Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-07-25
TO THE PEOPLE OF MONTGOMERY
AND HOUSTON COUNTIES.

My competitor, H. e. Merritt, has
issued circular in which he charges
that have Illegally. /. E., without au-
thority appropriated to myself a GER
tain per cent of the railroad fund
which | hold in trust for the people
that in consequence of this Illegal
and unwarranted act of mine, the
county is losing at the rate of 500 or
$500 per annum, and that should he be
elected he will insist on my refunding
every dollar that | have thus received.
He and | have been candidates be-
fore the people for several months and
yet he issues this circular upon the
very eve of the election, at an hour
when he knows it will be impossible
for me to see the people in the various
districts of the county and correct
whatever false impression may have
been made by it upon their minds.
| am not Illegally receiving COM
pensation from any source, nor have |
acted in this matter, or any other mat
ter, since | have been in Office without
the fullest and amplest authority.
The county of Montgomery is not
losing 800 or $500 a year, nor is she
losing a cent by the measure complain
ed of. On the contrary, the commits
sion paid by the county for receiving
and disbursing the railroad fund is con-
siderably less than that paid for re-
ceiving and disbursing the county reve-
nue..
The Code makes it the duty of the
County Co1rt to fix the compensation
of the Trustees of the railroad fund.
The law aud several orders of the
County Court impose the duties of that
Office on the County Judge, (the LIST
National Bank being merely the place
of deposit as the Bank of GAINESVILLE,
is the place of deposit of the county
revenue.) The first Railroad tax that
was ever levied and collected in the
county was received and disbursed by
Judge Kimble and the Court under
the Statute above referred to and sec
tions 421 and 423 of the Code, fixed
his compensation. After the war
Judge Bentley took charge of the
fund and received commission, and
Judge King, who succeeded him, also
1CCClNtu d COllHllSclOu, db Vail
Gus times was altered by the Court.
In July 1872, the following was
passed which was in force when [ came
into Office:
July l, 1S72-Ordered by the Court
/ that from and after this date, the per
centage allowed to the Judge of the
! Court for checking out Railroad Tax,
/ deposited in LIST National Bank, shall
be three per cent. instead of four per
cent as heretofore collected by him. F"
Not only had this commission on
the Railroad Tax been allowed and
received from the time the tax was first
levied down to the present, but there
never was time when the expense to
the county was as light as at present.
In 1859, Judge Kimble received
from the county $1,000 per annum, and
this commission. Judge Bentley re-
ceived $1,000, and this commission.
Judge King received from the county
up to 1870, $1,000 per annum, and this
commission. From 1870 to 1873, for
the county s., 800 per annum, and this
commission. While the county now
pays her Judge 800 per annum, and
this commission, and the commission
itself for the year 1874, is less than it
has been at any time since the war.
being three per cent. on about SIC ,00G
or 81 900.
When | came into office | was un-
willing to act under the order granted
above until | saw whether the court
/ desired to renew it as to me. | ex-
amined the law fully upon the subject
as | did upon every other matter af-
fecting the county | also took advice
of Gen. ". A. Quarles, one Of the
Oldest and abiest members OF the
GAINESVILLE bar.
In January, 1874, | had it brought
up before the court, and sent for Col.
James Z. Bailey, one of the county
attorneys, and lawyer of well known
ability. He being satisfied as to the
legality and propriety of the order
the court without dissenting voice
passed the following:
January 6, 1S74.-Ordered by the
court that, it shall be the duty of the
County Judge to keep the accounts OF
The Railroad Collectors, &c.,-for this
service he shall be allowed three per
cent. commission.
Under this order | have since acted,
and in this manner | have ''iitegdlly'
defrauded the people of my native
county.
Hr, Merritt says if elected he will
insist on my reiunding every cent of
this commission which have received.
He has been administrator of Judge