Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1875-01-27
IL DUNCAN roes into tho brs;ros.

bent whose ignorance, corruption or
ayarice make it dangerous TO Ten.
nessee bondholders' interests to have
him continue in position, he will have
wholesale trade of it. He wants
the people of Tennessee to believe
that he paid $4,000 out of his own
pocket to Mr.. Hobbs to induce him
to resign because he was incompetent.
Hobbs was one of the financial officers
Of the State. His duties were clearly
defined by law, and from what we
have heard of his intellectual construc.
ton, he would not have been able to
throw much obstruction in the way of
the funding ring, EVENT. disposed to do
so. Hobbs was not belligerept indi.
vidual. The "humid atmosphere" of the
Capitol had 80 far impaired his phvsi-
cal system that he would have been
glad to draw his $4,000 per year in
peace and discharge his clerical du.
ties with the least exertion possible.
But if not, he conld have been
forced to do his duty.
Duncan does not put himself be-
fore the people as a man Of nerve. A
man who held S250.OOO Of State bonds
ought not to have been so frightened
by seeing Hobbs in the Comptroller's
office, as to buy him out of it with
$4,000 of hard earned money.
But again. If Hobbs was bought
Off because he was an obstruction to
the funders for the large sum of $40.
600. we are inclined to believe that
such a reason for the trade
would have leaked out, and others
at Nashville would have improved
the opportunity to work upon
Dmcan's nervous fears. What a
splendid stroke Of business it would
have been for others of the States
officers to have raised their towering
forms before the demoraliZed Dun.
can and breathed vengeance against
the funding law Their offices are
all poor ones. The salary of the best
is, we believe, less than $4,000 per
year. What a chance for them to
have sold out for $4,000 or more.
for if Duncan once paid out 10000 |
to Hobbs be could not afford to stop
and lose that and his margin on $3.50
300 too. These suggestions are worth
about, and tax payers will
not he slow to make the most of them.
HERE Is DANGER when legislative
bodies take a mania for reform, that
they will go to an extreme likely to cost
the State more than they expected to
save. We think there is abundant room
for retrenchment in our State expen-
and we are glad to see our
present Legislature disposed to meet
the popular demand in this direction.
but they shodld be careful that their
saving does not extend to departments
OF our governmental machinery which
will not bear it. We want to cut
down expenses and reduce taxes, but
1t IS bad place to begin this work, |
with our school system or benevolent
institutions. There are several WAYS |
II which we can save enough to relieve
our tax payers without Gripping our
schools or hospitals. We certainly |
ought not do less in these respects
than we have done. We can save
thousands annually in cutting down |
clerical salaries in our large counties. |
There are clerks Of courts who are |
two and three times as much
as the salaries Of the Judges who ap-
point them. The State pays out
hundred thousand dollars for criminal
much Of which goes to
pay spiteful prosecutions that more |
conscientious and courageous Attor-
neys Genaral might save.
The fact is that office holding is so !
much more profitable in this State |
than legitimate business pursuits that
annually we witness the demoralizing |
spectacle Of scores Of men wasting
their time and spending money to Sc
cure office. Legislation is needed to
encourage labor and its natural pur.
suits, and discourage ohice-sceking.
So long as there are Offices in the
State worth from five to fifteen thou.
sand dollars uer wear tbpra will 10