Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-01-24

OOuIl, anu VIC dSfCeu W SuDlult IL.
After Court met, as the Clerk was
reading the minutes, | noticed the
names of the other two gentlemen on
the committee | at once explained
the mistake to them, and asked them,
if they did not concur in the opinion
of the rest of the committee, to say so,
after the report was read. The matter
was then brought before the whole
Court for action-fhe report was read
nobody objected to it. On motion
of one of the magistrates, the vote was
taken and it was adopted without a dis
senting voice.
The names of the committee were
not added to the report for the simple
reason that it was not thought neces-
sary The record showed the appoint
ment of the committee. The record
showed the public reading of the re-
port, and the record, shows or ought to
show its unanimous adoption by the
| Court.
1t stands on the record not as the
opinion of a committee simply, but as
the undivided opinion of the thirty
magistrates present.
[ can not say, of course, what the
private sentiments of any gentlemen
were. There may have been members
of the Court and members of the com
mittee who thought the CHRONICLE
ought to have its pay from the county
But if there was one such member in
all that Court, he failed to lift his voice
for the CHRONICLE when the report
was read, and failed to vote for the
CHRONICLE when the report was
adopted.
In the statement, also, that l con-
suited an eminent attorney on this sub
ject, who said your claim must be al
lowed, you are altogether misinformed.
| never consulted or advised with but
one attorney on this subject. That was
few weeks after | came into Office,
and his opinion and mine conceded
exactly.
As for the remark of the gentleman
on the street, that if the claim was the
Tobacco Leafs, it would be paid-I
have only to say, if the gentleman on
the street will have the patience to
wait until the thing is tried on, he will
see how nearly right he is.
But there is one point, Messrs. Edi-
tors, on which you are entirely correct.
While there was nothing unfair or un-
derhanded about the presentation of
this report, and while It's adoption was
the unanimous action of the Court, |
alone am responsible for every word of
it. The gentlemen who composed the
committee and the gentlemen who COM
pose the Quarterly Court, having no
time to investigate this question, left
the whole matter with me, and acted
upon my decision. If there's any mis-
take, it's my mistake-if there's any
responsibility, it's my responsibility
if anybody's done wrong, I'm the man.
I'm glad to see the CHRONICLE turns
its guns on me, for certainly under no
circumstances could any other member
of the County Court come in for any
just part of its censure. And, indeed,
if the CHRONICLE will only come to
understand it, the Court has not yet
passed upon the justice or injustice of
its claim. Even if the CHRONICLES
claim had been undisputed, the Quar-
terly Court would have had no right to
make an appropriation to pay it. 1t
would be unlawful-this much the
Court was bound to decide, The
CHRONICLE has started the wrong road
to Richmond, even admitting it will
get there after awhile.
And whether the CHRONICLE does
get there or not, surely can not be a
matter of any very great Importance
to me individually. [ am no more in
terested than any other tax payer
The money will not come out of my
pocket. Personally | should be very
glad to pay it. But the people of this
County pay me to attend TO their III
forests, and [ think [ ought to do it.
My position is in some respects DIFF
fcult one. l have many just such
cases as yours to act upon. Somebody
must decide what claims against the
county are just and proper and what
are not, The law makes it my duty,
and | have no right to shrink from it.
Perhaps l may make some mistakes,
most men are fallible, but | shall deal
as fairly and as honestly as can by all
corners.
In the meanwhile, my dear sirs, let
Us shake hands across the bloody
chasm and give each other credit for
better motives. Should the Tobacco
Leaf present a claim to me, upon
which am in any doubt, and all its
employees are starving for want of the
money, l shall decline to pay 1.-THE
gentleman on the street to the contra
ry, notwithstanding-for the office
which | hold, | hold not in the inter
est of any paper. or any man or set of
men, but in the interest of the people I
of Montgomery county.
The merits of this particular case it
is useless to discuss here. tits a mat
ter in which several thousand dollars
are involved to the county. 1t is
matter, to say the least, over whichrests
very grave doubt, and 1 deeline 10 take |
any action until the Courts have set