Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-05-04
MERIwETHER VS.. RITCHELL.
a Wiad % Of the Mississippi Rlysr Rail-
rosd Controversy.


ten davs, i have Just read Mr.. A. y
Mitchslfs numerous articles Wnlcn seer
quite 20 have taken possession OF the col
umns Of the APPEAL. His little attempts
pf wit and satire, 1 have n0t time 20 no.
fiea. Such spirits may amuses but VIII
NOT mislead q thinking public Ihe oes-
rserste straits 10 which be Is driven ls
shown bv the tenaCity with " hich he
clings TO a manifest Typographical error
in the matter OF
GEN. FORREsT's SALARY.
1t ia the drowning man that clutches st
stravvs. and somsEmes at fancied straws,
A. when Nr Mitchell asks If the people
OF shelby knew Gen. Forrest was 70 get
$1,000 OF the $4,000 they voted 20
me Sslms road. had something 10 do
with fixing the conditions OF that sub
serintiou, and would like Mr.. Mitchell to
show one with which he has been con
nected that has so eusrded the interest Of
the taxpayer. Ry the terms Of that sub
scription, not enc cent OF the 500 GOO can ne
msed for officers salaries, commissions,
Office rent, printing, stationery or other
miscellaneous expenses, nor for rignt or
way nor depot grounds. In expressed
terms these items are excluded, and the
auplicstion of the fund limited 70 grading,
supsrstTucture, equipment, machinery
and buildiugs-al tangible OBJ lfcLss sus-
cspttbIs Of absolute measurement ana
EH.1H.lllI. HllA Aalo Aala"NA ~ 49,. "a
.rut short the subscription upon It's iin-
-1ronar use. In addition 20 this, the COM
pauv are required 70 give bond, with good
security, for the faithful application oi
lhe money 70 the objects specified before
one cent can be touched. These
sPECIFIJArIoNs,
with many others guarding the taxpayer,
,ra-s nm S1ished in the daily papers for
month vet Mr. Mitchell So stuluhes him
sslf As 10 ask If the people Of Shelby
knew they were giving 20 General Forrest
SIS 006 when they Foleo eo0JOoJ Uo lne
Selma road. Is this gross ignorance or 8
wiUfallv false suEgestiOn7 Can Mr.
Mitchell expect to gain crsdenoe from q
public which he so audaCiOusly endes7Ors
10 mislsad7
THAT FoUR DOLLAR BOARD.
Nr. Mitchell seems particularly hurt
that the four dollar gentlemen got into
the Board with the expenditure OF go Ut
ffe money. Mr. John IT. Douglas, in his
letter of 18Th April, given TO the puollc ID
one Of Air. AfitChell's numerous articles
states that iu 1866 when the Board was
Organized s'ecch person lchoSe name Wd6
s3iqeed on the 6ckel, agresd 70 become a
gt9rEf0fder % the 6rteHt Of one share
0xF sHAPFli 50 it seems the B9srd that
gave Mr.. Mitchell the fat contract, was
sff0ur dollar concern alsOl Why then
Mr. Mitchells virtuOus outcry sgslnst
our four dollar men2 is 1856 so dl11erent
from ls7l, that g. four dollar board hen
would BE- an right and proper, and
ftflur dollar board OF to-day all WrOng2
TVbvfs the present four dollar board so
Irritating 10 Mr. Mitchell, when the
original four dollar board was 30 sweet
lv s18thiuEP The answer is TO be found
ia the different acti0n taken by the two
boards in regard TO that contract.
THE BOARD OF 1866
granted the contract with el its silver
s1uudings-ths Board OF 1871 deuounce
is rauscitv and declare il void. That
contract which gives Mr.. Mitchell 5000
salary: $4,000 preferred stock, $4,000
bonds. 10 per cent. commissions on stock
in the state, Is per cent. on extra terrific
rial stock, I5 per cent. on sll negotiations
of loans or sales Of bonds, ard then for
reinYestiug this very borrowed money
In iron. rolling stock, and other supplies
(the right Go DO which he reserves eXclu-
aiveIv 30 himsel0, he superadds factors
commissions, and at the same time runs
that lucrative clerkship Of the United
States Court. really
CANN0T BLAME Mr., MITCHELL
for thinking q little hard Of the new board
for breaking into this nice little arrange
msnt. He evades my question about that
clerkship. I do not ike 10 be too inquisi-
tive OF hunt Up irrelevant topics, but as
he DRAGGED the clsrkship into the c0ntrO-.
Vsrsy. 7 would ike TO know if he did not
derive 5000 or more net per sunum from
his government office, while he held the
presidency. or during some part OF that
timer Nfll be assert that the clerkship
was not more than self supporting? Yet
be wishes % mskeit appear that be sacri-
feed the omcs for the sake OF The road
Let the
RECORDS SPEAK.
on this subject ] fnd scattered through
Mr.. Miucheli's numerous articles repeat
ed attempts 20 arouse sympathy in
Southern community by rehearsals Of
lis friendly acis toward our people dur
ing the war; Of his efforts TO ward on
military pillage, or soften Federal lyran-
ny. stc. He psrsdss a letter from Mr.
John I. Douglas. publicly thanking Mr.
Mitchell for procuring the r6lease or his
two n6pbeWE, Confederate soldiers AZ
Rock Island. 7 believe any time during
the war Confederate prisoners could have
obtained their release bv taking the oath
Of allegiance to the United states and
forsswesring the cause Of the South. or
giving a parole to fight no more. Few
among
OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS
found &c consistent with their sense OF
honor 10 obtain release on such terms.
They preferred 20 languish Ia prison Til
released bT death or the laws OF war.
How did Mr. Mitchell procure their re-
leaze7 Did ha induce them 10 give
such a parole, or take such oathI
Had they been my nspheWs, yea, the
sons of my heart, ] would far sooner they
had psrizhed in 8 Federal dungeon than
have gained their freedom by taking such
30 oath. Thlt Mr.. Mitcnel may have
done many kind deeds to our people
when suffering The ravages Of war, 1 am
more than willing 90 believe. To have
Retained from such acts would have
shown him q monster. he claims % be
q Taunesseean. While thousands Of the
people Of his State were In the ranks on
one side or the other, stalking fortune
LIFE AND SACRED HONOR
on the cause they had espoused-while
thousands have their fortunes wrecked
and thousands their bones bleaching on
hillside and wayside. IS it in good taste
lDuttiug the thing as mildly as pOasiDle) In
Mr. 81 Jchgl so loudly to vaunt bis little
acts OF kindness iu that suffering time?
Acts. done without risk 70 life or limb OF
sacred d0iar-scts only costing him some
eEsrtI0n. Good hesvensii These Ordi-
nary deeds OF kind feeling 70 friends and
me ghb0rs. Wanted by the side OF the
lofty ner0ism Of the men Of that day
These small sacrifices Of time and
labor paraded BY the side Of the
stern endurance Of soldiers Lief
Apart from the exceeding bad taste Of
these vain vauntinRF, they have the worse
effect OF stirring up unpleasant memories
OF things that occurred Immediately after
the war. There are persons here who can
not FORGET certain incsndiary harangues
made bY Mr.. Mitchell % the negro pOpu-
Iation, exciting bitterness against
their former masters. 10 is with
reluctance touch upon this subject, but
Mr.. Mitchell has 80 often, himself gone
aside from the question at issue, snd en-
deaVorsd to make it appear thai be is a
victim OF political anlm0sity, that ] am
goWDsIlsd 70 notice g. He knows, full
we'll that politics have nothing 20 do with
90. and that 10 is the contract alone which
we attack.
tract. Mr.. Mitchell says he received
coupons or scrip Tor the $4,000, worth
only CSC Mr. John L. Norton saye be
received dollar for dollar on that Ecnpi
money collected from the tax payer 10
pay /. The report OF the COMMITTEES
shows that he received S63.348. 10 only
claims 90 have expended $40 900 10 OBJ
tanning stock, and Sl2. 900 for engineering.
This leaves him SH 383 for three years
and ten months service, besides the $50
900 stock, $4,000 bonds, and his lucrative
clerkship.
THE NORTON CONTRACT,
I come now 90 the Norton contract. so
called" " When I went into the Board
found pending there a proposition from
rbe Paducah and Gulf Railroad Com
7lanv % consolidate with this company
IN Ibe following terms viz. This COM
,env shall. by October next, increase I
tbeir present stock from $3.50, 900, at which
Al now stands, 10 81, ,l50,090 the Paducsh
and Gulf Company then consolidate, put
fipV In their $50 miles Of nnlshed road,
with It's entire equipment and landed
...-.--or,-- al 81 $50 90. The consolidated
d9f6rsriv are then 10 issue bonds Sc
oursd by mortgage on the entire line
fr9n- Memphis 20 Paducah, AZ the