The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1890-10-23
BUTLER'S BRlBE.
A CONGRESSMAN SELLS 0Ut TO THE
ANTI PROHIBITIONlST,
THE CHARGE FAIRLY AND
soUARELY MADE BY A REPUB-
LICAN NEWSPAPER.
5000 tho Price of His Shame.

$4,000 tho Price of His Shame.
From the Knoxville Journal Sept 's7l
1t has been evident for some time
past that large sums of money were to
be placed at the disposal the mana
gers of the anti prohibitio campaign
now in progress ip such hammer as IN
their judgement would prove most
beneficial to their cause. Assess
ments have been made upon The
wholesale and retail liquor dealers
throughout the state, and we are cred
IDLY informed that even the employees
of these establishments, OF whom
there are thousands, have been called
upon for liberal contributions. 1t is
said that the citizens of Memphis,
Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga
have contributed upwards OF thirty
thousand dollars 10 this campaign
fund. In addition to all this, thou
sands OF dollars have been contribut-
ed or promised from outside the state,
and there is no doubt that il it is con-
sidered necessary to have campaign
fund of a quarter Of million OF dol
lars in order to defeat the prohibition
amendment, that amount can be cas-
lily raised.
And the gentlemen who have the
management of this fund know as
we'll as any set of men on earth how
to use it. They know that the sin OF
avarice is as common as that OF in
temperance, and more So They will
appeal to the avarice of political lead
ers for their influence during the
campaign, and to that OF the individ-
nal voters on the day Of election. Ev'
licences Of this are multiplying in every
direction. Thousands OF people were
dumbfounded few days ago when
they read in the National Review a
letter from Hon. r. R. Butler, repre-
sentative in congress from the first
district, in which he comes out pub
licly against the prohibition amend
ment 1t was astonishing because ne
has been lifelong and outspoker
temoerant % man, an because it haC
been publicly stated only few weeks
ago, as upon authority from him per
son4lly, that he was in favor OF thu
amendment. No one dlSrltes hi
right to oppose it, or he eright of any
other gentleman, hnt the M mn II
which he did it aroused suspicion anC
elected investigation. A little inyes
tigation upon our own part ha
brought out a series of FACTS 81 re
markable, displaying wickedness St
appalling in t+ character that "
feel We would te untrue TO the peopI
of the stat and to The honorabl
calling in which we are ENGAGED
were we not to make them public
And THE we will DO, with maic
towards none, with charity Tor all,
intending to do that only which "
believe to e right before God an
man. The facts are substantially
follows:
About The first Of July, while char
sesy 90 vi VAS IN session at Brist
which Judge Butler was attending, !
was Wis ted there by George 5. XII
ney, president of the Tennessee /
ouor Dealers association, and M
Charles Nelson, one OF the largest al
yeathiest liquor dealers in the stat
both of Nashville. The meeting h'
evidently been pre-afranged. JudI
Butler resides at Mountain City al
not Bristol. He was in consultati'
with them at the Hamilton House,
Bristol for several hours When
friend inquired of him who they we
he explained that taey were Nashvi
capitalists, interested in some railro
charter, and that they were taking
gal counsel from him In reference
The said charter. While there we q
informed, and believe, and so char
they closed a contract with Butler,
agreeing to oppose the prohibit
amendment IN consideration OF whi
they were TO pay him five thousa
dollals-one thousand cash, one th'
sand later on, and the addition
three thousand dollars when he C
ried his district against the amel
ment.
They returned to Nashville soon
ter. Toward the latter part OF Jt
the National Review, published
Nashville, in giving the then statu
the prohibition cempaign, mention
asa fact that Judge Butler was OPT
ed to the prohibition amendm'
Some of the first district papers
MED it, and the Bristol News sta
upon the authority OF the Judge b
self that he was heartily In favor
the amendment. This was Il
weeks after he had sold out, and
had already begun to earn his bi
by CIRCULATING the address of
George S. Kinney, five hundred
les of which were sent to him by |
while attending the circuit court
pnicoi county.
After the appearance OF the e.
rial in the Natiooal Review and
denial in the Bristol News and Q
papers in the first district, the ge
men who had bribed Butler to op
the amendment and had already
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