Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-12-13

UOEeEnOI sian. 81, ga DO
state GUARDS. 6O6, 2SZ a
Impeachment of Judge Frazier, 20,S64 60
Commissioners of Claims
against the United States. $500 50
........................S2,08 6, 223 II
Of the amount which the Legis-
lature under the Brownlow- Radical rule
cost the people, about $10n, 900 was
bonus which the members of that body
voted themselves, by computing their pay
on gold basis, and requiring the Comp
troller to pay them the difference between
gold and greenbscks. This was an out
rageOus imposition upon the taxpayers,
who arc compelled to receive greenbacks
at par for everything they may have to
sell. The laborer has TO take his pay in
grcenbacks at par, but members of the
Brownlow Radical observation-disclosures
the constitution fixes their salary at four
dollars per day, and Congress makes green
backs legal Enthusiastically drew from
the treasury over five dollars per day.
Excluding this bonus which the
members of the Brownlow Radical Le-
gislature voted Themselves, the expenses
of that body were fully S275, 600 more
than the necessities of the State required.
The Legislature should not, in any event,
have cost the State more than a quarter
of million of dollars during the entire
| period Of the BrownlOw- Radical admin
istratidn. During the ten years from
1852 to 1861, the expenses of the Legis-
lature were $S4S3, us, while during the
four and half years of Radical rule this
department of the government cost 1921, =
S96. The tots expenses of the govern
ment for ten years previous to 1861 were
s., sol, 353. OF this amount about 81,
750, 900 was expended for schools and
public charities, 50 that the expenses of
the State government for ten years were
but little over 81, 500, 600. The expenses
of the Brownlow- Radical administration
| for four and half years were 50, 1850,
SIS, while the amount paid out for schools
and charities will probably not reach
three quarters of a million of dollars
So, 900, 600 less than was paid out for
the same objects in the tea years proceed
ing the war-thus showing that the eX-
penses of the BrOwnlow- Radical admin
istration were greater by nearly four mil>
| lion dollars than for ten years previous 10
the war. Look at what the peniteniiaIy cost
the State under the BrownlOw- Radical
| rule. Before the war il was nearly or
quite self sustaining institution. Under
! the BrownlOw- Radical administration of
four and q half years it cost the State
nearly half million dollars, and the tax
payers have had TO foot this enormous
bill, except the 1872, 200 paid to the les
SETS of the Penitentiary to get them out
of that institution. The money was Dor
rowed to pay them and has yet 70 be re-
placed. The registration of voters in
1866 cost So, 740, and this should have
'suiliced with very little addition to it, but
in order to keep the State under Radical
rule, an additional 1913, 27G was cx-
| pended. This expenditure was purely
for The benefit of the Radical patty. Al
other expenditure which was for the ben
eft Of members of the Radical party, is
the 500, 404 paid TO the Metropolitan Pc
| lies. The citizens of Nashville, Mem
phis and Chattanooga were competent to
choose their own police and pay for the
services Of the same, yet in order to make
places for Radicals, the tax payers of the
State have had TO foot bill of over 500,
600. The Governors staff, in time Of
profound peace, cost the State nearly
$50, 600. But the crowniBginfsmy in these
useless expenditures is the $GGS, 2S2
thrown away on the '1Cyal militia" OF
State Guards, which was organized flor no
other purpose than 10 hsrrass and annoy
the people, and TO aid in carrying the
elections of 1867, and other elections, a
fact which Comptroller Blackburn CON
| fessed in bis correspondence with Secre-
tary Fletcher IN June, 1869, as 10 the
militia BrOwnlow called out only few
days before he retired from the Cover
nor's Office, and left as legacy to his
successor. In that correspondence.
Comptroller Blackburn, after rehearsing
the pressing demands upon the treasury
for money and the difficulty attending the
raising the amountrcquircd, and stating tina.
''lhc present acting Governor wants $40
900 in grecnbacks for the militia, " put
this question 10 The Secretary of State
''The question presents itself. ought
the State, under the circumstances, Dor
row sny more money for any purpose
IL SO, how much ? and for what? es-
pecially seeing that the militia was not a
necessary expense, but simply retained, in
my opinion, as political cxpcdient.
The Secretary of State CA. J. Fletcher.
Esq } said in his response:
In 1867, when il was proposed to use
the remnant of the school fund TO pay the
interest on the State debt, while the reve-
nues of the State were applied to the
support of the militia, | feared it would
be bad precedent, and so it has resulted.
For over two ycsrs, at each semi an.
ual crisis, we have rCsjrted to The policy
of hypOihecstiDG our bonds, isSutd for
the purpose as collateral security for loans
10 meet the interest on The State debt.
while our ordinary revenues have bc,n
applied to the payment of militia, the
support of au ill-deyised school system.
Claim Commissioners and other profligatc
measures.
''With regard To the Governors demand
for $40, 900 for paying off the militia, l
am moro at loss to advise. They are a
nightmare upon the prosperity of the
State, and if we can have an assurance
that we can get rid of them, 10y raising
the sum, you might well do so on almost
any terms. If, however, they are not TO
he finally disbsnded, or if disbanded TO be
called out again upon the most tiff ng
sensation, or for the improper motives
you indicate, the case would be very diff
ferent. You are in q position TO inform
yourself fully on this subject, and ! here