Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1915-06-17
BRIBERY sUSPICIONED.

1t has been said that members OF
the county court have been bribed IN
the past in various ways, either by d.
rect purchase OF by indirect gift, OF
money or other considerations. Lots
of prominent people will tell You
this, and probably could recite the in
stances which raised their suspicion
that bribery had been prac ticed.
At this moment there are reports
whirling about of the same nature
which every good citizen greatly re-
grets to hear, and some OF these re-
ports are pretty serious in nature
Whether they are true or not Is
question, but probably some sleutn
will get on the trail and somebody
may be incriminated.
Bribery hits both the giver and &C.
cepter of bride pretty heavily, ano
for the benefit of any of the honorable
county court who may have accepted
brides or are contemplating taking
brides to be paid for with their vote
for bonds in this present Crisis we
nublish below the law on the subject
as given in Chapter V. Article b, or
the Code of Tennessee, Sections ooSi
and $500.
Section 559t relates to the unfair ID
diyidual who wants the thing to go
his way by paying for it In advance.
We have a judge on this circuit now
who seems to believe in sending up to
the ,enitentiary, as he forwarded ten
to that domicile this last week. and 1t
seems that he has started out to do mis-
duty. The section reads:
Sec. 5591. Any person who corrupt
lv offers. promises, or gives to any ex-
ecutiye, legislative, or judicial officer
after his election or appointment, eth
or before or subsequent to his having
been qualified, any gift, gratuity, or
thing of value, with intent to lnhu-
ence his act, vote, opinion, decision,
or judgement on any matter, cause, or
proceeding which may be then pend
ing. or which may be by law brought
before him in his official capacity,
shall, on conviction, be imprisoned IN
the penitentiary not less than two nor
more than ten years.
Section $500 refers to the taker or
bride, and the same punishment Is
melted out to him, except for longer
term. It reads as follows:
Section $685. ANY executive, legis-
lative, or judicial officer who corrupt
ly accepts, or agrees to accept, any
Gift or gratuity, or thing of value; or
spy promise to make a gift, or do any
act beneficial to such officer, under an
agreement, or with an understanding
that his vote, opinion, or judgement IL
to be given in any particular manner,
or upon any particular side OF any
question or proceeding which is or
NAV by law be brought before him IN
his official capacity; or that in sucn
capacity he is to make any particular
appointment, shall on conviction, DC
punished by Imprisonment in the pen
iitentiary not less than three nor more
than twenty one years.
Now, we do not say absolutely that
any iustice has been bribed. but we do
say there is some pretty ugly stuff cir
culating. Therefore every member OF
the court should be very careful.
People are watching this matter very
closely, and in fact, they are anxious
for evidence. In event of the bond
bill being forced upon the people. in
the injunction an investigation OF al
legged bribery will be demanded. and
this will take in not only the one brib-
ed. but the one who bribed.
Note how strong the law is in the
matter. It does not depend upon the
acceptance only. An offer or promise
ia as effective in securing conviction
for bribery as an actual transfer OF
money or goods. There are men in
this county who are interruptions
enough to offer brides. In the case OF
this bond issue enough brides judic-
iously put out SO as to secure the pass
age of this bond bill would mean the
securing of wealth for themselves.
These men are being watched closely,
and every effort made to keep up with
their movements.
The News proposes to get all the ev-
idence it can on these reports of brib-
cry, and file it away for use. The re-
ports now circulating are highly In
teresting, and probably more infoima-
-, ,rob Noooopah