Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-07-21
JUDGE TRIGG AGAIN.

We find the following in the Press
and Herdli, of Saturday morning:
"Judge Trigg was detained at home four
days of the present week, By reason OF an
attack of sickness. Oa account of this alb
s-ucy he made the object of fierce as.
sault by tho CuEoSicLE. Judge Trigg has
been holding thc ocular Courts at Knox
Vile for eleven wears. We understand this
is tive first time hat he has been absent
co., he Bench during term time, for so
many day, Tor any reason. Sickness is at
oil times personal misfortune in pull =
lie officer sometimes, and in this case, the
source Of much public Inconvenience. But
we confess we ARE especially surprised that
the CnRoNIcLE should treat temporary
absence from the post of official duty. on uc-
count of sickness, as a public otFense ~
We had not expected to refer to
this subject again, but this effort on
the part of Judge Trigg's friends to
make it appear that we have made a
"ferce assault upon him because he
was absent from his post of duty on
account eff sickness, renders it neces-
sary that we should. Whatever may
be Judge Trigg's shortcomings, we
entertain for him personally none but
the kindest feelings, but his hardness
and inefficie ncy have become so no.
torious that we believed it our duty
as journalists to call attention to
them.
The records o. his Court for the past
seven years will show that at more
than half the terms, the Court has
been adjourned from one TO four days
on account Of his absence. For a
great portion of that time business
has not been dispatched in his Court
with that promptness which the pub
lie has a right to expect from a Judi-
cial officer in 50 important q position
as his. These facts are notorious.
1t has been a subject of general re-
mark here in Knoxville, where the
facts are known, and from men Of all
political parties. Were we inclined to
do so, we could make very damaging
statements and keep strictly within
the bounds of truth; but we have no
desire to 90 farther than is necessary,
in our opinion, for the public good.
As to the Judges illness keeping
him away at tins term Of the court for
four days, we do not propose to deny
word he or his friends may say, but
will only offer the following signif-
cant paragraph from the Press aHd
Herald of Friday morning. Noticing
the arrival Of Judge Trigg it says:
The Judge looked well and walked
up Gay street to the Lamar House,
preferring to walk, although vehicles
were at his service
We do not wish to add another
word on this point.
Under ordinary circumstances we
would not have written a line upon
the subject, but when we see two OF
three hundred poor men, who earn
their bread by the sweat of their
brow, and who depend upon their la.
Dor for support for themselves and
their families, laying around the court
house day after day, and paying
heavy board bills which they cannot
afford to pay, and when we see the
government losing hundreds of dol
lars from the hardness of one single
court, we believe it our duty tc
speak out, and this is what we have
done. Under like circumstances We
will do it again. If a mild state
ment of facts is q "fierce assault
then we plead guilty to'the charge o
the Press and Herald.