Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-07-08
A POOR DEFENSE FOR HOBBS.

The Press and Herald has assumed
to champion Hobbs. 1t does Il feebly,
as of late its zeal for the Democratic
party is waning. 1t called upon us fos
documentary proofp that Hobbs sold
out his office for $4,000 We frankly
replied that we did not have such
proof, and never had claimed to have
it, but that we did have proof of such
aserious, damaging character as de-
manded from the accused more salts.
factory proof Of innocence than has
yet beer offered. In reply to our array
of these damaging facts the Press and
Herald says it is not such proof as a
court would require of a plaintiff TO
sustain his case, and therefore dismiss.
es us with flourish. 1t often happens
that while defendant escapes convic.
ton in court through technical
defenses, he nevertheless goes out of it
as seriously damaged as he would have
been by verdict of guilty.
Every honest man in Tennessee
knows that Hobbs has not fairly an
swered the charges against him. His
hesitation and evasion, added to the
ugly facts admitted to be true, make
such a case against him and his ass6ci-
ates, as would drive an honest and in.
nocent man to make a successful de-
Tense, if it were possible. But let us
look at Hobbs defense as put forth by
his unsophisticated champion:
WAvERLY, Aug. IL, 1S73.-For the
of the editor of the
Nashville Bulletin, who fails to see in
my card published "A few days since, a
sufficient denial of certain charges
made by him, allow me through your
columns 20 state most positively that
l never received So, 600 for the office
of Comptroller, as an inducemeut TO
resign Ii, from any source or in any
way; nor was | brought to resign it by |
pecuniary considerations paid or
promised me. l resigned the office to !
the proper authority under the Consti- |
tuition aud laws of the State, and thus |
returned 1t to the people. 1 did this |
without hint or intimation Of any |
character, passing one way or the 9th
IF, directly or indirectly, between me
and the appointing power as to who
would be my successor. had no hint |
Or intimation that Col. Burch would
De appointed, and did not expect that
ne would be.
w. w. HOBBs.
Now even poor lawyer" can
hnW that THE oa r1 Il n ,~.i-o..ll. ...
ion and not fair and specific denial
If the charges. 1t denies but two
hings. First, it denies that he receiv-
ID Sl2, 900 for the COMPREHENSIVE, but
Ices not deny that he did not receive
III 1893 or any other sum. Second, it
Ienies that he was brought to resign
t by pecuniary considerations paid or
me-" but he is very careful
lot to say that such pecuniary con-
iderations" were not paid to any one
Use for him. Any sensible reader can
ee that the answer is an evasion and
lot full denial, written to cover the
round comprehenGed in the charges.
With such a weak client, we are
.ot surprised that our contem-
'orary wants to give up
Is case. 1t announces, and
ow we are done with the Hobbs
lystery." We do not wonder. 1t
ad better never started a defense. II
as attempted to defend a man who
an not defend himself. The people
Tennessee know there is something
cry rotten connected with this Hobbs
and they want it cleared
p. We will help to do it, as far as we
an, by forcing men who know the
acts to tell them.