Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-06-21
The Comptroller and the Fund
ing JOB.

Iy soon to be lost sight of. a short
time since we were taken to task by
one Of The funding organs for stat
ing-what is simply the truth-that
the past due coupons bear no inter
est Notwithstanding this organ of
the funders declared that they did
bear interest, and that the State
would be compelled to pay it.
Now the Nashville funding organ
edited by Comptroller Burch-
who is perhaps as largely interested
in this funding scheme as any one
man in Tennessee-for il will be
thousands of dollars of grist to has
mill-cOmes at our argument, and
without calling our name or desig-
mating our locality, Except to desig-
nate our paper as a West Tennessee
funding organ) makes divers and
sundry filings which it thinks-from
the weight of official authority, we
suppose-will eGectually silence our
batteries.
We have opposed this funding
scheme from its inception-not be-
cause it proposes to pay the State
debt, or even to make any provision
for its payment; but because it pro-
poses to draw from the oppressed
and down trodden. people of Ten
nessee, seUenty millions of dollars
IN forty years, upon a debt of, say
TWENTY-FIVE MILLIONS OF DOL
LARS, and still leave the debt I'M
touchcd-not dollar of it paid.
We have not said one word about
''bloated bond holders" or any
thing of the kind. The bond hold
ers, whether "bloated" or not-the
great bulk of them-are supposed to
have come into the possession OF
the bonds honestly, and, no matter
whether they are men, women or
children-and the Comptroller rolls
| the "WOmen and children" under
his tongue as a sweet mOrsel, -what
we want, and what the tax payers
want, is to pay the bonds and inter-
est just as soon as possible. They
do not want TO be taxed to death for
forty years, and then leave the same
uRrcduced burden to be borne by
our children's children for all time.
The Union and American says our
opposition TO the funding scheme is
based upon the fact that certain
railroads in West Tennessee are in
debted to the State, and wish to
keep the State bonds at low figure
in order that they may buy them
and pay of their indebtedness
Having no connection, direct sr re-
mote, with any railroad or railroad
manager, we are not in a position to
either deny or affirm that they are
or are not in debt to the State; but
we happen to DO just i'll q position
that enables us to say that the
charge, so far as it affects this paper
or its editors, is wholly without
foundation. And we believe the
facts will warrant us in saying that
the argument of the Union and A
merican is false, in point of fact; for
we are credibly informed that eUGry
prominent railroad man in West
Tennessee belongs to the funding
ring.
We are not at all surprised that
the Comptroller is a Jealous defen-
der Of the funding job. 1t would
hardly accord with the general prin-
ciple of action by politicians, for
him to oppose it. The law will put
thousands of dollars in his pocket,
as Comptroller, which would not
otherwise reach that receptacle of
things-dollars-lost TO the people,
but for this funding job. No won
der, then, he can sneer at, and snub
those who oppose his little job to
fill his own Golfers.
But we do not see that any espe-
cial good is to grow out of this dis
cussion. The people-the victims
Of an ignorant or wicked legislature
we suppose are hOpelessly in for
the S7O,O0O,OOO in the next forty
years. We have opposed it as
wicked and shameful imposition up
on them. If they can stand it, we
will try; but we shall be very great
ly surprised if the "funders" are not
very efTectually "funded"-and laid
away in musk-at the next election.
We shall see what we shall see
Watch and wait.