Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-09-25
ATTEMPTING ANOTHER DIVERSION

There is nothing equal toIthe unblush-
ing, deep-seated hypocricy of Democratic
politician, who labors for the benefit of a
corrupt ring of capitalists, whose chief
business is to accumulate wealth by de-
frauding the State and swindling tax pay
ers. So long as the eyes of honest people
are turned in another direction, these
rings will stand with grasping hands in
the public treasury, and will carry on
their system of plumber and robbery with
perfect impunity. AS long as they can
take the one-hundredth part of what they
steal, and substitute a corrupt press to man.
ufacture public opinion in their favor, and
thus keep down suspicion, they regard ii
as a paying transaction. If by dispensing
n few thousand dollars among their organs,
they can keep down Investigation into a
swindle that amounts to ten millions, they
will certainly do so. The only question
they will ask is, how it is to be done?
If any one will take the trouble to read
one of the "ring" organs in this State, for
instance the "big organ" of this city, it
will be seen how it expects to accomplish
this and create a diversion from the acts of
its masters. Although we have time and
again alluded to the fact that railroads
WHICH COSU the OtutS SSUCV(CCU
millions have been disposed of for
a little more than sic millions in
volving loss to the State of more than
ten and q half millions, the "big organr
has not deigned to notice it, but raved day
after day, through columns of stuff, about
impeachment and other dead issues, in
which the people have no present interest.
Yesterday morning it devotes more than a
column to show that Horace Maynard was
mn oh IN ,N1pt m
Senter and the State government. What
interest do the people of Tennessee have
in this question now ? No one expects ''re-
construction''-n one favors it-no one en-
tertains any fears that it will be done. No
one is misunderstanding one favors the
Acknowledgement of any class, unless per
haps some Democrats are yet unreconcil-
ed to colored suffrage. No one but lunatic
recognizes that such thing is possible or
probable. 1t is to all intents and purposes
dead issue. Why, then, engage in its dis
cussion? What is to be accomplished by
it? Who is to be benefited by it?
The whole thing is mere sham and the
question is seized upon for the purpose of
agitating the public mind on subject of
no present public interest, with a view of
hiding the iniquities of the rings controlling
our State Government. These same hypo-
critics, in supporting Horace Greeley,
write lengthy editorials, full of soft
and plausible phrases about Letting the
dead past bury its dead" and about for
getting dead issues" while their whole
time is taken up in an effort to cover up
living issues, and to conceal from the peo-
pie the acts of those who are and have been
plundering the public treasury, with the
sanction and by the assistance OF our State
rulers.
These are serious matters. and are worthy
OF the attention Of our best and wisest men.
as well as the masses in general. Our
material interests have suffered as the re-
suit of mismanagement and corruption,
and unless a change is made, will continue
TO suffer. II the people will not protect
themselves from the rapacity of the plum
dering ring that has depleted the treas.
ury and well nigh bankrupted our
public credit, no one can tell
what the end will be. We call upon
them to consider their own interest
before it is too late. Be not diverted from
accomplishing your purposes of reform,
by the siren song or honied words of the
political stump speaker, or by the mali
cious rawlings of paid organs, whose bust
ness is to serve the rings, but resolve to
think and investigate for yourselves, and
act according to the dictates of reason and
patriotism. Then all will be WELL