The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1899-06-02
"Citizen's" Reply.

to a newspaper publication, as | had
not access at the time | wrote the I
article to the appropriation bill. | |
now make the correction again, and
do so freely, as it is far from my in
tention to misstate any facts or to
use anything not borne out by the
record. | did not consider that this
charge affected Mr.. Foster individ-
uaIly. There were other things in
Citizens" article which did, aud
that seriously, but if there is any
error in these he has so far not
shown it.
The expenses of the various com
mittees of the session of 1895, of
which | was a member, perhaps ex-
ceeded that of any previous session,
which was due mostly to the pecu-
liar exigency of the time, and
must be considered exceptional. In
the first place, the committee which
investigated the question as to who
was elected Governor, consumed
fifty-two days and went nearly all
over the state and incurred a great
expense in summoning witnesses
and taking proof. Next the Peni-
Tertiary Committee spent fifty days
investigating the vast detail of mat
tiers incident to the abolition of the
convict lease system, the building
of new penitentiary and the pur-
chase of coal mines and farms for
the state and charges of gross frauds
against contractors and others. The
| Committee on Charitable Institu-
tions sat twenty-five days, dealing
mainly with a chaotic condition of
affairs at the Central Hospital,
where the attendants had risen in
actual mutiny against the authori-
ties. 1t had also to look into
charges of fraud, of criminal neg
lect and cruelty. The Revenue
Commission was appointed to seek
some method of improving on our
system of taxation, and spent some
fifty-two days. | believe it is safe
to say that the legislature of 1895
had problems and difficulties to deal
with such as none have had before
Or since; but as indispensable as the
work of these committees evidently
was, | opposed their expenditures
upon the floor of the House, and
have never defended them outside
of it. can, however, defend my
own record.
On my motion, the resolution
creating the Revenue Commission
was tabled. 1t was afterwards re-
newed and passed over my protest.
On page 266 of the Journal of 1895
is found a motion made by me to
limit the members on these visiting
committees to three on the part of
the Senate and five on the part of
the House, which was passed by the
House and rejected by the Senate.
On page 500, Acts of 1895, the pay
appropriated to me was $40 for
serving on this visiting committee.
Other members of the same COM
mittee were paid $84 to $92, which
amount was offered to me. 1t is
true / was sick part of the time, but
under the rules of the House | was
entitled to full pay; but | asked and
received payment only for days of
actual service, ard not one dollar of
my expenses was paid by the state.
Mr. Foster received for services on
the same committee in 1899, SIC
and expenses. Mr.. Foster seems to
have overlooked this.
In voting for the Chancery Court
of Appeals, l along with nearly
every democrat in the legislature,
and the most of the republicans and
populists too, had back of us the
judgment of the bar of the state,
who were practically unanimous in
urging Tits object being to re-
lieve the Supreme Court docket,
which was two years behind. 1t
was contemplated that when the
docket of the Supreme Court was
relieved, this Court would be abol-
ished | reckon it still is a necessa-
ry Court, as the present legislature
did not abolish it, though Mr.. Fos-
ter was present and voting The
second Circuit Court of Davidson
County must be needed still, or they
would have abolished that also.
/ voted for Part Second of the
Memphis Chancery Court, because
the bar of Memphis, the local rep
resentatives, the newspapers and
business men told us it was a neces-
sity.
For the same reasons-which sure
ly constitute a complete defense to
a representatives, voted for the
18th Circuit Criminal Court. Mr..
Foster goes outside the record when
he says it was created "to give Jno.
NJ. Taylor a salary" Mr.. Mallory,
of Jackson, was urged for the
Judgeship by the most of the lead
ing men of the district, but Gov.
Turney appointed Judge Taylor of
his own choice. Hon. w. /. Rich
ardson, of Haywood, one of the
most upright men who ever sat in a
legislature, entered upon the Jour
nal this explanation: believing
this bill to be in the interest of the
taxpayers, l vote aye"
1t remains yet to be seen whether
abolishing these Courts will result