Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-03-29
THE PENITRNrIARY RING.

Nashville and cliques within cIiques.
At least it looks so to an outside OBJ
server who catches an occasional
inkling of what has been going on
behind the scenes. Some of the
disinterested patriots and rising
young statesmen seem to have been
looking out principally for number
one and trying to hoodwink the
dear people in order to advance
their selfish schemes. The great
success OF the Bate movement led
some persons who were active in
pushing - Il. over estimate their
personal influence and to believe
that they can control the Democrat
ic party in Tennessee for any end
they may desire. The Bate move
ment was an expression from a
large majority of Tennessee tax
payers on the debt settlement and
it was with that view that the aver
age citizen gave it his enthusiastic
support. But some of the politi-
clans who figured in the canvass
seem to have appropriated all the
glory the victory brought and in
dustriously sought out the spoils.
Points like this, in the life of
young politician, generally tell
whether ne is pettifogger or a
statesman and they constitute the
rocks on which many political hopes
have been stranded.
There undoubtedly exists at
Nashville what might be called the
Penitentiary ring and though it is
bossed by "A Republican it has at
tempted 20 capture the Democratic
party in Tennessee to further its
ends. Rogues don't believe in hon
esty and these ringsters don't give
the people whom they wish 10 play
upon credit for either virtue or in
telligence. They have a daily paper
that talks cheap demagogy and
they expect by that means to curry
and keep the popular favor. In
order to make the thing more sure
they are endeavoring to get control
of another paper of wide circulation
and great prestige and by CONSOLE
dation, publish the only daily
morning journal at the capital. The
worst thing about the matter is, it
looks like they weregoing to succeed
in this endeavor, for the ring has
money, and money is all powerful.
The latest developments of the
rings work point to the fact that
it captured the Railroad commission
and had freight rates fixed in its
favor. The Tennessee commission
adopted in the main the rates fixed
by the Georgia commission, but on
articles manufactured in the Peni-
tertiary in this State there is re-
duction of nearly half on what is
charged on the same class of arti-
cles in Georgia. For instance, the
rate on bacon per hundred pounds
for 80 miles, as fixed by the Geor-
gia commission is $13; in Tennes-
see it was fixed at $14. On flour
and meal in sacks per 100 pounds,
for the same distance it is 81 and in
Tennessee $40. On these articles il
will be seen that the charges are
higher in Tennessee, but with no
very appreciable difference from
what they are in Georgia. These
are articles that effect the farmer
and in whose interest it WAS claimed
that the commission was created.
Now let us see what the relative
charges are On articles manufactured
by the lessees of the Tennessee pen
itentiary. On car load of furni-
ture fifty miles the charge in Geor-
gia is $44, but the very considerable
Tennessee committee fixed it at $40.
On wagons and carts in Geor-
gia it is $36, and in Tennessee $40.
Now why there should be such
tremendous scaling in the rates on
furniture, wagons and carts while
those on bacon, flour meal, grain
&C., were increased, can be account
ed for on no rational theory except
that it was done in the interest of
the Penitentiary ring.
We hope that no one will under
stand US as attacking any act of the
last legislature or Gov. Bates adj
ministration. There is nothing in
this article that can be construed as
a criticism of either. We aim only
at the hydra head of a corrupt ring
that has exhibited itself at the State
capital and is seeking to control
the Democratic party in its interest.