Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-09


That Report
GAINESVILLE Tobacco Leaf: 1--WE place be-
fore our readers the report of the investigating
mlttee. This report has been gotten up at an i'm
mense cost to the State of Tennessee. There was
no need of any such committee and said at the
time They have not brought single new fact to
port single fact about the creation of the State
debt that has not been known for years. There was
a purpose, however, in its appointment, which is
pal pab!e to all. Some excuse was wanted for not
paying the debt and this committee sent out on
hashed the old story and there is nothing to do
but meet the question squarey as they ought to have
done before"
They are RepudiatiOnists.
Rockville Chronicle: ''The majority in the
Tennessee legislature may 'resolute till the COWS
come home but it will take more than mere reso-
give the lie to their wOrds'
Dishonesty.
Baltimore Sun: The very bad element
in the so-called Democratic legislature of Tennes-
see, through their committee TO investigate the
iripe4 vnT ~ yTtnai renndiai,on accordnS 70
the programme marked out by Governor Marks in
the cunningly devised scheme of dishonesty EN-
in January. They have made a report attempting
TO invadate about two-thrds OF the debt OF nearly
other words, they would make 1t appear that their
own party, which has been In the ascendeney SO long
in Tennessee since the war, has been thoroughly
Ill shOnest for 1t is fact that Democratic legisa-
lures have enacted two OF the three funding opera
however this committee, that will be thought less
OF in that regard than others, and 1t would seem
past legislatures will resent the offensive assump-
lions of this unreasonable committee"
An UumitIgated FaIsehOOd.
Knoxville Chronicle, 5th: SIN the Nash
Vile Banner of Monday evening, In editorial on
the report of the committee TO Investigate the State
debt, find the following paragraph Some of the
dispositions show that the Knoxville Wing and ChTO7l-
jcIe approached with offer of large pecunary
reward for services to be rendered In depressing State
Vile COurier-JOuraII, and we presume to other pa
peTs. We have written to Senator Wilson, chair
man of the committee, requesting copy of the de-
positions mentioned in this paragraph. Until we
receive that we have nothing further TO say. than
aud Cl,ronacLe has not been thus approached. II
the dispositions are not there the Banner has pub
llShed an unmtig4te falSehoOd. II there are such
depostiOns, those who have made them have sworn
lie When we hear from Senator Wilson we will
have something more to say on this subject.
Facts for the ReDudiaTIODIsts.
Pulaski Citizen, 9th: The reputation
lists harp with great JUNCTION and sanctImoniousness
upon the Sl4,64S 600 issued in aid Of our railroad
system and charge that the sale of the States inter
est in these roads for only S6,64S000 thereby los
ing 81 $4,000, was d gga' tic fraud and sw1ndle
They do not seem to remember that the state was
losing money every day by holding to these roads
that the people were paying heavy taxes to keep
them running, and that In a few years the policy OF
holding to them would have cost double as much as
to let them go at the enormous sacrifice above re-
ferred to- Nevertheless these are facts which fair
and honest men who think for themselves ought to
consider. Nor do they for one single moment stop
to estimate the benefits received by the state in the
construction OF these roads, nor do lhey seem 10
think the ate ought to pay single cent t..
ward the perfection of grand system OF
wealth three-fold and forty times its cost,
but carried churches, seh3ols ana clxlliza t
the equities but they do not consider the real
equities in the case They say we are not able 70
pay and yet our ability is much greater than when
the debt was made, and greater because of the inn
Proyements and deyelSements caused 6y the geot
But they say some OF the debt was fraudulent That
is admitted. But It is small proportion and can
not be distinguished. That has been attempted by
| present and all have failed. Besides, the owners
of our bonds have voluntarily proposed to surrender
| reasonable TepudiatOr would dare to charge was
| fraudulent. They say the taxation necessary to
/ compromise would be burdenSOme, but never for a
moment consider the paralysis and Generalization
which would follow a deliberate and willful repu-
diaton of debt which has brought us untold bles-
sings and which will bless our postery for ages TO
| come"
a DlsgracefuI FIascO.
| Pulaski Citize,l 9th: THE much-looked-
| for child is born, and 10, they call its name Hum
! bug! Tine ring Investigators. after ringing their
see5css for truth have repoTted. Startling devei
| opments we're promised, and men in high and low
places we're to be impaled upon the thick bosses OF
| the investigating buckler. Tennessee politics was
be dissected an Inquest held on the dead corDses
| State debts stomach. The committee commenced
at alpha and went to omega, retraced from lizard
10 "a lad IL on IN croSs SECTIONS anu tooh IL lengtn
| wise and sideways, up, down and across, clTcied
around to the back door aud turned 1t wrong side
| out, boiled down and SKINNED, eYapOTdted and
| distilled and then summed up the diagnosis,
| and it waS-ZeIO! Nobody has been ringing
ium of rspudIators turned to ashes on their lips and
| their shibboleth proves to be an empty jabber.
| They found nothing that was not known before.
| No pententiary ring. no funding ring 10 bond
| holders ring, nOtht0 g The Banner was foremost
| in demanding the Investigation and asserted that
startling corruptions would be shown. The object
| of its spleen was Major Thomas OCOnnOr, and the
report says 1t fails TO find any evidence to cOnyic,
the peniteptiary essees OF fraud, bribery or cor
| TuDtiOn. On the other hand the report stlngs the
and the prosecutor of OConnor, is in a worse attt
| Jude, according to the report than O'ConnOr him
plains its Innocence. Now let the dead corpus lie in
peace. DOnt cry rings again, for If you start the
bell might toll your own funeral 1t has the late
| editor aforesaid "
! "A Legislature that Does Not Care u
| DAMN fer the Constitution
Memphis AUalGnche: "If the Paris Intel
The present legislature of Tennessee seems to have
| a mortal spite at the thing call State consttu
mighty bad case at that. Poor old constitution MAJ
be feeble minded individual but you all we've
got, and hate to see you kicked and cufed about
| IN that way. Suppose the legislature make terms
| on the condition that old constitution makes the
| utionaIy legisla ion and will keep out OF the way
| hereafter. Could the people object to this ?
above the Gillette instrument alluded to by Paris
contemporary. One of the leaciDg members of tina
d for the constitution And as 1t is presumGbl,
that the constitution doesn't d for the leg
cites applause However, the AtaEI,sche believe.
with the IHteigeHcer that after fair square apOl
Syymore, the constitution ought to be forgiven 70
standing in the way of craftsmanship"
Begging the Question.
Nashville Banner: eff we understand
sued before the war, even are void In the hands
the holders, because the law under which they wer
| issued them. Before we can assent TO this We mus
the proof. should this turn out to be so; It vii
| be terrible reflection upon the State. We believ
Governor Johnson and Governor Harris issued near
IL all the railroad bonds under the internal improve
tory character to convince that either of them, ii
fixing debt of many millions on the people, disre
| gaIded the plain provisions OF the statute. II tn
committee have the proof on this sub
ject, We have not seen IT, and ceriainl
of the reputation OF the men involved, de
, maRds that the authority for so grave
| wish TO do this committee no harm. Indeed, W
| can't afford now to DO more than dissent from tn
thai we owed the debt; that whatever irreguIariIe
existed in the issuance they did not affect the valid
ty of the bonds, and that the real question on
OF ability. What can we payP We think tn
amount to be paid should be measured by our abil
ty and that in truth this Is The only question TO b
: considered. The settlement or compromise OF gu
debt upon this ground will leave stain upon thu
State, but to force settlement by denying the debt
it seems to US, cannot be justified without tn
clearest proofs that the bonds are void This ha
not been and Is not the recognized theory OF IN
? low-tax men over the state so far as We know
they have generally put their case upon the desttu
ton of the people without their own fault
Reckless Charges
jackson Tribune and Sun: sit will b
observed that the course of the Banner and cSrtai
politicians in making reckless charges of rings
bribery and corruption In the administration
| State affairs has brought about an Investigate
[ which has cost the state a large amount of none
and that all the Information the people get,
that the editor OF the Banner sold its editorial II
fiuenve for seventeen dollars and fifty cents, an
that II would have been blatant State credit jou
nal all this time if the bondhOlders had been vii
| ing to pay for it."
! | The state Disgraced by Set OF BIatE
erskites.
Trenton Mirror: 1T is charged that Il
!. committee appointed to inquire into rings is n
q | above reproach. room was furnished them In Il
: | Maxwell house, and everything else they demande
{ at the expense of Majer Thomas 0'Conner, who
g health they nightly drank. Such matters as this