Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-06-08

Gtlillnp Sucn personal lnfluence with Gov
ernors, members of the General Assembly
and other officials, who are invested with
the power to appropriate and issue bonds,
they do not deem It inconsistent with their
self-respect or personal dignity, to concili-
ate the kindly feelings of gentlemen in 30
sition, by polite and obsequious attention,
and should the public interest demand the
sacrifice, the very patriotic class to which
| am referriRg--the "corruptionists''-
never hesitate to loan member when re-
quested, n $50 or an 500; to present him
with a gold headed cane fine hat a
suit of clothes; n fine saddle horse; q Duir
Of fine lambs, or to unite and publish as a
part of current newspaper literature abu-
sive articles of such persons as the General
Assembly don't like, or complimentary
articles of the members whose votes they
need and expect TO command. Nor do
they hesitate, when the public good re-
quires it, to furnish committeeman with
liquor and cigars, free of charge, and pre-
sent their wives with gold watches and
chains, jewelry, sewing machines, fine
dresses, ETC., or to turn the heads of three
men at once with promises to elect them
all from the same district, to Congress, ut
the same time.
These are the leading characteristics of
the 'corruptionists, and if the Hon. M
Nelson Will study the picture, he will be
able in all his future legislative career, to
recognize and identify them without refer
to me-
But enough on this point, as | perceive
my parenthesis is growing rather too long
The Committee came to Knoxville. Hav-
ing made the charges, and acting upon the
hypothesis that the Committee were act
ing in the character of judges, charged
with the duty of investigating matters in-
Volving private character as well ~ the
public interest, | purposely kept aloof from
them Except when summoned to testify
to avoid the appearance of endeaVoring
unduly to influence them in the discharge
of their high and responsible duties. But
the parties to be Investigated manifested
no such sensibility and reserve. Without
going into detail upon this point, ii is
enough to say that the hobnobbing of some
of the Committee and the "corruptionistsn
was such as to excite general comment
and to provoke from many of the best
men in our community the most unfavora-
bic criticism. Then, again, the purposes
of the corruptionists were facilitated by my
own pertinacity. Every fraud developed
through my fundamentally, mediately or
Immediately, involved Governor Senter
AS a member of the Legislature, he voted
for the appropriation of bonds to the Min
eral Home Railroad Company, and as Gov
ernor he issued to it the bonds. He after
wards, with a full knowledge of His
frauds, continued Gen. Mabry as Receiver
of the Knoxville and Kentucky Railroad,
and so on from alpha to omega. Governor
Senter is Il cousin of Mr.. Fleming, who,
when not drunk, was the controlling mind
upon the Committee. Mr. Nelson, anoth-
er member of the Committee, apd Il Sena-
tor from the Senatorial District including
johnson county, thoroughly acquainted
with the location of the proposed railroad,
and knowing that it had no connection
at that time, or in prospect, with any other
road, voted for the appropriations which
were made to the Mineral Home Railroad.
1t was plain to be seen that these gentle
men regarded my presence, and the sug-
gestions which j from time to time made,
ntrusions, and the evidence which |
pointed out as unwelcome. The result is
seen in the sequel. The Committee, in
and by their report, assume to have given
a fair resume of the substance and legal
effect of all the evidence in the case. But
| charge that they have not done so; that
by the suppression of important testimo-
ny, coupling together facts and conclu-
sions which have no connection, an at
tempt, in my opinion, was made 70 COM
plicate me with the fraud of others.
The facts suppressed are these: Ii ap-
pears from the evidence taken by the COM
mittee that / had no connection with the
passage of the act chartering the Mineral
Home Railroad Company,'oy the several
acts making appropriations 20 IL hau
no agency in procuring, or knowledge of
the issuance of the bonds by the Governor
to it the deposit of the bonds made by said
Company in the Exchange and Deposit
Bank, was voluntary ana without solicit
tation from the Bank and that neither |
nor the Bank had amy connection with or
interest in said railroad company, in the
proceeds derived from said sale, but that
the Bank simply acted as the financial
agent of tine Railroad Company, making
the sale of the bonds under authority and
in pursuance of a resolution sanctioned
and signed by every member of the Board
of Directors. Had these facts been impair
TALLY stated, the mouth of malice itself
would have been stopped; for before the
facts as they exist, and rs they were proven
by the testimony taken by the Committee,
no one but a fool or a dishonest man would
dare to impute blame 10 me.
But enough of this for the present. In
IA few succeeding numbers | will go good
way back and show why it is that the
''corruptionistsn have followed me with
such relentless malice ever since | became
n citizen of Knoxville.
Respectfully, &C.,
JOHN BANTER.
Knoxville, May 81, 1870,