Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-17
A WORD FROM COL. RuRCH.

The publication of Gov. Brown-which 1
did not see and the contents
of which 1 did not know until
l saw it in proof o-night-together
with charges, which am told are in circu.
lation, that received three thous md dol
lars from the Retail Liquor Dealers Asso-
citation to procure the veto of the Liquor
Bill passed at the last session Of the Legis-
lature, makes it incumbent on me to say
word on the subject 10 the public.
In the afternoon of the day that the ar
guments for and against the constitutional
ity of the bill by respectively, Messrs. Col
var and Lindsey, appeared in the city pa
pers, one of the proprietors of wholesale
house in this city, for which Ihad for sever
al wears done legal business, came TO me and
said that be had learned that Gov. Brown
had heard or consented to hear argument
as to the constitutionality Of the bill from
its friends, and urged that l should "hunt
up the law to prove its unconstitutionaity,"
If it were so. | told him that if | under
took the case should charge him a good
fee for it. He replied, 81 am" or 81 will
be responsible for anything you say is rea-
sonable." I Immediately went, with the
assistance Of brother lawyer, into an in
vestigation of the coDstitutionality of the
provisions of the bill. l soon became con-
WINGED that the bill was clearly unconstitu-
tional. l went to Gov. Brown, in company
with Mr.. l. ndsley, and asked If he would
hear argument agains1 the bill. He
said, In effect, that he wished to
hear all that could be Said
on both sides. Mr.. Lindsey gave him his
printed argument. told him that l rep
resented parties who would be greatly af
fscted by the operations of the law, and
gave him two or three books marked and
list of citations to others. be sail 1 must
bring all py books to him if wis FED them
examined, rs he would not have tim to
get them. worked upon the case the
whole of that night, and, l believe, read ev-
cry case bearing upon the subject ever re-
ported in the United States. The next
morning carried him an armful of books,
with list Of Citations, and left the case
with him. A few days after he vetoed the
bill. A short tim sitter that L re-
ceivPd my fee. not from retail dealer
nor from Retail-Dealers' Association, but
from the gentleman who employed me. Nor
6i1 | receive near three thousand dollars.
regret thst did not. The best years OF
my life have been spent in endeaVoring to
influence Judges, Federal and State, Chan
ceiOTS auu JuIlbS, anu nhNo UOuo IL lOL
reward or the hops thereof. have no
special interest in the liquor trade, 10 induce
me to devote my time an professional
services in its behalf without just coirpen-
sation. held no Office, and felt That was
perfectly justified in performing this legal
service and charging for it. understand
that other lawyers presented briefs or made
arguments in the case, whether
| from personal interest on the one
side or the other, or for pecuniary con-
sideration, l know not. Nor is it mae
rial, so far as / am concerned.
l know of leading Republican politician
in this State, q lawyer aud Legislator at
the time, who received farm as fee for
getting a convict pardoned. 1 never heard
that his party blamed him for the service or
the pay.
| The files of the UNION AND AMERICAN
will show that not one word was uttered
by that paper against the Liquor bill, from
the time was employed as attorney in the
case until the Governor had veBoed the
bill. JNO. Z. BURCH.
SATURDAY NIGHT, August 16.