Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-10
THE CHURCH" APPLIED.
The Charge by the Radicals that the
COmptrOller's Office had been
Sold Out, Successfully
COntradicted.
A Full, Clear, and Explicit Statement
from Colonel Burch-A Word to
the People Of the State.

We find the following in the Nashville
Union and american, of Friday, and
publish it as a full vindicatiOn of the in
tegrity and patriotism of one of the
most useful citizens of the State, a
gentleman who, as official, as privaIe
citizen, or as editor, is above reproach: !:
CoMPTRoLLER's OFFICE
NASHVILLE, Tenn, August 7, 1873.
The Nashville Bulletin, of this date,
has been handed to me, and my atten-
ton called to an article in its editorial
columns and type under the following
caption: Sale of the Office of Comp
trOller of the State" Some of its allie
cations 1 desire to notice.
First-That the present comptroller
was "One of the public printersn during
the term of Office OF EX-COmptrolIer
Hobbs.
Second-That the present comptroller
was most deeply interested in the re-
suit" of the suit between the public
printers and Comptroller Hobbs.
Third-That the friends of the present
comptroller have inaugurated a sys-
tenn, with his approval, of buying Office
in Tennessee"
Fourth-That Ex-Comptroller Hobbs
sold out his position for twelve thousand
dollars to the present comptroller, or
some of his friends, for the purpose of
procuring the position for the present
comptroller.
ANSWER.
To all of which allegations and any
inuendoes of the article referred TO, con-
Meeting me or any of my friends with
any bargain or sale of the comptroller
ship, have to say: / am not one of the
public printers, nor was during Mr..
Hobbs term of Office, nor in any way
interested with them. l am not, and
was not, one of the complainants in the
bill filed by the public printers against
Mr.. Hobbs. never bought Mr.. Hobbs's
office, nor authorized anyone to buy
it from him. / never spoke nor wrote to
Mr.. Hobbs about his resigning, nor au-
thOrized anyone else to speak or write
to him upon the subject. ] never paid
him a cent directly or indirectly, nor
contracted, nor agreed to do so. Inever
authorized anyone else to pay, nor con-
tract, nor agree to pay him anything to
secure his resignation, nor for
any other purpose. / never had
bargain with him of any sort,
and 1 never authorized any one else to
bargain with him for me or in my be-
half owe him nothing and never did.
have paid nothing to get the Office
which 1 now hold, nor have promised
to pay anything to Mr.. Hobbs or to any
one else. While do not hold myself
bound to deny every charge that may be
made by political opponents, have
thought proper to make the foregoing
full, and as / believe specific, denial Of
all the allegations which have come to
W dcrD in
me with bargain, intrigue, or corruption
to obtain the official position which L
CONCLUSION
/ ask to add a word for the ear of the
people from whose loins / sprung. /
am not candidate for any office within
their gift. | have no aspirations for any
official honor they can bestow upon me.
My observation led me to believe that /
could do the State some service in the
capacity / now fill. Without disparage-
ment to or reflection upon any, felt
that here the State was bleeding at every
pore. / felt that he who could in such
an emergency be of most service, was he
who cherished least ambition for future
political promotion. / have not been
disappointed in my expectations. The
road to political preferment does not lie
this way. A stern devotion to duty has
brought me into daily conflict with
State officials, political friends and
political opponents, from every di-
vision and from nearly every
county in the State. Self-advancement
would suggest that / should, by latitude
marian construction, so determine as to
cultivate their favor. have preferred
to decide with what believed the law,
and thus, perhaps, Ia many cases ex-
cited their hostility. When accounts
have come TO me Examined and ap-
proyedn by authority generally supposed
70 De supreme, have universally re-
examined them by the light of the law
as | read il, and have not besitated to
apply remorsely the pruning-knife, If I
believed the law directed me SO TO do.
Regretting the occasion which seems TO
me to demand that ] thus trouble your
readers, am theirs and yours respect-
fully, JOHN c. BURcH.