Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-09-07
A Difference with a Dis.
tinction.

1
"The State paid out, as fees to
Attorney Generals, Criminal Court
Clerks, Justices of the Peace, etc.,
for criminal prosecutions, for the
two years commencing October,
1867, and ending October, 1869,
the sum Of $295,047.36. The
State, during that time, was un-
der Republican rule.
"For the two years commenc-
ing January l, 1873, and ending
December 20, 1874, the State
paid out for criminal prosecutions
$475, ,l44 40. This was under
Democratic rule, aud was $175,-
267.13 more than these prosecu.
tions cost the State under Repub.
lican rule"
And upon this the Chronicle
| comments thus:
"Now our Democratic friends,
who are so devoted to reform in
the matter of public expenditures,
will confer favor upon the peo-
pie OF Tennessee by explaining
why fees paid to Attorney Gener-
ais, Criminal Court Clerks, Justi.
ces Of the Peace, etc, for criminal
prosecutions for two years, COM
mencing with October, 1867,
should be so much less than that
paid for the same items during
the two years ending December
20, 1874. The people who pay
taxes are interested in this mat
ter. 1t will be seen that the diff.
ference is very large"
The man most likely to be able
to give a very full-expIanation of
these historical problems is VIM.
G. BrownIow, senior editor of the
Chronicle. If Mr.. Brownlow
should speak fully and frankly on
these matters he would begin by
saying that in 1864 he was edi-
ting the Konxville Wing and
Rebel Ventilator. He would
say that he then advised the Un.
ion men of Tennessee to take the
righting of their wrongs into their
own hands, which they did to the
great detriment of those who were
serving with Mr.. Frank T. Reid,
present editor of the Era, in the
rebel army, and the serious incon.
venience of their friends at home.
Mr.. .Brownlow would further relate
that he carried his policy into the
Governors chair in 1865, and
that it became the ruling policy
of the State. He might, without
doing violence to the truth, say
there was practically no such
thing as civil law in vogue in large
districts of this State from 1865
to 1870, for the redressing of in
juries to the person of citizen,
including murder, assault and bat
terry and all personal offenses be-
tween these extremes. If the
strong right arm was not sufficient
such crimes were not expiated at
all in more than three fourths of
the caser then occurring.
Mr.. Brownlow would, if he
were disposed to be entirely and
strictly correct in his account of
that era, say that, especially 10 the
years 1868 and 80, the entire
divisions of Middle apd West
Tennessee were practically with
out the pale of civilized law; that
they were over-run by bands of
cut-throats, called militia, COM
manded by such notorious out
laws as Bill Hathaway; that the
whole State was on the verge of
anarchy; that courts command
ed no respect, and made little
or DO effort to enforce criminal
process; that grand juries, in some
sections, did not dare to bring in.
dictments in one case in five Of
personal violence. Gov. Brown.
low will further admit, if he ad-
mits the facts as they are known
to every citizen who resided in the
State at that time, that crimes
against the person were OF much
more frequent occurrence in
in the years first mentioned by
Mr.. Reid, than in the years of
1873 and IA; and that the only
true explanation TOR the difference
between criminal costs paid in IA
vOr of 1868 is that crimes were
not punished during that time,
and that they were punished in
1884.
We are of the opinion that
Messrs. Brownlow and Reid should
get together and talk these mat
ters over. They could come to
an understanding readily as to
what caused the disparity in the
cost of criminal Jurisprudence in
this State now and during Mr..
Brownlow's or Senter's admins
tration,