The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-04

The adjournment of the county court
until next Monday, October S, affords The
APPEAL reporter an opportunity of in
duging in some reflections upon the
methods OF transacting business that OBJ.
tain there. They are offered in all kind
ness and sincerity and with no disposition
to be hypercritical, but The APPEAL rep.
resentatiye is convinced that the manner
in which business is transacted at the
county court more particularly in the
matter of allowing accounts, is ridiculous.
ly behind the times, and so utterly UNI
businesslike that the merchants of Mem
phis will laugh, and then (some of them
swear when they read in The APPEAL
with what amazing abandon the peoples
money Is voted away.
In many respects ID. G. Slaughter is one
OF the best and iittest men that ever occu.
pied the chair. lie is thoroughly con-
yersant with county affairs, knows the
personnel OF the court intimately. is ia
miliar with the workings Of county ma.
chinery and endeayors to do his duty
honestly and iearlessly according 10 his
lights. He is active, industrious. ener-
getc and intelligent, and altogether the
best man in the court for the place he oc-
cupies. lie is, by virtue of his office,
possessed OF great powers, and these pow
er have been a hundred-fold multiplied
by the carclcssncss and indifference Of the
body over which he prcsidcs. For
tunatcly, Chairman Slaughter is an
honest man. II he were not.
he might easily rob the county Of
$4,000 year and no one would be a whit
the wiser. This may seem n startling
statement. II will appear less 20 when the
reades Of TnE APrEAL are made nc.
Quainted with the manner in which an
propriations are made and accounts al
lowed by the county court. TuE ApprAL
will edcavor TO describe the system faith
fully. One OF the theories which the
county court seems TO have accepted ms an
axiom is that every man in public life is
honest THE APPEAL does not undertake
10 deny that every man in public life
is honest, but The APPEAL does venture 10
remark that il is not safe 10 assume that
every man in public life is honest, and on
the strength OF that assumption 10 permit
him 10 put his arms in the treasury up To
his shoulders and help himself. As
business proposition THE ApPEAL is pre-
pared 10 stand by that statement without
fear Of successful contradiction. Tng Ar
PEAL is even DISPOSED TO 20 further and
say that the present mode Of allowing ac-
counts in the county court and voting
away big chunks OF the peoples money.
opens the door to corruption, CNtraya.
gince wastciullness and fraud. No more
and no less than that as nIE ArPEAL will
undertake to prove.
That the law is openly violated no one
will dare 10 deny. During the last three
days there have been allowed accounts for
burying paupcs which were not accom-
panied by the affidavit required by law
Section bS7 OF the Code provides that
"No warrant shall be- drawn 10 pay for the
funeral expenses OF paupcr unlcss the
claim is accompanied by an affidavit show.
ing the cost OF the same; that said cx-
penses were incurred for the intcrmont Of
a pauper in the county and that the
claimant has no other means Of obtaining
payment"
TnE ArPEAL desires 10 call attention 10
the fact that this provision Of the law is
openly dsregardcd, and that out OF nearly
81, 1000 appropriated for burying paupcrs, nj
the present term Of court only in two
eases WIS the necessary affidavit filed.
Then there il the inquest racket. The
law upon this point seems 10 have been
especially constructed In order 90 make il
easy 10 drive n coach and four or a heafsc
through IL.
Section q. 1870 Of the Code says at is
not lawful 30 bury the dead body OF any
person who may have come Ia his death |
by accident. by unlawful violence or by
any suspicious cause, without hrst giving |
notice 10 the coroner, or II absent or sick, |
some justice Of the peace"
Now, the cntcrpnsing magistrate Is not |
slow 10 soc that any persons death can be- |
catal1gued under the head OF suspicious |
and furnish the basis for an inquest and n |
s. bill at the county's expense There Is |
one man, b. his credit be- Il said, who al |
ways fights these bills, and his name Is |
Pat Winters. There are others who work |
the racket for all IL is worth. Two nom |
bcrs Of the county court were paid =. IS |
each at tho present term for inquests in |
rather queer cgsrs. The law, instead OF |
requiring the finding of the jury TO bc at. |
tachod TO the bill, requires II 20 be filed in |
the criminal court, thus proving that old |
Bundle was right when ho said "ihe law |
is q h'ass." TnE ArrEAL reporter, with !
more curiosity than the members OF the
cuunty court who allowed the bills, went
Ia the criminal court files aud found that
thcinqucsts were held on persons whom the |
jury declared came 10 their deaths under |
the following circumstances
Emma Doris came 10 her death for want |
OF medical attendance.
Louis SEWER came 10 his death from |
mania potu, caused by excessive drinking
Of whisky.
These accounts may be all right. but |
THE APPEAL respectfully submits that the |
law should he ~ changed "a To make IL /
clear In what cases an inquest at the |
county expense N lawful, and the law |
should go further and hold the members |
OF the county court 10 strict account for |
every bill they allow.
II the business men and the taxpayers |
would 70 10 the county court and nee how |
large sums and small sums are miroadcd |
out OF thp county treasury they would |
throw up their hands In despair. Shows |
which way the wind blows Little things |
point the way 10 great abuses
ON Tuesday, Octocer 2, n few bills were |
allowed for account Of the uosl-housc. |
They were marked 20. H." by Eyncw, |
supcrinient Of tho pcsl.housc. In any
other body but the county court Tho bills |
would have been referred TO finance com.
mittee for Investigation and report In |
this county, however they are simply |
read, the ayes and nays arc called and Tho |
vote aye nino times ont OF ten,
without knowing what they are voting for.
Let US examine few Of these bills. Mary
Smith was allowed $685. for thiriy-scvcn