Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-12-19
An Open Letter from Hon. John I'll.
Savage.

nun. l. VI. IldTIlS-OOdF OH LII
your canvass for Senator in 1876
against Gen. w. B. Bate, j. E. Bailey
and others, you caused or allowed it
to be published shat you took the
school fund South, guarded it from
thieves and marauders and returned
it safe to the treasury" This state
ment, which I then and now believe
to be untrue, presented you to the
public as the paragon of honesty,
fidelity and love to the people, and
did much to help you defeat your
opponents.
was then engaged at great dis
advantage in trying to defend my
self against Bailey, yourself and
others, who were opposing my policy
and denouncing me in bitter LAM
guage as ''the champion repudia>
tionist of the State If l had so
desired I had no time to state the
facts.
Your friend Senator Morgan, for
the express purpose of aiding you in
the contest for Senator, in September
last, before the Bate club at Nash
vile, spoke as follows:
"When Isham G.. Harris took the
school fund, he guarded it, kept it
safe from thieves and marauders, and
then returned it to the treasury"
I hoped you would see and correct
this untrue statement, and waited
several days for you to do SO, but
you remained silent. then publish
ed a card in the American, (Which OF
course you read, in which L deny
the truth of Morgan's statement, and
also aver that in point of fact you
neither took, guarded, kept or re
turned the school fand to the treasu
ry, and that you had no control il
, fact or in law, over the bank assets
in Georgia. I further state that YOU
7 receipts showed that you drew as
, salary, money in gold, at time wher
rebel soldiers, Gf paid at all,) GO
Confederate money only.
l now say that the appendix t.
the journal of the Legislature O
+ 1865, PIP. 20-21-31, shows that on tn,
10Th day of March, 1866, you receiv
ed from the Bank of Tennessee
which held the school fund, $500
in gold as salary from the LIST of Nc
vember, 1863, to the LIST of Novem
t Der, 1864; and also, on the same day
t your receipt shows that you receive
0 $3.50 in gold as quarter salary enc
3. ing the LIST of February, 1865.
You will also find these facts full
+ proved in the record of the case c
=. Keith VS.. Clark, now pending befor
, the Supreme Court of the, Unite
:. States at Washington, known as th
u Torbett issue suit.
8 In few days after my letter yo
If caused or allowed denials of N
statement by nominal parties to ap
Ii pear in the Memphis papers an
= elsewhere with hostile criticisms, bu
n did not open your mouth. This, i
= my opinion, is not business on th
square. If these receipts are tru
you received So, $50 out of the fun
Ii you are credited with protectin
" against thieves, of which fund not
Tennessee officer or soldier, to M
! knowledge, got dollar. At the r.
quest of Democratic friends I col
sented to let the matter rest pendin
70 the election, for reasons which no
n no longer exist.
n This leaves me in an attitude be
re fore the public in which I am I'm
A. willing to remain in silence. If
8, am not sustained by the facts I wis
At to withdraw the statement in man
If ner as public as I have made j
NJ This is due to you, to truth, and I
. the people. On the other hand,
- - you have taken credit with the Poop
~ for acts never performed, the trut
Oh should be known, and my stateme1
should stand indicated.
or L therefore request you to al
r swer through the press the follow
b. ing questions:
or l. Do you indorse Senator Nor
cams statement above mentioned
=. the truth?
Ia 2. Did you, on the 18th of Marc,
!" 1865, receive $1,000 in gold fro
the school fund or the Bank of Tel
20. nessee, claimed as salary from Il
= LIST of November, 1863 to the 1st
u November, 1864?
u 3. Did you, ON the 18th of Marc
FL 1865, receive $3.50 in gold as quart
salary ending 1st Of Februar
tn 1865? M
n 1t is easy to answer yes or no.
n I am not willing to detract from
We soil any honor you may justly wes
ma but I am unwilling to let you Dire
:; yourself in borrowed plumage al
= fly up to one of life's highest st
tions, thereby defeasing me in Ii
Jus manner as you did Bate, Bailey, al
tn others in 1875. I must insist tn