVILLE LETTER.
From our Special Correspondent


should devote all their energies for years to this
questionable sort Of amusement, has puzzled
many in this State, and not q few outside of this
dominion. We refer to the persistent attack
made by the Democrats of Tennessee upon what
they are pleased to style school fund thieves,
"robbcrs, '"plunderers, and sundry other pleas
ant epithets that have been, from time to time,
applied to some men in the State who have had
hand in legislation
Not content with waging Il war of demolition
against these men, politically until they have
gone out of public life, and subsidized into that
quiet condition that forbds hope of future polit-
ical preterment they follow them up with so
much presidency that decent thinking men out
of politics begin to suspect there is some good
reason for this constant, unrclentinV cry of "stop
thief or school fund steaer" The Demo-
Gratis have overdone the thing; they have sung
the charges so often that the public nrc begin
ming to take some interest in this heretofore mys-
FERROUS charge. No reasonable or brave man
would want to kick vanquished foe. But not
so with modern Tennessee Democracy; they
are determined to keep il before the people that
certain men who once figured us Republicans
stole the school fund of this State, and robbed
the dear children of their right to an education"
Such is their statement.
Now, let us look at the facts, and possibly the
readers of the CHRONICLE may be able to COM
prehend the true state of this great hue and cry.
Experienced police detectives tell us that in
their business they make it a rule to suspect
the man who shouts stop thief" the loudest or
WHO eNnlDlts unusual O10ClOusneSS. w on [ TINS
rule apply here? We think it will, and it is
possible reason may be found for all this tenn
pest over few thousand dollars.
When the present body of lawmakers came
to their seats, of their first acts was to organ
i've an investigating committee to show up ruin,
destroy, eradicate and wipe out the school fund
ers. as they termed them This committee WAS
vested with full powers, and the public, after
reading the act creating it, waited patiently for
| truth and light on q subject that had excited so
| much attention
| At the commencement of the war, the State
had fund of -, 100000 for school purposes.
| This carried off with the Bank of Tennes-
sec in 1862. General Upton captured from the
rebels, in 1860, what left Of these assets, and
returned it to Governor Brownow. The Legis-
| aturc then in session, ordered the gold so
| turned over to the State to be sold in New
| York and invested in United States bonds
| This was done. and the State came in pos
session of something over S7OOOOO worth OF
| 40 bonds. These We're in the safes of the Of
| fcals at the Capitol, when one Rutter, president
| of bank at Memphis, conceived the idea OF
getting possession of them to increase his opera
| tions He came to Nashville and, after much
maneuvering, got an amendment into long
| bill for winding up the Bank of Tennessee
which directed the Treasurer of the State to de-
post the funds of the State in some bank
| Without consulting either the Governor or Other
| State officials, the Treasurer handed the 7-3(
bonds over to Rutter. As soon ~ the Governor
| learned what had been DONE a proclamation
was issued, The Legislature appointed a com.
mittee, who proceeded at once to Memphis, and
| secured enough to save the whole amount for
| the State, except some $50 0OO-that Rutter had
| put beyond their reach.
The public saw this committee appointed
and they naturally expected some light on the
| subject of the S2.7OO,OU. The 18th and l5tf
sections ofthe act creating the Committee c1
pressly directs that. they should inquire and re
port what had Become of the only school funC
the State ever had, and whether the bank is sol
vent or not, who are responsible for its insol
vency, and how much of the assets of the banl
was returned in 1865, and what part in Confed
crate notes and bonds. They were also directed
| to report why the 50 700 600 cannot b. recover
ed They were ordered TO report the names o
all persons concerned in taking off or stealing
the assets of the bank in February, 1862 wha
| amount they took, and what amount of solvent
or available assets were returned to Tennessee.
Now, what did this powerful Committee do
Did they obey any of the iniuctons ofthe As
sembly? We answer, no. Instead of obeyinl
the act or performing the plain duties they Wer,
sworn to do, they ignored the main questions
and confined themselves to an expose of a few
of the, Republican party and took for thei
model and principal witness that COOL sublime
| specimen of self-Convicted rascality, Rutter
They devoted much of their valuable time t.
ventilating the testimony of this swift witness
who labors assiduously to -implicate McElwe
and others but the testimony of McElwee
which relieves him of any completely to fraud
they studiously leave out of their report No
one word about the 81 100000 stolen or carried OF
! by frst-class Democrats; not one word about tn
assets of the bank not one word rs to the char
, | actcr ofthese assets; not one name given o
parties concerned in stealing 81 100000 but th
whole report l. devoted to studied, labOreC
effort to ruin politically and socially few
members of the Republican party The repor
loads the archives of the State with the testimo
NY of Rutter-Rutter, the immaculate Rutter
the nnocent-Rutter, the meek, lowly, honest
Jealous bank president, who is held up for ere
f dence who swears that he is the chief of schoo
funds, and then full of penitcnce lin horn
| deliberately proceeds to swear away the char
? actcrs of men whose only crime was ben
once seen in his company. How well this Dem
, ocratc tool verities the truth that, who touch
cs pitch &c.
Every few DAYS some indignant, virtuou
member presents BILL nstructing the Attorne,
= General to go for Arnell McElwce, Mullins
Co. That's right gentlemen; go for EN-; but
Mt the same time don't forget to go for some g
your own party whose wholesale stealing ha
never been equaled. Perhaps you have respec
; for the stupendous rascal who steals millions
. and call that sort of work talent; while only tn
| small rogue is panished in your Code Consist
| ency Is II good thing, but the man who looks 70
that commodity in the ranks of rebel-democrac
might rs well look for teeth in a hen.
c " Prosecute Arnel for what? Let Us rehears
, the facts of his so-caled connection with tn
school fund swindle When Rutter came t
; Nashville to get hi, plan through that wou
, make hi, bank the depository of State funds h
= approached Mr. Arnrll with friendly offers, and
not daring 10 offer him bride, he advertise
his bank in that.gcntlemin hearing, spoke Z
its facilities for doing good paper ut low rates