Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-04-03

why hc Public rrintIng organs Abuse
Him.

why the Public Printing Organs Abuse
Him.
Col. Baxter spoke at Chattanooga Thurs
day night, us per announcement. The
Herald reports it as follows:
"a very respectable audience gathered
last night in~Kaylor's Hall to hear what
Col. John Baxter, the great leader of the
Reform Party in Tennessee had to say
upon the issues of the day"
After giving his objections to Republican
rule in Tennessee.up to 1870, he spoke, ac-
cording to the Herdlds report, as follows:
"When Senter sold himself out, the Col
onel said, he was foolish enough to suppose
a better party had come into power, but
soon, alasl he became aware of his mis-
take lie found the same corrupt legisla-
ton going on, only with a different set of
thieves reaping the spoils. He here pitch
ed into the printing frauds, and showed
that combination of the Democratic
press of the State, under the firm name of
Jones, Purvis d Co., had swindled the
people out of thousands and thousands of
dollars. State journals and such printing
had been charged for three and four times
over. In one instance only the name on
the back of a book was changed, and COM
position for the whole book was recharged.
The parties had sold paper to themselves,
charging two or three prices for it. A four
page order of exercises for the use of the
Legislature, cost in composition $l23, the
real cost of which was about 81. For the
composition in one page list of members
names and post office addresses $40 were
charged, when 1t was worth only about 81.
They purchased paper and then cutting it
in two pieces, charged for each piece as
much as the whole cost. Ten quires make
token OF press work, and yet matter of
two or three quires Were often charged for
ut the rate of several tokens. The plumber
was shared among the Democratic nrasS
throughout the State. Some papers got no
work TO do but received considerable sums
Tor their influence and the votes of men,
bers from their counties. The Athens Post
was one of these, as Wins himself had tes-
titled. Kirby, of this city, got about $500
or S600. Reed, at Kingston, got only about
S63. Out of every "a paid into the treasu-
ry by the people one dollar went to this
printing ring. He dwelt upon the venality
and utter prostitution of the press, and in
sisted that men of real worth both morally
and intellectually were needed at the head
of the press of the country. The speaker
was tired of the leadership of party. The
Democratic party had led the South for the
last twenty years but to her destruction.
The Republicans under Grant he claimed
were equally corrupt and ruinous in their
policy. The only course was to combine
with the workingmen and go for Judge
Davis or the nominee of the Cincinnati
Convention. The Democracy was hope
less failure and could have no hope of de-
feating Grant.
The speaker was listened to with mark
Ell attention, and at some points received
the hearty applause of his audience. How
ever, we fear that Col. Baxter is ventilating
the printing frauds to little effect, for ii is
hard to convince Democrat that his party
will steal, and even if a ray of light should
enter his brain, he still signs, with all
thy faults, love thee still'n