The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-10-20
COX REPLIES
TO PATTERSON
TURNS LIGHT ON CHARGES
MADE BY MEMPHIAN.
CLAIMS WlLfUL AND DELIBERATE
MEASUREMENT OF FACTS
Governor Tells of His Conduct
AS Revenue Agent and EX-
plains the Legislative
Committees Seport.

In reply to the charges made by the
hon. M. R. Patterson. his opponent for
the Gubernatorial nomination, reflect ing
upon the record of Gov. Cox as Revenue
Agent, made in his opening speech in
Nashville Oct. 18th, Gov. Cox on Sstur.
cay night gave out sworn statement in
| hich he denies the charges. He asserts
,, that Mr.. Patterson sought to pervert the
facts and mislead the people of the
state by quoting only a part of the Ie-
port Of the Legislative Committee, and
only that part containing the contention
of the officials who were complaining at
the action Of the Revenue Agent.
I Gov. Cox takes up the several charges
involving his record as Revenue Agent.
which we're cited by his opponent, and
enG GERS into a full explanation of the
facts of each. He calls attention to the
fact that one OF The cases reported upon
by the committee, end which was finatly
carried into che courts, Chancellor ALT
ION sustaining Gov. Cox's contention,
was not referred to at all by Mr.. Patter
con. Two letters from former Comp
troller Tneo. F. King, one written a
ear ago, and the other recently written,
are appended to the statement In both
the Sc letters Comptroller King states
that during HE term he personally in
v sti gated the several reports of Reve-
nue. Agent Cox, and compared them with
thu accounts in the Comptroller office,
and found that he had. in every instance,
reported promptly and paid over the
full amounts collected less the fees.
az ording to law.
I he statement of Gov. C0x is conclu-
ded with the following salty observation
against the methods of Mr.. Patterson.
.'As before stated Mr.. Patterson made
reference to this case in his quota
tons from the report OF the Investigating
&c mmittee. Neither did he inform the
public Of the result announced by Chan
cellor Allison, as above set out He pre-
ferred deliberately to withhold this infor-
M ton from the people whom he had
aske d TO sit in Judgment upon me.
"Fairness and honorable conduct, not
only to me but to the public, demanded
that he should not purposely withhold
any facts bearing upon the issue involv-
ed but if he would read from the report of
the Investigating Committee in which l
was criticised. oe should have read the
opinion of the Chancellor, wherein was
exor Grated and enstsined upon every
point. If he would read the one case
where it was claimed had retained com
missions not due me by law, when the
ques tion was determined in the Courts in
my favor, he should have infor med
his hearers of the result.
MIR. Patterson knew of this opinion;
he knew that the very charges he sought
to make against me had been declared
untrue by a court of equity 80 far as the
legality of my action was concerned in
the matter OF retaining commissions to
the amount of Is per cent, and that the
Chancellor not only sustained me upon
the ques ton of law involved, but likewise
sustained me in every statement OF fact
by me made. Such conduct upon the
part of man toward supposed COM
petitor is not only unjust and unfair but
is reprehensible, and should, and be-
lieve will, meet with severe condemna-