Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-10-04

/ IUltICn III ~ ~ H-N 49, 49,
the public the benefit Of what was said
by witnesses in DR.. Beatty's favorY Let
him answer to the pubic.
In answer to the above hig~h-sounding
pronunciamento, our reporter modestly
refers to the following opinion of Esquire
Miller, who acted as chairman OF the in
vestigating committee at the Poorhouse;
To the Reporter of the Ledger:
have read your report published in
the LEDGER Of September 6, 1875, of the
proceedings that were had at the Poor
house of the county Of Shelby before Els.
uuires Brooks and Elliott, of the Poor
house Commissioners, and Esquire Quig-
ley and myself, Justices of the Peace,
who were invited to take part in the iR-
v~estigation that was there and then be-
ing had; that according to my ~recollec-
ton, what you embodied in your report
is the substance of the investigation
there had. Your report did not embody
1.-THE entire evidence as was detailed by
the witnesses examined, but contained,
according to my remembrance, an accu-
rate statement in substance of what they
deposed. | have. not read all of the
contents Of the pamphlet published by
Esquire c. L. Brooks, but think have
read the material parts. | think, from
the,reading Of the pamphlet. it should be
read in connection with the report Of the
LEDGER, and so far as the evidence that
was taken before us goes, might we'll be
taken together and not do violence to the
truthfulness Of the proceedings OF the
investigation. | do not think that Els
quire Brooks carefully examined the
manuscript Of the pamphlet, for, if be
had, he certainly never would have con
sented that it should be published under
his name. While | do not think, from
the evidence, that DR.. Beatty was guilty
Of any criminality with aDy persons OF
or connected with the Poor house, yet |
do think as a Superintendent Of the
Poor.house he was a decided failure.
Ny opinion OF the Poor-houss Commits
%sioners is, that they we're trying to do
the.best they could in the premises to
promote the welfare of all parties con.
cerned.
Respectfully, r. B. MILLER, ]. P.
Chairman and Esquire Brooks pur-
chases everything for the Poor.bouse.
He, with his associates, who seem to be
silent partners, aud who have nothing to
say, employ everybody connected with
the Poor.house, except the physician.
BE is the monarch of all he surveys on
the Poor-house grounds, and although
his position makes him one Of the three
judges who should sit On the ease Of
superintendent Beatty, and in the inter
est of the county, he comes out in ad-
vaace Of the investigation as the cham
pion of the Superintendent, and lays on
the whitewash with q liberal hasd. He
may be the Great Mogul Of the little
Poor-house out in the country, and be
may be the autocrat Of the entire neigh
borhood, but still the LEDGER. THAT lit
tie %.urnal around the corner" will con
tinue to expose all official misdoings or
scandals, no matter where they crop out.
The Poor.house costs over $4,000 per
annum to run it, and the public have the
right to know all about it, even though
Esquire Brooks is by accident at the
head Of the institution, and the people
will know it so long as the LEDGER is
published. Esquire Brooks gives the
estimated cost Of the Poor.house for the
present year at $l4,469, but the esti-
mated AMOUNT should be, even at his own
figures, $l6,482, because he substraots
therefrom the sum Of $4,000, which he
calls the met increase in stock and the
products Of the farm a credit to which
the expense account is not by any rule
entitled to. The truth is just this: that
things at the Poor-houss, as old man
Squire Bleokley would say, are run
sorter loose" but all this should be
remedied at once by the Quarterly Court
by e%lecting a new set of Poor.house
Commissioners, and selecting a new set
of Poor house employees, and then by
close attention to the purchase Of sup
plies and expenditures generally reduce
the expenses to as low a figure as posi-
Bile. This is the age Of retrenchment in
Shelby county; at leas, it is SO with sll
people outside Of certain servants Of the
people known as magistrates and Poor
house Commissioners.