Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-22
HOW Is THIS ?-COL. JNO. NJ. FLEM
ING AND JOHN BAXTER

Col. Jno. NJ. Fleming, a gentleman well
known TO the people of Tennessee, ''native
here" publishes in the Press and Herald
of Knoxville, where both he and John Bax-
ter reside, four and a-half column article
devoted entirely, especially and particularly
tothe said John Baxter. As Baxter has very
recently obtruded himself upon the public
in a card calling for the "disorganization Of
the Democratic party, we think it in order TO
present to our readers a birds eye view of
Baxter as taken at very late day by one of
his own townsmen. Here is a case dis
cussed, ofwhich we have heard much; which
we shall soon examine in the official docu-
ments and endeavor, if possible, to learn
why it is that Baxter, in the hour Of the
States need, keeps for days, months and
years over thirty thousand dollars of the
Safes money, in violation Of justice and the
peoples rights, and only through the pro-
verbal laws delay Of which he is, when
personal interest dictates, an accomplished
master. Col. Fleming saws:
In the summer of 1869, the people of
Knox county honored me with an election
as their representative in the Legislature of
Tennessee. / took my seat in October of
the same year and served during the ses-
sions OF the two years for which I was
elected. One of the chief subjects of in
quiry-in fact, the most impOrtant-tbat
came before the Legislature was that of the
Radical management of the State, and, Incl
dental to it, the fraudul mt procurement and
disposition of bonds of the State that had
been issued in aid Of various unfinished
railroads. | was selected by the body Of
which L was member, as one of the Joint
Committee, charged with this particular in
vest CATION. The tabor assigned was i'm
mense and beset with difficulties, vet, with
out favor or malice, the committee pro-
ceeded to the discharge of their duties.
Being the representative Of the railroad
center in Tennessee, ard presumed there
fore To be N re familiar with the names
aud business Of parties connected with the
East Tennessee defaulting roads, | was
more specially entrusted with the duty of
summoning and examining witnesses, and
collecting facts bearing upon the matters
connected with these roads. Upon going to
the office Of Secretary of State, as a starting
point, and examining the record Of bonds
issued TO railroad corporations, it was
found, among other things, that on the ID
day OF October, 1869, one hundred thous-
and dollars, in the bonds of the State, had
been issued to an association known as the
Mineral Home Railroad Company" The
whereabouts Of such railroad was an
known TO meat least if | had ever heard
o. II, the name had escaped my recollection.
met with no one a. the capital who gave
ne any satisfactory information concerning
1t.
Now, be it remembered, az an early DAY
OF the session, John Baxter, who had AFRO
gated public guardianship to himself, and
voluntarily assumed the character of com
mon prosecutor Of all railroad delinquents
in the State, had caused TO be presented to
the General Assembly, a voluminous Me
mortal" in which, as "a citizen and tax pay
er, he sought 10 acquaint the body with
the facts necessary TO bring about an sex
posUre Of the official populations and cor
ruptiOns which had demoralized every de-
partment Of the public service of our State
Government for the past few years" and
''tO bring the offenders 10 cOndiCn punish
ment." For months John Baxter had been
seeking notOrieiy as an investigator Of
'frauds and coruptjonS" To the "boId-
swindlerS" Of Tennessee he bad given his
special attention. III there was q subject
- it'll whose details he was presumed to be
miliar, il was that Of the fraudulent
procurement and use of the bonds
vi the State; and he, alone, Of all the rea-
sOnably honest citizens of the Stale, felt
himself 50 thoroughly informed on the sub
ject, as to address weiglty and exhaustive
letter Of information to the General As
sembly on the subject. Surely, thought
the Committee, if any clue To the mythical
Mineral Home Railroad was 10 be reached.
it would be found in the lengthy Memoir
al" of the supeT-serviceable and virtuous
Baxter. But throughout its tedious length,
not even the remotest allusion TO the inyisi-
BILE highway and the lost 100000 could be
detected; and il was at once concluded
that the Mineral Home swindlers must be
wary and slippery set Of peculatOrs, to have
eluded the keen and honest search Of so Wig
liant a guardian of the public rights.
Upon repairing TO Knoxville, in advance
of the Committee, TO prepare for its sitting
in this city, in the early pant Of 1870, in
stituted some inquiry in regard to the Nine
raj Home railroad, with a view Of pfepar-
ing testimony for the committee. ] learned
bat little of a satisfactory nature, until Tie
, cry morning on which the committee first
ayseu bed in the Office Of the East Tonnes