Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-02-11
THE INVESTIGATING COMMIT
TEES.

The Nashville Banner falsely as
serts that we are opposed to the
&" investigations now going on at the
State Capitol, - and to prove its as
sertion quotes from an editorial in
the CHRONICLE on the committee
appointed to investigate the State
debt. We are not opposed to inves-
LEGATIONS. We say push them on
vigorously and make tbSm search,
ing. Go to the very bottom and
unearth fraud wherever it has exist
ed, regardless of whom it reaches.
If there has been fraud under Re-
publican administrations, expose it
and let the guilty suffer. But don't
stop there. Let Democratic frauds
where they have existed be also IN
earthed. Let the guilty of all
parties be punished alike. We
would not throw a straw il the way
of the investigating committees now
in session at Nashville, but on the
contrary will defend their action
whenever founded upon truth and
reason. We wish them God speed in
their Iabors, and sincerely hope
they may be able to ferret out any
rascality in our State affairs that
may have existed at any time under
any administration of any party.
But we did say that the commit
tee to investigate the State debt
we're hunting up pretext for repu-
diation, and VIC see TO reason to
change our mind on this subject.
The committee is spending consider
able time, as we are informed, in
trying to prove that the Funding
Act of 1873 was passed through
corrupt means. We do not deny
that there INDY have been corrup-
ton in the passage of that act.
We have always understood that at
the time of its passage there was
pretty strong lobby at work for the
measure. But for the sake Of
argument, admit this to be true.
Suppose that members of the Leg
islature were bribed to vote for it:
how does that affect the validity of
the State? The debt had been rec
ognized by the Legislature of 1869
20, which passed an act al
lowing the solvent railroads
to discharge their Indebtedness to
the State by paying in State bonds
regardless of series. The Constitu-
tional Convention of 1870, tacit'y
acknowledged the validity of the
debt. Now suppose that the fund
ing act of 1873 was passed Dy
fraudulent or corrupt means, the
validity of the debt remains all the
same. If there was fraud and cor
ruption, the committee to investi-
gate frauds, which is also in session
in the Capitol, should inquire into
it, but the committee to investigate
the debt have nothing whatever to
do with it. 1t is a principle of
law, that an individual can not take |
advantage of his own fraud, and .
we presume the same principle will /
apply to a State.
The questions for this committee
to investigate are, have the bonds
been issued according to law, and
if they have not, has the State legal
lied them by afterwards acknowledge
ing their validity? IF it can be
made to appear that the bonds were
fraudulently and Illegally issued, !
and that their validity has not been
subsequently acknowledged by the
proper authority, then such bonds
ought not to be paid Until this is
proved to be true, the State is
pound, by its contract, entered into
~ its accredited representatives,
md we must settle upon that basis.
We have good reason to believe that