Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-30
BRAzEN nIPU-


BaOWSLOw's BRAzEN uIPU-
DENCE
Every one, of course, understands
that Horace Maynard is not running
for the Governorship of Tennessee, but
for some Federal Office IN the gift of
Grant. Yet, even to secure such a sop,
he must make some little show at the
polls next Tuesday. His Civil Rights
and tariff record, however, is so in
juring him with the Changers of East
Tennessee, that his chances seem
slender for carrying even his own Sec
ton of the State. In these desperate
straits, VIM. G. Brownlow has been in
voked to step in to the help of the tot
tering Narragansett. "Old Proc"
comes to the rescue IN the KRorUille
Chronicle with column of fulsome
eulogy of his rival brother. After pro-
nouncing the current version of May
nard's speech at Athens in 1866, "a lie
made out of whole CLOTH" Brownlow
says:
No man Of superior ability to May
nard has ever filled the Executive Chair
of Tennessee. He is the equal Of
James K. Polk and others, whose
talents have reflected credit on the
Office and State.
At this particular juncture, Horace
Maynard as Governor of Tennessee,
would be the fright man in the right
place" His administration
of the States influences, would speedi-
ly restore credit at home and abroad.
This sounds ike doubtful praise,
when we remember BrOwnlow's opin-
ion, so often and freely expressed, of
the Democrat Jas. K. Polk during the
latter's life time. And, in view of
Maynard's recent structures on the
system of funding first resorted to by
Brownlow himself, the closing sentence
seems sarcastic.
Brownlow does notreach the sublim-
ity of impudence, however, till he
branches out on the penitentiary ques-
ton in the following trenchant style:
The Democratic politicians of Ten
nessee have iDsulted. spurned, spit up
on the honest, hard working sons of
toll. They have hired out all over the
State the labor Of nearly one Thousand
penitentiary cOnvicts- They have sold
for FIVE years, to d favored few, for
about ten cents a day, the labor of
these criminals TO compete with the
honest working men, mechanics
and day-laborers.
Ands these mechanics and labOrers,
in their struggle for the support of
themselves, wives and little ones, find
themselves brought IN competitlOnwlth
the murderers, thieves, barn-burners
and criminals of every class known IN
the catalogue of crime, hired out at ten
cents day.
After this, let US hear no more about
the brazen cheek of life insurance
agents, or the diabolic imperturbability
Of Ben Butler. Who, pray, leased the
labor of convicts to Hyatt, Ward &
Briggs under the act Of May y, 1866?
Who but Brownlow? And how shall
he escape his own burning words about
Insulting, spurning, splitting upon the
honest, hard working sons Of toil?" If
that be the Brownlow mode Of express
ing it, who but Brownlow himself first
brought mechanics and laborers in
competition with the murderers.
thieves, barn-burners and criminals Of
every class?" Brownlow rented them
out cheaper than ten cents
day. The Ward and Briggs lease
called for forty three cents, but it cost
the State over thirty six cents to feed
and clotbe them, leaving the charge
for labor a fraction over six cents a
day! (See r port Of Penitentiary Di-
rectors in House Appendix, lS69-T0,
page I73, two of these Directors being
BrOwnlow's appointees, and the third
Gov. Senter's.) Such were the terms
on which Brownlow brought honest
labor into competition with murderers
and thieves-six cents a day But
how did it pan out? Brownlow's peni-
tentia Y lease law was passed May II,
1866. For the next two years and a
half of his administration, up to the
meeting of the Legislature in Novem-
Der, 1868, the following drafts were
made on the State Treasury in behalf
of the institution:
May 70, 1866, appropriated. .... $4,000 |
March s, 1867, appropriated. $4,000 |
Nov. 10, 1867, appropriated. ..... $4,000 !
March 13, 1865, appropriated. .. $1,000 |
Indebtedness. November, 1873. Sc. 10000 |