Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-05-30
THE SCHOOL FUND.
A Little Review of Radical Rascal
lilies.

rate report of their inquiries and invest
, cations. They state that through Il
mismanagement of Mr.. Fisher, Il
; Cashier of the Bank of Tennessee, viii
at Augusta, Ga, in the spring of 1856
just before the surrender Of Lees arm.
, and the supposed rascality of ma
, named Riva, now living in Europe, tn
State has lost $4,000 in gold, which the
recommend to go into that geners
account Of losses and degradation tina
has so long burdened the State Quit
an easy. and generous way to settle
small matter; not so, however, about tn
loss of couple of mules and wagons
for which the committee recommend tn
General Assembly to either exonerat
or convict the party concerned by tn
necessary steps to that end. The com
mittee give it as their opinion that tn
act of the Legislature in 1866 renewin;
bonds previously issued to the Insurance
Company of the Valley of Virginia WA
part of scheme to defraud this Stat,
out of not opts the $4,000 bonds, but o
other bonds that were obtained "by fou
and unfair means. The Legislature o
1866 was as Radical as Radical could be
and what else but foul and unfair
things could have been expected from
it? Mr.. Rutter's statement is embraced
in the report. 1t clearly shows that the
object Of the Radicals was to make all
the money they could out of the State.
Rutter states that subsequent to 1865
the Tennessee National Bank, of which
he was President, became the deposi-
tory of the funds of the State, through
political influences, with the understand
ing among the leading Radicals of the
State, among whom were Sam. Arnell,
Jas. Mullins, w. j. Smith, d. A. Num-,
Senator W. X. Hall, John Eaton. Bar
bour Lewis, and others, that this bank
was to support the Radical party and
be their financial agent, and furnish
money to run the machine when
ever they wanted it. This was the
general understanding and was talked
over prior to and subsequently to the
passage of the bill making the Tennes
see National Bank the fiscal agent of the
State. This bill was passed with the
understanding that the Treasurer of the
State was to be Influenced to designate
the Tennessee National Bank as the de-
pository of the State, and Messrs. Ar
nell, Mullins, Richards and Wines and
others, did SO advise the Treasurer of
the State (to-wit Stanford, to make this
bank the depository" In answer to the
question if any kind of security had
been given to any agent Of the State for
the loss of the school fund, Mr. Ritter
replied 1--WE paid over to committee
of the Legislature, consisting of Bosom,
Spence 4 Co., some $340,000-$50, 900 of
which was an order on the Treasurer at
Washington for United States securities,
besides, think, some $50 600 or S3l 900 |
Of $1,000 Tennessee bonds. gave them |
my earpet-sack, in which they put the |
etc, and have not heard from
any Of it since. In letter to Senator
Green, Chairman Of the Investigat- /
ing Committee on the part Of
the Senate, Mr.. Rutter says that
:" 500 was advanced to s. NJ. Arnell, |
James NRllips, General John Eaton, jr.,
Barbour Lewis, w. ]. Smith, and others,
by which to perpetuate their power in
Memphis through the Metropolitan
Police Of this city. Constant applica-
tons and assessments were made upon
him for money to support the party in
its manipulation Of State and local poll
ties A good deal of money was used by /
the agents of the bank and himself
among leading and prominent members
Of the Legislature of 1861, as also
among leading and prominent Radical
politicians in other sections Of the State,
in the appointment of his bank as fiscal
agent. Some of these men, when he had
become so completely mixed up in their
ilthy corruption, became so persistent in
heir demands that black mail and every
species of fraud was resorted to by them
o obtain money, which was distributed
lmong Loyal Leagues, paid out for the
ustenance of negroes transferred by
Zen Smith and Sam Arnell 70 send them
0 Congress. Money was also paid ont
o sustain and support Gen. Eatons pa
yer, the Memphis Post" The report,
AIKEN all in all, is but small sample Of
he robberies and rascalities TO which our
leople have been subjected under Radi-
al rule We have been pretty badly
Ieeced by set Of the meapest men in
he world And these are the fellows
THO dare pirate about liberty, honesty
nd humanity Let ms have an inyesti-
alton ofthe Radical Fobberies in Shelby
ounty within the past five or six years,
nd put it as an appendix to this school
und exposition. Let us also have an
investigation Of the city bonds.
Confirmation Bishop Fehan admin
stored the rite Of confirmation to a num-
yer ofiEterostingand intelligent children
y ST. Peters l0atholicl church yesterday