Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-10-09
SMOKED OUT AT LAST, BUT NOTHING
DENIED

| of Governor Browns organs to notice the
grave charges against his administration
relative to the gigantic frauds that have been
perpetrated on the tax payers of Tennessee
whereby they have lost millions of dollars
in the disposition of certain delinquent
have forced them to speak out, either, but
public opinion, intensified by the exposure
of this fraud, has forced them into an atti-
tude of defending their favorte and his
bungling, incompetent and corrupt adj
miuistration. We ask those who
have read Senator Gibsons late speech de-
livered here, with its array of facts and
figures unanswerable, to take up the "big
organ" of yesterday morning and read an
editorial contribution entitled "Sublime
Insolence," and see how the issues are
evaded. We pass over its personal allu-
sions as entirely unworthy of notice. No
gentleman attempts to answer serious
charges, affecting all the people of great
State, by INDUCING in personal abuse. We
have occasionally condescended to notice
the little fellows whose names are
understood as the nominal editors
are perfectly willing to have the public
pass upon our personal merits as compared
with these miserable calumniators and
tools of whatever ring or clique will pay
them for their services. They are ire
sponsible, financially or personally. But
personal merits are not at issue in this
case. The public cares nothing about
this.
But the question at issue is, whether or
not, under Gov. Browns administration,
certain delinquent roads have been dis
posed of without loss to the State. We
charge that they have not. Do they de-
ny it? Read the editorial contribution
in the "big organ to which we
have made allusion. Not a word of de-
specific charges. Not word is said about
the Winchester and Alabama road, which
cost the State 81, 100000 and was sold for
$500, 000-not to the highest bidder, but at
a minimum rdLue. The parties who bought
the road for $500, 900 Immediately disposed
of their interest at an advance of S75,O 900.
The question is, why was this SIS 900 not
saved to the State -?
The McMinnville and Manchester road
cost the State S1,100,000, and it wss sold
for $500, 600 in State bonds. The last Leg
islature passed an act to indemnify the
road against the payment of q claim of S70,-
900 due the United States, which sum the
State will eventually have to pay. This
will leave $3.50, 900 realized from that road
Like the one above mentioned, the pur-
chasers from the State Immediately dis
posed of it at a large advance on the amount
they paid for it. The question to be con-
sidered is, why was it that the road was
not first sold for the highest price and that
amount saved to the State?
The Edgefield and Kentucky road cost
the State 81 800, 900 and was sold for $780,
ha /, ft,r vi 4
and sold it for an advance of 1925 900 on
their bid. Why is it that the State did not
receive this 1925 600? Is it not reasonable
that the purchasers would just as willing
ly have paid the State this large sum addf-
| tionaI?
The Memphis and GAINESVILLE road,
| which cost the State of Tennessee SO, 900,
900, was sold for 81 700, 900 without giving
notice to the world that the highest bidder
might have it. The Nashville and
Northwestern road cost the State
81 500, 900. It is one of the most important
roads in the State. 1t is one of the outlets
for the grain, flour, bacon, &C., of the great
| Northwest to the markets of the cotton
States, and will always do a heavy BUSH
ness. 1t was sold for S2,4OO, 600 to the
Nashville and Chattanooga road Its former
lessee. In settlement with the State, the
latter road, as lessee of the former, was al
lowed a claim, which covered all the rents
accruing to the State, and $-535 900 besides.
| The commissioners agreed to give 500 900
in State bonds in settlement of this amount.
! The whole transaction in reference to this
road shows fraud on its face.
! Now these are specific charges. They
cannot be met by general denials, or by
mean, ungentlemanly personal attacks.
1t will not do to say that Judges McKin-
ney, Wright and Fogg are honorable men,
and therefore the best was done that could
| be done under the circumstances. We
have the highest regard for them personal
ly, and have never charged that they
would knoWtngly become parties to a
fraud. We do not believe they would.
But we have stated facts, obtained from
official records, without reference to whom
they affect, and we submit to a can
did public, if the charges made
are not of a character grave enough
to merit calm, dispassionate attempt to
disprove them. We do not propose to be
| diverted from what we conceive to be our
duty as public journalists in this matter, by
the responsibility of any of the parties
concerned, by bullying or bravado, or by
the insolence of irresponsible little fellows
who do not enjoy the respect or confidence
of the better class of men in their own
party.
If Governor Brown or his friends will
show that they could not have obtained
higher prices for the roads sold, and If they
Will show that in their settlement with the
lessees and purchasers of the Nashville
and Northwestern road, they did nothing
more than justice or equity de-
! word to say. We will acknowledge that
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