Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-09-25

An Appeal from State Treasurer
Polk.
No Governmental Aid Can ba Pro
cured, and We Must Help
0urscolunc
Ourselves.


Having failed to obtain relief
from the National Board of Health
for the suffering people of Mem
phis, Hon. Marsh I. Polk, State
Treasurer, has issued an appeal to
Tennessee, as follows
GAIL that remains to US now is to
60 to work and help our own peo-
pie. If no other means can be Sc
cured, [ have no doubt the Gov
ernor will direct me, as Treas
urer, to use such public funds in my
possession as will be sufficient to
prevent the poor and needy in Mem
phis from suffering, In our assum-
ing to override the law in using
money especially appropriated to
another purpose, We will be assum~
ing a grave responsibility, and
whilst I nave no fears but what the
Legislature and the people will
sanction our action, yet | am loathe
to do this thing, and shall not AFRO
gate power to myself, unauthorized
by law, until every other resource
fails me,
Owing to change in the time
Of collecting taxes there will be no
surplus in the Treasury, or very
little, by the time the taxes for
1879 are collected.
"With this statement I come be-
fore you, and God forbid that you
should fail to answer the appeal.
We want prUgisions--meat aud
bread for our own flesh and blood,
without which there will be great
suffering. Think of it! Men,
women and children cooped up in a
city, with a visible death stalking
through the streets; poor men who
would labor, but there is no labor.
Commerce is stopped, all industries
have ceased, aud they have nothing
to do or look at but starvation on
one side ana dreadful death on
the other. Shall we suffer it? With
bountiful crops all around US, with
every blessing good God can be-
stow, with the healthy blood cours7
ing through our veins aud throbbing
in our hearts, shall We permit our
brothers to die, or force our public
servants 70 override the law they
have sworn to obey, to give them
relief?
l appeal to the people of Marry,
Giles, Williamson, Davidson, Bed
ford, Summer, Wilson and Mont
gomery to act at once. Your fields
are blooming gardens, give of
your plenty to these our
people, who cry to you with voices
made feeble by disease and hunger. I
beg you to act at once, and by the
time your gracious contributions are
exhausted, the other and more re-
mote counties will have come to the
front, and the poor are fed until
the welcome frost has killed the
monster now destroying them. IF
you can not give much, give little;
do it cheerfully, for God loyeth
cheerful giver;'' the mite given by
poor wi<ow was equalled to the
most given by others.
Send in your supplies to Commits
sary General Wheless; send what
you choose--beef, potatoes, bacon,
Hour, meal, peas or beans. Such
as can not be sent TO Memphis will
be sold here and things bought that
can be forwarded.
Tennesseeans the eyes of
whole country are watching to see
how you stand by your own flesh
and blood. Ten cents head for
every voter would make a noble
charity. Shall We have it or shall
We say, in whispers of shame, "our
own people fail US, We must cry out
to the outer world for bread for our
little ones. /"
Verv faithfully yours