The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1894-10-24

to connect Gov. Turney's near re-
latives with the scheme. 1t was as
vigorously denied, but the fact was
undisputed that the syndicate were
to make large sum out of the
deal and that the men were neigh
bors Of the governor and one OF the
commissioners.
No man in Tennessee knew the
value of the land better thap Gov.
Turney because his own farm ad-
joined it. After dilly-dallying
around for some time the governor
disapproved the purchase upon the
ground that the land was not worth
the prite to be paid for it. The
committee said "the purchase
would meet the approval of all
reasonable people" Gov. Turhey
then is not reasonable" because it
did not meet his approval.
Everybody thought the Governor
would ask the commissioners to
resign-any >high-strung, sensitive
committee it is thought by many
would have resigned, but they
went on, drawing their salary and
picking their teeth at So 90 per day
hotels at the expense of the tax
payers.
To give our readers some idea of
how this thing was worked, we
copy from the Nashville Banner, a
Turney-democratic newspaper:
at is reported that the peniten-
tiary commission will soon decide
upon location for the new peni-
Tertiary. 1t is also stated that a
strong lobby is beSieging the COM
mission to influence its action.
This is to be regretted, The COM
mission should rid itself Of the
lobbyists and give them to under
stand that their insistence is OBJ
iectionable. The work of the com
mission is of the greatest Importance,
and the association of the lobbyists
with the commission, even in the
reports of its movements is unfor-
tunate.
when selfish interests are at
work to influence the commission
that fact ought to be an obstacle
in the way of the success of the
lobbyists. Legitimate in formation
given the commission is not OBJ
jectionablc, but persuasive effects
upon the part of the interested
property owners should be rebuked
by the commission"
The commissioners finally decid-
ed on a farm in Davidson county
as the site for the main prison, and
purchased a body of coal land in
East Tennessee, paying for each
the full limit of the amounts allowed
by the act, $4,000 and $4,000,
$I55,ooo in all.
According to their published
statements and interviews, they
have either expended or bound the
state for $4,000 for these pur.
chases, a stockade for the coal lands
and their expenses, so that there is
left of the 100000 which the
general assembly declared should
be the absolute limit of expendi.
lures under the provisions of the
act, only $4,000 to be applied in
the construction of the main
prison.
Acting under the authority of the
act, the commissioners advertised
for plans for the main prison, anc
of a number submitted. accepted
those of VIM. c. Smith of Nash
vile.
On August e, 1894, the commit
tee caused to be inserted in a mum
Der of papers the following adver
tisement:
Contractors.
STATE OF TENNESSEE, }
Office of Supervising Architect. :
Nashville, Tenn, Aug. %, 1894. !
Sealed proposals will be re
ceived by the undersigned until 1:
o'clock (noon) Monday, the is
day of October, 1894, for all the ma
terials and labor required in tn,
construction of the penitentiar,
buildings for the state of Tennessee
on its property contiguous to Nash
vile, in accordance with the plan
and specifications prepared for tn
same by William c. Smith, archi
tect, Nashville, Tenn, at who's
office, rooms I and ?, Berry block
the plans and specifications can b
, seen on and after September 1, 1904
, Bids must Ne made on the print
ed blank forms for proposals, whicl
Can be had on application to tn
} undersigned, or the architect. TIL
I right is reserved to the state pun
chasing and building committee t
= reject any and all bids for tn
work. All bids received after tn
time specified, also all bids whic
: do not comply with the require
: ments of this invitation, will b
!. rejected.
Proposals must be made i