Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-23
ne. But the figures proved their

became a fraction of the State Govern
mert-a vulgar fraction, as it were.
The funding bill became law. 1t
was the Comptroller's duty to fund the
bonds, that the public honor might be
preserved by a practical application of
the sublime art Of paying something
with nothing. Hobbs did not prove a
success at funding. Somehow, long
lines of figures did not appear as clear
as the coon tracks of his native jungles.
His massive intellect did not clutch
finance with avidity. Then his
health failed. 1t seems that theTewas
too much air In the atmosphere of the
Capitol. A learned doctor grayely an
nounced that the air possessed hu-
nudity. Hobbs remembered somebody
who had died of too much humidity.
He stood aghast, resigned and betoOk
himself to the wilderness of his sunny
boyhood. Burch became his successor.
1t was charged that the Funding
Ring, which lobbied the bill through
the Legislature and had a Wall street
connection, persuaded Hobbs to 'git
up and gin" There were vague hints
about Sl2, 900, and these hints, coined
into positive charges, have run through
the Republican press. They seem to
have reached Comptroller Burch door,
and he now proposes to kick them away.
But to quote his own newspaper:
| 1t will he remembered that libel
Gus charges relative to the sale of
the COMPREHENSIVE by Mr.. Hobbs,
and the purchase thereof by Mr..
Burch appeared in a Radical paper
last summer. Those charges were
promptly and explicitly denied by
! Colonel Burch, Governor Blown and
Mr. Hobbs In cards over their full sig
natures. Colonel Burch has taken no
further notice OF the charges until they
have recently been revived in most
offensive manner by the Banner.
The Comptroller now says to the
Banner: You must prove that l paid
Hobbs money to resign" 1t is nice
little tangle all around, and we rejoice
in the prospect of an early solution of
| the great Tennessee conundrum:
who's Hobbs?~> The Banner should
be willing to pay $4,000, and the
UNION AND AMERICAN 100000 to have
the great question settled. And all this
suggests the query: docs anybody
know Hobbs?"
Knoxville Press anu Herald.
The Hobbs mystery has assumed
new phase. Comptroller Burch has
brought snit against the Nashville Ban
ner for libel, claiming damages in the
sum of $4,000. On the same day that
the proprietors and editors of the Ban
aer were served with the notice of the
suit, the Banner brought a suit for
libel against Col. Burch, as chief pro-
prietor OF the NASHVILLE UNION AND
AMERICAN, and his associate pub
fishers and editors, claiming $780,
| 600 damages. The suit against the
Banner is for alleged hbeling the
| Comptroller IN connection with Hobbs,
and though the reason for the suit
against the UNION AND AMERICAN is
not given, it is supposed to be on ac-
count of illusions IN that journal to
the Banners connection with an alleg-
ed printing swindle."
The two journals, of Friday last, pub
hshed the summons In both suits, and
editorially warm to the work In fine
style. The UNION AND AMERICAN is
serious and treats the matter with dig
nifty, while the Banner deyotes a grave
article or two to the subject, and then
fairly bubbles over with unsurpassed
merriment.
Knoxville Chronicle, (Rad1
Hobbs has cut a prominent figure of
late in Tennessee politics. And it is
right that he should. IL reports are
| true. he is the pioneer of a new class of
politicians in our State. a youngman
OF influence, who wants to make snug
little sum of money out of the people,
has in Hobbs a precedent for going be-
fore the Legislature for a good fat
Office and then firing Of its response
| bilIties, Of selling 1t for twelve thou
sand OF whatever sum he can get. This,
we say, If reports be true, Is the mod
ern specializing politician Of the day
In Tennessee. The uncertainty hang
ing over this Hobbs affair has become
so wonderful that it is generally recog-
nized as mystery"
But the mystery" is likely to be
cleared up. The Nashville daily pa
pers, falling to dispel the mist by edi-
/ torial discussion, have invited each
other into the courts to tell under oath
| and by witnessas what they know of It.
We learn by private letter from Nash
Vile that the prOpTietOrs of the UNION
| AND AMERICAN have sued the Banner
men for libel, az claim $4,000 dam
ages, because the religious" Banner
! intimated that the UNION AND AMERI-
CAN was mixed up with the Hobbs
mystery. We suppose the UNION AND
| AMERICAN intended to show the
people that 1t wanted the mystery"
cleared up in the courts, where there
could be no lodging. We think the
people viii endorse that suit. They
want the facts, and that is good way
to get them.
But the Banner, properly appreciat-
ing the new kind of enterprise INTO
wHch the UNION AND AMERICAN pro-
posed to embark, and remembering that
| the people were, some time ago, through
the energy and pluck Of Col. John
Baxter, deeply interested in a certain
mystery" connected with the public
printing ring" determined not to be
| beaten, and with characteristic enter
prise and spUnk, paTried the UNION
AND AMERICAN blow by sending a
heavier one back. Its answer to the
suit for $4,000 is a counter suit for
| libel for $4,000 against the
UNION AND AMERICAN for damages
for intimating that it had any corrupt
connection with the public printing
ring"
Ordinarily we think libel suits I'M
necessary, but in this instance, we
think we but reflect public opinion,
when we say that the suits ought to be
prosecuted unless in some other and
better way the people can get at the
facts n the case. If the Comptroller's
Office was sold by Hobbs for $4,000
and Comptroller BurUh had any con-
nection with it, the people want to
know it, and they VIII look up to the
religious" Banner to show it up in
their behalf.
a NEGRO LyECEEED IN HENDERSON
COUNTY.
/ Trrr,a