The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-04-26


J is always fatal to a bill. believe, an
insisted, that this section offers a pre-
: mium.-or at least an inducement TO of
, ficIals handling the public funds 20 spec
ulate in sUch funds The proceeding
Z section, 47O6, makes the using or tn
the appropriation of such funds by al
. official TO his private use, embezzle-
, meut, and provides severe punishmen
therefor, but the next section--4707-
J provides that if, at any time he repla
ces or restores these funds he shall b.
fully restored and forgiven for such OF
fense with such statute, instead of being
surprised at defaulting officials, W.
should wonder why they are not NOR,
frequent Take the case of Col. Polk
Had be been successful in his specula
tion with the state funds in his dealing
in futures, do you suppose we womb
have ever known of any default in him
Or would Tennessee have lost dollar
by him? Surely not When he was
| gambling with the money he had nc
idea of wrestling it from Tennessee
He expected, as do all gamblers, to be
successful and thereby not only leave
Tennessee, whose money he was using,
whole, but to make money for himself
Others had been successful in this way
and under that statute staring him In
the face he felt authorized to try his
hand as other public officials had done
and as others will continue to- do, so
long as this section remains in force
This section should be repealed and
| believe the people will demand it if ag-
itated In regard to Col. Polk's default,
it Is perhaps proper that ! should state
it is believed that the loss to our state
will be small. Before he succeeded in
giving bail for his appearance at court,
he made co the legislature, through his
attorneys, a proposition to settle his ar
rerages. This proposition at the time re-
ceived little favor, but after his release
on $40, 900 bond for one thought the
proposition should be accepted, be-
cause | considered his release from
prosecution was already effected, as he
could forfeit the bond and flee the
country. | thought therefore it to the in
terest OF Tennessee to save $4,000 or
more to the state by accepting the
proposition. therefore called up the
proposition which had been made
several weeks before. | was informed
when called it up that 1t had long
since been withdrawn. | soon saw one
of the counsel of Polk and found from
him that the proposition had not been
withdrawn but was still pending. l
went back to the senate and again
called it up and special hour was made
ior its consideration when with slight
modification accepted. If aremem-
Der correctly, it is about this: He pays
in cash $50 900 in state bonds with ac
c'ued interest thereon of $4,000, $75-
600 in bank of Tennessee and in 80
DAYS $75. 900 In same money, and the
remaining deficit he pays in IL months
in current funds which he secures by a
lien on his Mexican mines. In consid-
Grafton OF this, his bondsmen are to be
released and the attachments run upon
his effects here's are also to be discharged.
But no agreement is made to nolle pros
the pending criminal suit.
While the acts OF general nature
passed by the general assemb ly may
not be as numerous as those OF It's pre-
.decessors, no legislature of the state
probably ever had to deal with questions
of more magnitude and Importance, and
believe no legislature ever assembled
at Nashville possessing more eminently
the confidence of the people, and hav-
ing its labors 50 generally approved by
the people as are tho o of the 43d gener-
al assembly. But pardon the length of
this article. Respectfully submitted.
f. EDMUSDsoN.
Pulaski, April 20, SO.