Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-16

| them here to negotiate among themselves
| as to the best means upon which they
| they could have themselves returned to the
| Legislature. Their pandering with ex-
| tTaneous proportions was unworthy OF their
| consideration as law-givers. If we present
| Savage's three propositions simultaneously
/ to the people, the very class who bear the
| burden of taxes will not vote for any of
them. Rightly enough they could not be
| expected, and ought not to vote for the sixty
| cents proposition with the coupon feature.
| They would not vote for the thirty three and
| a third cents proposition, because It was a
| false statement of the inability of the people
| TO pay more. Mr.. Savage's other alternative
was to pay nolEIDg; tina. was reputation. It
was an awful scheme to precipitate and make
| Reputation inevitable, and it was impossible
| to accept the other two propositions with
which it was coupled. He would not be will
| ing to vote for the City cents proposition with
four per cent. interest unless the bondholders
| would accept 1t.
House.-The house bill to increase the
revenue by taxing all jnterest-bearing notes
passed third reading. The local option bill
| was made the special order for next Tuesday.
A PIous SIanderer Comes to Grief
Chattanooga Times: 'Oae By one the
| witnesses BEFORE the tar-chamber State debt
| investigating committee are being convicted
| of gross sladder of the dead, and grosser
| lying about the living. Tue last case we have
noted is that Of Rev. Il? n. w. Motherail,
WIS went out Of his way to swear before this
sapient committee, that he understood that
Mrs. julia Galloway had given certain pa
pers, covering the history OF 4 certain cues
tionable Transaction, to Mr. Sam Reese, de-
pot agent at Cleveland, and he (Reese)
turned them (the papers) over 70 e. NJ.
M'Ghee. And now comes Mr.. Reese in
card IN the Knoxville Chronicle, and says
that Mrs. Julia Galloway never gave me,
nor IN any way put me IN possession of any
papers whatever, of the kind referred to in
Mr.. Motheral's deposition, or any other kind
of papers; AMI | never knew of, or
in any way had possession OF any
such papers, and, consequently never
turned them over to c. NJ.
McGhee What Mr.. Motherall might have
understood, | cannot tell, but | know he
could have easily understood the facts as they
ar, and as stated here, simply by calling on
me- and this too before giving his deposition.
He might have ascertained the same facts by
calling on Mrs Julia Galloway. | am very
sorry he did not think to inquire before ven
turing upon a doubtful statement, solely
upon rumors, even though little investiga
ton In that direction might have spoiled
what he might cali a good thing This is
a fair specimen of the utter recklessness of
private character, private rights, the Just
reputation of the living and dead, exhibited
by large class of witnesses who were in
dustriously ferreted out by this committee,
and protected In releasing their SANDER
siuices on unsuspectin9 citizens, by the secret
character of the so-called investigation. The
more we see OF it the more glazing the I'M
relieved infamy of the whole proceeding
appears"
Inconsistency OF the ReDudIatOrs.
Knoxville Tribune: 1.-The inconsistency of
the repudiators in the legislature is amusing,
Senator Savage, their leader, proclaimed all
over the State last year that not bond of
L,AN II L. 4
that her citizens where not bound, elmer le
galiy or morally, to pay dollar of the debt.
He has since made the same assertion In the
legislature. Last Tuesday he reported from
the finance committee, of which be is chair
map, bill providing for the settlement of
the debt. Under this bill none Of the bonds
are rejected. Some are cut down more than
others, but all are to be paid. This provid
ing for the payment of the bonds is a virtual
admission that they are valid, for no patriot
such as Colonel Savage is, would make the
State pay debt when he had incontestable
proof that she did not owe. These gentle
men are coming over gradually. Tney have
now confessed their inability to establish the
invalidity of the State debt. Having ad-
mitted that much they will soon be brought
to confess that the State has no right to DIG
tate terms to its creditors, when the evidences
Of Indebtedness held by them are legal. Be-
fore the session closes these gentlemen may
oe entirely won over to the only fair and hon
est view of this NATTER
Senator CIaDD Endorsed.
jackson Tribune and Sun: The minority |
report on the State debt, by Senator Clapp |
and Representative Smith, of Shelby, is a |
powerful presentation of all the questions |
touching the validity Of the debt, and the |
legal liability of the State for the payment OF |
the debt. They argue the questions involved |
with the discrimination of a lawyer and the |
ability of a statesman, and treat 1t as a we |
have always treated it-as question of abil- |
ity to pay, not of legal liability; take a broad |
aud comprehensive view of the nature of |
public obligations, and the wisdom of keep |
ing them invlolate. This able and conclusive |
sport, based upon well-settled principles of |
law and sound political doctrines, can but |
promote the growth of the healthier senti
ment now in the ascendant, and will, we
think, do much to aid IN reaching a settle
ment. 1t does not deal with the frauds enter
ing into the postwar debt, nor the naked
technicalities affecting the ante war debt, but
in a mastery and convincing manner shows
that the State cannot avoid the responsibility
of the principal for the acts of the agent, and
that as to the entire debt the State was not
only bound by her agents, In the creationSof
the debt, but by the repeated acts of her
agents, recognizing the validity of the debt
since its creation"