Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-01-12
COMMUNICATED.
BRISTOL, TENN.
Ian 9TH 1875

Editor of the NeWsS Dear Sir II
am sorry TO be forced TO the necessity
of again appearing in print, your per-
sonal attack, leaves me no other alter
native adequate, to the redress desir-
! ed. AS citizen of GoodsOn / eXpec-
ted from you, as our Mayor, some in
| formation OH our corporation affairs,
and not personal TRADE. Why any
I alusion to our town finances, should
! provoke as much spleen, and bad tenn
per as it has, am unable to divine
| If your office exempts you fIOm
answering a citizen on questions oil
vital Importance, does il also licence
you t. be abusive Your zeal for selfish
views should not lead you to such ex-
tremes. Is thought the corporation
was able, no one would be more de-
lighted to vote 8. park 10 few of our
talented and favored citizens than l
would. Bat when our tax has increas-
ed from 80 to 80 cents Oh the 500,
which of itself Is proof of financial
Encouragement; when a Floating
debt is hanging over us; when we are
largely indebted to Johnson ; when we
are paying annually a much larger
sum 10y way of interest to Mr.. John
ston on the meadow lands than the
rent received for the same, / hardly
think we are in a condition to grant
the donation.
When you are asked to give a show
ing you reply the books are open, as if
each one could examine those books
for himself, and learn anything about
the corporation affairs. If l am not
very much mistaken q Philadelphia
lawyer could not understand them,
and this | take for granted from your
own showing. When l give my in
formation as to the floating debt, and
ask to be set right if in error, | am
asked by the Mayor, with his books
before HIM, to state how much the
corporation owes and to whom it is
owing, When l refer to the printed
issue of sales in your own paper of
July, 1871, l am charged with being
uncandid. Why don't you refer to
that list and state what lots have been
returned to the corporation You
could do this very easy as they are all
numbered, and state also what had
been paid on them before they were
forfeited. If there were thirteen acres
of land on hand unsold in July 1871,
are now on hand. When we ask for
an account of your Stewardship why
is it given in the shape of Gags and
Printing in Georgia and Tennessee,
&C., and then why play off and talk
about my receiving 10 per Cent. dis
count. You either acted properly and
1t was an advantage 10 the corporation
for you to make the discount, or you
acted improperly ana it was a disad-
vantage. If the former it was an act
of kindness for me to take in my I'M
due bonds, and thus enable you 10 Sc
cure from Johnston a corresponding
discount. If the latter, and there WAS
a wrong in it, you was a party to the
wrong; and your mouth should have
been sealed oil this point. and further
more you would not have been acting
for the best interest of the corporation
as faithful steward would have done.
Again, why was it that you would dis
count my paper, which was perfectly
good and solvent, 10 per cent. and
make the poor man pay more.
When a deficit is spoken of why
muddy the water by talking of mat
tiers which have nothing to do with
the case at issue, such as shaving pa
per, wife and daughters, &c. The
people want to know more about our
finances, just now and less about 'tin-
der box houses" more about the John
ston Land Purchase and less about the
failing memory of that reliable citizen
who saw Col. GoodsOn stake off lots.
The gentleman may be honest in his
statement, but he is wrong and the
proof is at hand to make my assertion
good. We might yet discuss more
about Frog Level for a Park, and to
prepare stills for the people to wade
over it, and tadpoles to afford them
amusement, and less about the I'M
founded apprehensions of Another
Voter" about my wanting to be in Of
flee. Such things have availed here
tofore, but now it won't wash, | won
der if Another Voter" is good in fig
ures. He says we have enough TO pay
Johnston without the meadow. Will
he tell me If it takes $4,000 to pay
$4,000, how much will it take to pay
$4,000 according to the same ratio. !
have no doubt If the gentleman had
given his name it would have been
very easy to account for his interest In
the park from the distance he lives
from the same. Asking pardon for |
this notice Of his article, / hasten on.
You speak of church and ten-pin |
alley, now what have they to do with |
the issue before as. I would say none |
at all. If | am mistaken you please
state which side of the account they |
are to be placed on, the debit or the
credit, If mn either. state their value
You also state that | built ten-pin
alley. this 1 most emphatically deny,
and would refer you to ]. b. Keller,
who built 1t and to Messrs. Atkinson
& Dosser, who employed him to do the
WORK. In"ither directly nor indirt CT
ly had anything to do with the Idea
Of erecting an alley. have been Of
rered certificates to set this matter
light, but believing you would Q
enough to set such
,hings right yourself, l leave it with
you. I have no doubt if our citizens
lad been little more fault-finding in
he past, they would to-day receive
IiAder. treatment at the hands of our
officials. l shall say 10 more on this
ubject am again misrepresented.
Yours truly,