The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-08-23
A difference with a Distinction.
Chattanooga Times, 18th.

Chattanooga Times, 18th.
The Knoxville Chropicle quotes the
following from the NeaU Southern Era.
of Nashville:
"The State paid out, as fees to
Acknowledgements, 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 1926, ,047.36. The State, during
that time, was under Republican rule.
'sFor the two years commencing
January l, 1873. and ending Decem-
ber 20, 1874, the State paid out for
criminal prosecutions $475, LA 40.
This was under Democratic rule, and
was $179.297.13 more than these
prosecutions cost the State under
Republican rule
And upon this the Chronicle COM
ments thus:
"Now, our Democratic friends,
who are SO devoted to reform in the
matter of public expenditures, will
confer a favor upon the people Of
Tennessee by explaining why fees
paid to ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, Criminal
Court Clerks, Justices Of the Peace,
ETC., for criminal prosecutions for
two years. commencing with Octo-
ber, 1867, should be so much less
than that paid for the same items
during the two years ending Decem-
ber 20, 1874. The people who pay
taxes are interested in this matter.
1t will be seen that the difference is
very large"
The man most likely to be able to
give very full explanation of these
historical problems is VIM. @. Brown
low, 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 editing the Knoxville Wing
aud Rebel Velatitator. He would say
that he then advised the Union men
of Tennessee to take the righting of
their wrongs into their own hands,
which they did to the great detri-
ment of those who were serving with
Mr.. Frank I. Reid, present editor of
the Era. in the rebel army, and the
serious inconvenience of their friends
at home. Mr.. Brownlow would fur
ther relate that he carried this poli-
cy into the Governors chair in 1865,
and that it became the ruling policy
of the State. lie might, without do
ing violence to the truth, say there
was practically no such thing as civil
law in vogue in large districts Of this
State from 1866 to 2870, for the re-
dressing of injuries to the person of
citizen, including murder and as
sault and battery and all personal
offenses between these extremes. Ii
the strong right arm was n 1T sum
cient such crimes were no4 expiatet.
at all in more than three-fourths of
the cases then occurring.
Mr., Brownlow would, if he were
disposed to be entirely and strictly
correct in his account of that era,
say that, especially in the years
1868 and 90, that the entire divis-
ions of Middle and West Tennessee
were practically without the pale of
civilized law that the were over-run
by bands of cut-throats, called mill
tia, commanded by such notorious
outlaws as Bill Hathaway; that the
whole State was on the verge Of an
arehy; that courts commanded no
respect, and made little or no effort
to enforce criminal process; that
grand juTies, in some sections, did
not dare to bring indictments in one
case in five of personal violence.
Governor Brownlow will further ad-
NIT. if he admits the facts as they
are known to every citizen who re-
sided in the State at that time, that
crimes against the person were of
much more frequent occurrence in
the years first mentioned by Mr..
Reid, than in the years of 1873 and
IA and that the only true explana-
tion for the difference between GRIM
inai costs paid in favor of 1869 is
that crimes were not punished dur
ing that time, and that they were
punished in 1874. @eI ~
We are of opinion that Messrs.
Brownlow and Reid should get to-
gether and talk these matters over.
They could come to an understand
ing readily as to what caused the
disparity in the cost of criminal ja-
risprudence in this State now and
during Mr.. Brownlow's or Senter's
administration.