Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1880-03-20
THAT EX PARTE COMMITTEE
Selected by the Sole Editor OF the Era

In our last issue, in order that the
public might see just what D. F. Wal
lace said in the Era in favor of "the
50-4 measure" and knowing that pri-
vate citizens did not desire to have
their names in newspaper controversy,
we proposed that the six copies of the
Neac Era be placed in the hands Of the
three Clerks of the three courts at
McMinnville, who should report the
auords, not an opinion of their own. d.
F. Wallace refused this, and complain
ed very piteously that we had selected
all the committee. 4, Hesays we 'assum-
ed" to ourselves royal prerogatives in
doing this. Any fair minded man can
see at once the propriety of placing the
papers in the hands of the three Clerks,
who are public servants, rather than to
embarrass private individuals with these
unpleasant matters. But what outrages
common decency and propriety is this
That same d. F. Wallace, who thus
rfuses, selects for himself a private
er parte committee, and without so
much as even letting us know it, sub
mits the matter erparte to his o,cn COM
mittee-one of his oaun choosing Such
barefaced etfrontery was never dis
played before in a similar case! This
er parte Committee do not pretend to
give the Editorials or any part thereof,
but decide where they have no juris-
dictior, and without giving a single
word of the editorials on which they
render this anomalous and er parte de.
cision. Supreme Judges in deciding
cases recite the words Of the case and
the law, but this er parte committee Is
an innovation on human society.
We now ask every candid man, and
every man who desires the truth, tc
look at the action of d. F. Wallace in
this case. We have not, up to thi'
good day, had any intimation that San
Henderson ever declined to serve al
requested by us. We have seen hin
on our streets during this very inclem
ent weather almost daily. If he ha(
declined, his deputy would have acted
Again we ask all candid men to lool
at the names Of that committee selectet
by D. F. Wallace, and consider thei
relations to him, and draw their owl
conclusions, without saying a wor'
against the committee, two of whicl
we would have selected ourselves-bu
->iivw w allace, in observation-disclosures
could select them passes all conjecture
But poW, fellow.citizens, this Who'll
committee question is superseded b
the publication IN the STANDARD tn
week of the very words of the Era j
question. We submit for your ow
inspection without any er porte con
mittee the editorials of the Era then
selves and ask you to place them sid
by side with the report of this con
mittee selected privately and alone b
d. F. Wallace, the man who talks t
you about Journalistic honestly"
There is now no necessity for an
sort of committee or clerks, here al
the editorials of the Era spread befol
you, and you are now the committe
to say,
/ Whether ID. F. Wallace advocate
the 50-4 measure in his paper or not.
2 Whether he claimed the honor {
that measure for Col. Savage Or no
These are the two points we charge
from memory before we received tt
files of the Erq. Turn now to tho
editorials and read and decide for you
selves the points at Issue.