Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-04
MAYNARD AND THE DEMOCRATIC
STEWARDSHIP.

During lifelong and varying contests
between the old Wing and Democratic
parties the Gubernatorial canvass in
Tennessee always excited interest, pro-
vCked discussion and often aroused the
enthusiasm of the masses of the peo-
pie. But never during the most holly
contested and desperately fought bat
ties waged between these parties, did
any prominent leader of either, in
order to bolster up its sinking fortunes,
deliberately and persistently misrepre-
sent and falsify the record of its op-
ponent. To have descended to such
unworthy and disreputable practices
would have brought condemnation
and disgrace upon the offender.
But, since the close Of the war and
since the accession of the Republican
party to power, the mode of attack has
been changed by that party, and to-
day the entire canvass in this State is
based upon mistatements and asser-
tons so palpably false as to leave no
ground for doubt that it is not igno-
rance but entire disregard OF truth
which prompts the statements.
There care now no ingenious arguments
as IN former days, no evasive logic
based upon facts. and yet so presented
as to satisfy public inquiry;
none of that personal eloquenee
and magnetism which in former
days led even the opponents of
party to speak lightly of its faults.
The standard-bearer of the Republican
party in Tennessee, casting aside logic
and sophistry, and to some extent cant
and hypocrisy, bases his claim to Office,
and the claim of his party TO power,
upon the grossest mistatements of
facts, and the utter disregard of the
history of Democratic rule in Tennes-
see. Mr.. Maynard has been driven TO
this alternative to divert attention from
the blackness of his own record and
that of his party; and while Judge Por-
ter has given him no time for rest, or
even breath, upon the Civil Rights
bill, which is now the most pressing and
serious question with which the coun-
try has to deal, we do not intend that
these mistatements and misrepresenta-
tons shall 90 unanswered.
1t is charged by Mr.. Maynard that
thepresent lease Of the State Penitentia-
ry was ilnpolitic and unwisely, if notcor-
ruptly, made. But what are the facts?
When the Democratic party came into
power, in 1870, they found the Peni-
Tertiary leased TO Messrs. Ward &
Briggs, under a contract made by Re-
publican inspectors and approved by
Republican Legislature. This lease
cost the State, before the prison was
again placed in the hands Of Demo-
cratic appOintees, the sum of one hun
bred and sixty thousand dollars. Nor
was this all. The State was further
mulcted in the sum of eighty thou
sand dollars by the improper and I'M
warrantable terms Of the contract, and
still greater loss would have occurred
but for the prompt and timely action
taken by the State authorities and
counsel for the State. The prison was
then placed in the hands Of inspectors
who had power and authority from
April, 1870, to January, 1872, TO lease
the institution either IN whole or in
part. This authority was conferred by
an Act of the General Assembly which
was Of public record and everywhere
known. The inspectors, ty the terms
Of the Act, were directed to lease out
the Penitentiary whenever they should
be convinced from actual experiment
and fair trial that it could not be made
self-sustaining, and no longer burden
upon the Treasury" These are the
words of the Act, and the inspectors, for
months before the lease was made TO
Looney & O'Conner, had offered the
prison for lease.
The committee of the General As
sembly appointed to examine the re-
port andact of the inspectors reported
that the prison had failed to be self
sustaining. The lease was made by the
inspectors, believing it to be for the best
interest Of the State. 1t was approved
by the Governor and tie General As
sembly at the instance and request Of
the inspectors. By the lease, the pris-
on was made self-sustaining. and even
a source Of revenue to the amount, per
annum, of $4,000 to the State treasu-
~. How had it been under Radical
rule: Taking the record as 1t stands
in the Comptrollers' reports, we find
the following payments made out of
the treasury to sustain the prison:
In 1866. Observation-Disclosures. II, 100 III
In .-....-..-......s'.. ti'ttt OF
In leGo. lO9-Uu3 81
In 1863. 0S,4io 10
The lease which, as Mr.. Maynard
charges, was so secretly and 50 injudi-
ciously made, is thus shown to have
been publicly effected, after a fair trial
and experiment, and to have saved to
the State more than seventy thousand
dollars per annum. 1t was voted for
and approved, not as a party measure,
but by Republicans and Democrats
alike.
Another charge made by Dir. May
nard. that the railroad interests of the
State have been recklessly squandered,
and injudiciously managed, i equally
unjust and without foundation in fact.
The railroads sold have realized to the
State more money than they could
bring to-day, and, with one exception,
we have never heard Of apurchaser who
does not lose bV his investment Nor