Newspaper Page Text
THE IJEM OCR AT.
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m W. tv erttn-itf clLLii A.N, bSltSf C Proprietor. ,
v. •
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1872.
Al t.l VTA CITY ATTiiIIM...
From our ,* Auirusta excl-imres ' «■«
1„._ leain that Jui.ge . \ illiani Gibson .. . , has
been almost unanimously elected < >ty
Attorney, ov» r Col. J. C. C. Black, a
good lswvi r I and a good rilln man This
endorsement Wr P r, ' ‘
fail to be gratifying , to i his many friends,
end shows conclusively that those who
know him—at home—have the titmo-1
confidence in his Ability ‘ and ii feeritr
■
We congratulate the City Council of
Augusta »j|M»n thi*ir choice of «u> able a
lawyer to protect and defend the, in
terests of their citv from imunaition * *
HOK.B. II. HILL'S LETTER
TO THE PEOPLE OF OEORCilA.
Mr. Hill I'a.U Fur ■ VerUIrt.
We this wf.ek give , nearly all , out space
to Senator Hill’s letter, liolfeving it will
be an Interesting document to all. We
hnvp not only been t-ir.lv in ladievii.c
that tlie (jovcriior did any intentional ,
wrong, but have taken up his defense.
The letter of .Senator Hill, however
tears sway the veil, and, unanswered.
most Hare the Governor inn . most , uu
enviable position, Mr. Hill «ayi:
In February last I was informed that
the President of the Atlanta Bolling
Mill foil, pan v, without the knowledge
or authority of the company, had paid
to Mr. J W. Murpl.v, a clerk in the
treasurer’s office, the sum of eight tlum
and dollar* for Ida influence in procuring
from tlie Governor the endorsement lo
the Sfateof the Im.iuIs of Ibe Northeast
ern railroad Coiiipiinv In which
ment the Bolling Mill had a large inter
esf. The evidence Unit ibis payment
had actually be n made was so coiirlu
sive that I could not doubt ils truth,
and it thus became apparent that the
great crime of using putdic office for
private gain, which bad grown to such
proper i Irani In the General Government
and in some of the Northern States, and
from w hich our Southern States had
suffered so much under cari>ei-liag rule.
had taken not in the Democratic admin-
1st rat ion of Georgia. The hiatorv of this
crime In the General Government and in
other States left no room to doubt that
the only way to prevent its rapid growth
and dangerous (tower was to make it
odious in f be beginnings und utterly
crush It out in its infancy. If It could
lie located and confined to a mere clerk.
and receive the jirojier coiulemimtion of
all the officers above him. Ibis single
•tance would do but liltle harm in itself,
»nd would furnish an occasion which
would enable the world to see that
the high reputation of our Southern
public men and Southern States geveru*
— i - ri . ■.
Iwption was still mauit.lined, in spill or
eli our other disasters stud misfortunes.
Actuated solely l>y tins high pm (h.sc,
d utv r bv t he ea rneT c< me ' Z o rrin Z g o.'.i n ions
andmmxil iHibfio^servalds I* 4 noblest
't. took tUe
firat fl?t« report the
nreesel v s 1 ti ul reeevw turn
ri! to influence^|,taofficla ttm t m i or of e Stute It w s
ll ^ r act n tin. Hi s
« rdi all'of K 11 ''especially . I, -
mimt over -ri'e'isi which nint i.
over the rer’s i ffiec l.v l i-xi ss
» ,w! man'med f W l nv r .n
si.Ii.l sidiat, hud hail managed to lo hoy levy tins iliis euor rnor
tw*ibi'**'i’e'isoii "\T.e ov.nnw^o Imnnv .'mwrtuhStv
Mraimritalie twlimged to the G Govmiui to a w ply i Iv the the
corrective, and thus increase his afiendy
kigb reputation lor personal and otlicia
integrity. It did not occur to me to
doubt that the Governor would take
the same view of the and of Ins
dutv duty ni.i.-h wnn I jmfge i.i.itr* Triot... 1 ri|>f*i .md ami my-n mva. If
entertained, and I supposed that mv
duties would end when the information
was given, and that the purgation ( ,f
the public service would speedily and
Vigorously follow. But the Governor
d.d not t ike this view of either the
crime, or of Ids duty in regard to it.
Indeed, "the as the evidence t.Ki plainly
straws, Governor did not seem to
think the clerk bad committed an net
of corrU|rtion .lid not see ttiat lie ought
not to pro. tire on bis the Governor's
official i.ts for ".in 'that hut called it a lecal
fee, and admitted tie knew the
rit*rk was in tlu* «iuioi\<oment
iiutln it ! \»h\ in no event did
the Governor <ee that be had anv con
tnd over the clerk of tlie Treasurer or
anv dot v to nerfoi in in the matter Shearer unless
«
in the monev taken In all the cases
which the corruptions in our own conn
^ trv h ive "Sin‘n^iKl. brought to i.ght in Hu*last fifteen
ta,,
occurred in former times in like epochs
of popular history. Governor■Colquitt
lathe Amt and the only putdic man. as
far as l have been able to learn, who lias
failed to ms' that such use of a public
office for private gain is eorni|>Uon, or
who has confounded the taking of m >m \
in such a case with the legitimate prac
tiee of the legal prof, ssion. or h. s failed
to see the duty of the chief executive
office! in such a case. If I *'«te
pit.i,I st ruiiglv. it is less strong,v stated
then the facts proven make it. and 1
cause I regard the er’-or of the Go\< rnoi
in tms.es,xvt as ..ally calaurtous. It
is the direct and only cause of all the
errors that have f.-dowed, and which
have m-ole a (xasenal ci.uie grow in
wroa «f until it th;«a!< s to involve
the very o'mmc'.T and honor ot the
j»ople and state,«f< o'.,rg: . Ths, u>r.
for 1« i, -i rime eonimilrixl, ought to
1» mad.- so plain that there can be no
danger or'is r. I* lit ion in Hie fnt me.
The lnform.it ion which 1 bad ivoei veil,
end w eh I faithfully and fully gave to
the Governor, embraced not only the
main fact that the money bad b"‘ii
paid, hut also some representations us.-.!
by kl irotiv to dive bis victim in distress
to COBSWii to liis hard bargain, and f»x»m
which repn-wntat ous. if true, it might
U-inferred that the Governor not only
knewof Murphy s interest, but was also
himself .. .____ t« i<t CTmtv share the . ... spoil. ...... .......... He. there
fore, called tbe jmrtie* to the crime
before l,im. and the parties only, end
thev denied that such allusions to the
Governor were made in tlie negotiations,
just as criminals have *lw..v« denaxt
from ttie foundation of the world—cer¬
tainly from the time Cain killed A tel.
5‘iLt he l , ‘‘ s id, ease, to tbe tl at credit they of the d:d
, alV?. .. ** r, ? a,,, U 1 ’i fv !'
»■«, , 1 ri fiey did ,. ■ B. . adm.t 5^°. . Vv* 1 ? 5 . .° .', ■.
that the « bargain waz
made ; that the clerk had received tin*
rnoney. and that it was paid to procure
tl e endorsement of the tends in quev
tiotc. Being assure*} that represtuta
tion*. involving bimmlf a » pecuniarily i'*-<0111*1-11,
in ten *l< <1. were ire not not made made as as part part of of the the
means to accomj >n»,>Jj*b tie u.< main Mjam a a< t t; ; that that
" _■’* ’’ *e omcialiy ninieaiced by
.
.
A • „!h. ] m"i ewT : d" i„ fV.m ttJ' e..^, ‘
net I, d ' I ' e ", an,
j. , ‘ . , u i f v" in v ’ ... n
r ‘ "• “ Wl "
. *,..,7 * '*'*?*
ti , ,t, , "lie it'.*, i , . 'Lai
oeriir bi i 1 itl it I ,d u tr 5'
£•»' as a tci 4 ■ '' i t< *'• j nrof.i 1 <**• t and -u ! tl that ai tl the <
.' * ‘’‘ a / < n ‘j l*'"' ! nauu*
* f v tuf n Km-oiii-icIIj^bv
keoi.inn ** »T!!
unfortunate bis v^ew
rf f * '- v
r j. , . L , I* IT*
iMNimai M ’
ti tj *. a I, M *. J? a
!w . n e / , . *4 from
J mil .l a .V!t. 'csolt ™ u ri fmm R r^. tinsattetii(g r | V C **. fr ”?
W a . l ,< *' ' V lo <! n,i, tter liecame noised
1 » j
lutcrpreting ____ everything ,, said ., about . ... the
mem facts ’as slai.de, s and inuendoe.
'uc and malignant, upon his fiersonal
k°od name, t he Governor, with strong
f P” ,w '<* f, ‘ <iefiM««ciatfon, demanded of
the la gislatore ah investigation—not of
Mm phy « act. not of tfie corruption of
“•>*•*» putdic office for private gain,
", of l' r ‘*ier duty ofthe Governor
u,!'n "‘.U,but'only , /if hri’I.wn
up n a a SUIMIKIIII.H.. nut only or His own
motive and <o,d„.-t in signing the
«n i With this Ifinitei coininission
l 'i investigate the Governor's conduct
m'-rives in signing the liomls
( i Jk«'i , »t whieb motives and condu-t no
>»-"w •»» "'vm vi m’h' i. . irioa. 'hc" Tl,'.'vT'i'v,' J h.y have 1 ie
l»"ted an opinion acquitting the motives
JV 1 ™ of the Governor in signing
l,| e fstmis, as they had autlmrity to do.
al J* 11 1n iV‘', '!’ 1K ‘ a «>hi
Wl l $, il a majority of the
. ,IH what they
" i® «J*no had no
H l ‘ "’! 1,1 do m their coiummsion ;
!..'7 . 1 I'epoited
' av, ‘ an opinion that
‘ Morphy was not guilty of «ny illegal
,,r co, 'i u|d practices,’'and that
nofnuig wrong nas liei n done," and
' lM> 'J’heral Assembly to so
l.ue • »y solemn resolution.
" '•coumiend that which was
!* i,' 1 •'legal, imr corrupt, nor wrong
~ '»» the most brazen
on record ill tlie past—sliall lie
J. 11 , !'fi ,'- I't'ortliKe v P''nal enactment this, made in with the
ol lout w J'thority, cannot lie found
rite records or among the flUs of any
legislative txaly now existing, or which
'*•* '"’"‘toforeexisted, in any countryof
' y * I'ave knowledge or information,
'.'I ,l0 * 'I’)’'"' r<4 *,‘ <! * 'he com
J 111 , p ' Knowing the influence brought
'V.", '.’i, , 1 r !’’ ,u . h .V." 1 them, ln 'J I 11 !* know l -* Ui they mot ' did ves
' '' ilt ’"'T Giouglit was iiglit and would
IO * '’corgia, and 1 believe no
m the General Assembly will
•“* ll|IM * earnest than nearly all the gen
re »“ “>
jf imwever. Ibis report shall tie
adopted. Georgia will bsr tlie first State
^o declare, l*y sols inn resolution, that
"r' e I s wr ?"« *" ,,sin «
for i tc gain and . unless the
l ,r Vi, ;
[*^* , ** 1 « " ,n «»!«» "'"kmurtly re
b " k ', ' 1 nCl 1 T l
f'tbm s dulon , a former n.emoralile
'«casion, our Mate wall K! d.stmgmshed
''king tin-lend of all otliers m tins
work of excusing corruption, and will
''ceom-the .Mae for immunity
rogues, and her good name wall he
come a bye-word and a reproach among
If, J)'' r in view of such facts, I did not
for howo r ,,t 1,1 y slaU ' '
» »mW »«t worthy to l lie the honored ,
representative of an honest people. I i
d.miit you will appreciate aud
„|, Mrp this anxiety.
Having said . this much, , , now fee , , i{
"cmls-ot on me to do what ought ( to
I'*’c.msulcrcd miiiim. ssarv ; and that
w . , ....... t ) ljs .... .■ '""I’t'.V w
™rrnpt. and why the Governor ought
4° s( ’ have treated it :
1- Public offices are ernated solely
for the public good, and those who fill
them are public servants. Tn ns» a
public office for private gain is to per*
vert it from the (impose for which the
office is established. Salaries, or regula
ted (>crnui„ites, hit fixed by law as com
pensat ion for those chosen to till the
offices, ami those who take the offices
stipulate to l»e content with this run
lauisatiou. The office must not lie used
as th<» optmrturjity to <*xact mnro, for
t«>at would make unrw?ulated oi»twtn
nities, and not the salary, the induce
ment to take the office
2 Ilistorv if is iSic iinbrokcn XeW in its »Jtn- testi
umnv tt.-a a
onvate oiin at * -ill the leihit mows to
uncontrollable proportions. Tempt a
ti. nsmuttii.lv evictions become he "...A, ut
burdens become intoleraffie, and the
Government will sink hv rottenness
unless tlie pc, ode have the manhood to
,, v.dntion r.-e it by violence. The railv
rule of safety, therefore, is to prohibit
the practice altogether. Experience
also shows that the onlv effective remedv
f.. r this evil is (ml-fie opium and official
d M.ace. The evil is so insidious, and
assume* so many different shapes, that
inarv penal laws eammt reach it.
thongs it may lie and is proper to pro
v s udi law s. It is ordinarily so diffi
colt of proof ttiat reasonable suspicion
oiigt-; to insmv popular condemnaUun.
1 he honest v ot n public officer ought to
U> ala.vc detcite or snspi.'ion, else the
put.be b.m.ir itself will l>p tainted.
T aefore, b d b the purp .s-. of estab
lisbiug public o-fices and the uniform
teachings of examples and experience
i-av c- ..led the a.vep'ed and iinivo-i!
- dgment in afi , iviliz.sl Governments
that the use of public office for private
gain is corrupt ion. mid lie w ho commits
it. oris rea^ ma’lv sus;nvted of commit
ting it. is regard.-d as disgraced by com
m«u» consent. It is the fact of interest,
and n >t the amount of inteost, which
constitutes tie corruption. Ordinarily
ibe gi. at.-st difficulty in these eases is to
prove the mam fact the receijit of the
monev. 1 n this case that mm fact is
proven G vend my dispute. One of the
...................| in -t interesting as well as reliable .......
methods of ascertaining tlv» motives, in
tenthms end degree® of a fraud or crime,
is to examine and analyze tbe reasons
and excuses given for committing it.
Inn.....nee, right, a; d truth do not "osort
to pretexts or subterfuges; because they
do not need them. Fraud, corruption,
and crime invaribly resort to i4*t<x*s
and suhti rfugts, because they jlways
»‘-ed them ,
Now, Now. let l<t iis ns examine examine the the reaso* reumr^t ven
by _ Morohy and his friends, aud] iltich
seem to by a<IopU-d l.y ttie Govtfl ll r. to
show that this act of Murphy L not
conuptbut was courpeusation f galiv
recciveil. ^
Vbr fhr 1. They say he (Murfihy) waif aw for *
and and recei recei vert ved the th>- money as
h- legal t - a ! services servee«. But in fail.
a lawyer, and was not practicing law.
e ," ,lS a l,lre<1 to do elfrkical
^ ln ,‘ e _ Treasurer s offi^, on
a ". t, ^ 60 theT^aon and Income*
K, 'r n * e af t pvown.
a shallow n **.lawyer, pretext. Bu, even if je had
'“♦** that would notjustify
* e act. h' for•_! hc iwyers o.li<-e for have private no mo* right
!, g4n tlian
" tl,ei 'I?! 1 '« «lie ernpkiyed a
lawyer fl» P Hill) to do the leg< work
and vainetl that service at four Uiitdml
'J" value.. la /Vi; Murphy f 8t s ,>ower and theeiftmateij i^uence
' ^
n ,e place, it is sau!
" rp rendered service. What
* 1- He £<»t five ex-nu*r|l»ers of
'r (he^Legislature rfy lu ' , '" (v, r,lina: rv good to their m*,,) feeollec- to cer
lion, the legislature did notinuiid tliwt
the act repealing State aid should apply
Northeastern Bail rout. But
there is the ,-olerr.n resolution | of the
Ugielatore itself declaring 1)1 very
same intention in stilt more yiilplii i
language, and not as recollection uf five
rnemlieis lietter evidence Legislatil^wf than Ae re*o
lutiouof the whole Can
1 it he possible that the Governor Wgarded
this certificate ns lietter evidence than
. the resolution, or as evidence at »ll V Is
wlmTe^ecmd whole lecoid than this certificate t Has
it not clearly a mere cover V t. Mm
pliy. it is next said, made an
In the Governor ! Did he make* better
one than Toombs, and Brawn, and
Jackson and others bad made long
• ll ; ,VB wen Govepnor who needs
to lie enlightened in his .lutitj, by a
j clerk official i duties ltd the of dork understand the
the Governor le tter
than the Governor himself r Ought not
| this pretext tn be insulting to the (iov
| ernor ? Where is that marvelous argu
j ment V It ought to lie preserved.
: 3. Ill the third place it is jinked, is
- there any law f u bidding a cl« rk to take
j money to influence the Gnvewior? I
reply, is there any law forbidding the
Governor to take money to infliffimje the
Treasurer or tlie Attorney-Aeneral ?
Would not that tic corrupt hi? But
how is it worse for the cliietwfo take
money for subordinate to influence a Ruburrtitwle, than
a to take money to in
fbtence the chief? If ilie Treasurer's
clerk can take money to intlrwnce tlie
Governor, why may not tlie * res surer
liimself take it for the same mriiose ?
Is Hie servant greater, or en itled to
law more privileges than his maste f * The
does not make corruption -it only
presenltes penalties for it. If t. mre was
no law to punish larceny, woijlt ; there be
“nothing wrong”in stealing? f
4- The fourth pretext offere|| to jus
tify Murphy is that the partieswor Satisfied, Mor
rill) who paid the money are
wc have yet to see whether thaHBrectors
of the Bolling Mill will tietwy tlieir
trust to creditors by
Parlies who pay money for ejtrupt ob¬
jeets are generally satisfied if tl|e objects
areaccom Ushed. T e post trader swere
to pay money to .Mr* Belknap
to influe.ice her husband In Me■ offlejal
duties Diose who paid Credit Mob.lier
Ht votes '? k were tn ,,lt satisfied ‘ l !^' s 1 of I he thief Priests ?'
and LI. ers who paid money to Judas to
net ray Ins Cord Were sat .sued with the
service. Judas w as honest enough to
repent .return the money and hang Inm
self. If the thousands of mell ill America
who are now bet i R ing the cm.t den-e
reposeil in them by using public office
tor illicit gain were half as honest as
J ut,,w would not need to
.damor . for other measures of ivfief.
Pretexts and subterfuges, ss q rule,
; are but confirmatory evidence of guilt,
but in this ease the pretexts aiid subter
X i,«„ mlVou .-<1 -md lmlierous rint
^ C a , lm reg 1,1 ' v as wnfessi s
01 ions, ions guilt, .inn mm ..to inbuUim msuiuno to to
sense and honesty.
Again; Innocence and truth never
make irrelevant issues, but prefer to
meet the real issues in a spirit of frank
ne-s. But guilt anil corruption and are false ever
ready to hide lmliind irrelevant
issues, and no case has ever furnished a
Irntter illustration ofthe correctness of
this rule than the present one. The
thief, in Lear, boldly demanded to
change places with the justice. In tins
case, the man charged with corruption,
and his abet tors, equally brazen, have
sought to pot me on trial for reporting
ami tieirntmctn# tiiecrime. ILis friml
lw*onme so respectable that there is
“nothing wrong" in committing it, but
great crime in condemning if- It will
soon lie in order for criminals to arraign
Jb'Hndjunes for daring to indict them
In the Inst place I am charged with
'' l ,l "'l)0*e and a desir.f to injure
t 1 c t.overnor ! U hat have { lone li t
.............. imii... fi-i
ernor to condemn it ? If Khave been
t.m zealous in this work, it * because I
knew too well the danger of tolerating. .
"with the least degree ol allowance, tins
worst of all forms of cornptton. and
fed too keenly the meffacabh stain that
would follow its endorsemeiit and ap
P'oval by tfie peopL or theirrepreseiua
tives
Why should I desire to injure the Gov
ernor ? We have Irn co.npinious from
our youth. His venerable rather was
the friend, of my early manluod. He is
the Wood relative of my wife tlie uncle
in-law „f my firstborn sm. and the
honored t hint Executive of my Mute!
How could l desire to injure liin ? Such
a charge can have no orgin but in
conscious guilt, desper.' telv seeking to
hide its. If ladiiud false issues, and its
repel it ion would crimson any cheek not
paid to apol g/e for crime! And yet
'bis charge has ten so persistently
made I lmt the Governor hieself affects
to lielieve it, in the face of ftidenee well
known niitrutli. to hhn incoiitrovcrt^lv from ,i« .siring jn'oving to
its n> far
injure tlie Governor, 1 haw most ear
n.-stly la-ggeii the Governor lot to injure
liimself. and not to injure lu- office and
the to Hound, Statebv nnrebuked quietly alhnyui{ m Ins a.lmunstra- corruption
tion. It this ;s to pinsiio Inm "with
malign passion, he will certainly l*e
pursued. I I have have many many fa»lts, farts, but but no no
honest man who knowG me will charge
irn with tearing malice, even to an
enemy. But. . .. if it is mufioUus to . abhor
and tight fraud I am, of »' men. the
most unforgiving and m.levolent. I
would injure no man, but I will make no
concession to fraud, and no compromise
with corruption, and i' my own In it: er
were to interpm>e himself to protect, or
befriend, or apologize fir either he would
receive blows without mercy. When I
falter or become cowardly in such a
fight I shall retire from public life. But
it is said the Governor had no control
over Morphy. This is not true, for he
has control over the entire executive
department, and especially over the
Treasurer’s office, and could susfiend
Murphy’s immediate master, the Tre ■
nrer hims* If. if he adopted or t*derail d
the fraud of his cl*-rk. But tliis. if it
were true, is a pretext again. Therenre
very Governo many other ways by disfileasure which the
could manifest liis
with Murphy and his crime, and either
of them would have satisfied me and the
(icople. Does any man doubt my re
lation to either the man or the crime*
Yet I certainly have no control over any
executive office. If l had. the whole
w<»rhl would soon see how j would
orotect the State, without seizing either
the swordortlwpu.se,
If the good Governor would expend
on Murphy, for committing tins crime,
even half the epithets be lias extended
on me f..r reporting it. his attitude to
wards all of us would lie much more
satisfactory to all good men. Will any
gentleman show roe one word ever
uttered by the Governor condeming
Murphy or disapproving his crimes. Cf
so. I will he greatly obliged, for, from
the lieginning, these are the words my
ears have lieen hungry to catch.
A second false issue is the charge that
1 have tieen actuated by selfish motives—
a de-ire to collect a fee. And really our
good, intelligent committee actually
wasted many days, and taxed the State
WUh "" ( " St f T'l' Tr'vi'" 1
inquiring, under the lead of Murphy and
his attorney, whether the rolling mill
really owed me a fee ! Well, suppose it
did not owe me a fee, would that jirove
that there was “nothing wrong’’ in
Murphy's crime; or would it throw
light on the motive and conduct of the
Governor, the only question ttiey were
authorized to investigate? Did the
committee susjiect no motive in this
movement to get their investigation
under the control of Murphy and his
attorneys, and thus divert them from
the only question liefore them ? But
from the time this false issue was first
written out by an editor of tlie Omsti
tufma, and read to Murphy and the Gov
ernor together in the executive office,
tlie Governor has given the jictti
fogging of the lowest type the dignity
of his countenance and a proval, and
oven vet sees nothing in all this but a
contest over a fee.
Fellow-citizens, you can never know
how utterly I dispise afi such personal
interest when they come in conflict
with the vindication of the honor and
character of my State; and if this mat
ter of a fee, due me bv the rolling mill
for services in the courts, is really in the
way of the Governor’s action. 1 will
now say that, if he will let ns afi follow
his lead in bringing tliis crime of Murphy
into such odium that no future clerk or
other office will dare repeat it. I will
gladly abandon the paltry fee and dis
miss the suit. I will only be too happy
if, by any personal sacrifice, I can isolate
this crime from its respectable avouchers
and banish in shame and,
disgrace from the shelter of the Capitol,
pettifogging, ' . ’ for ; pretexts, - fosnuibbiour. and for fo
sub-
tifuges, and they shall not avail their
authors.
The Governor is sadly mistaken again
if be supposes the report of the majority
„f the committee ends this matter.
T1,at re « K,rt l,us '''darged the issue ; that
report is nothing but a proposition to
make the crime of Murphy the crime of
the Legislature, the .........if the Demo
cratic party, and the crime of the State,
Who is Murphy that the Democratic
party and the-State of Georgia should
take his sins upon their shoulders ? The
children of those fathers, who lighted
their torch from the sun to burn up the
records of our infamy, will not basely
stand idly l.y and permit another record
or infamy to b.- made. Tim committee
have made a mistake under influences
h eh 1 understand -Ji ■ and win h they do
-
l . , „.,a .. » i .f i'ilv .! ,u T' u, ,, ; le
.i t w n,.: ., l Y , V '
tins report, limy . cannot r whitewash
Murphy >V ' without hlaekwashing in L'. in
delible . stains . • the , fair . , lame ofthe , btate. ,
i cannot save the Demociatic p.uty by
Ittumg d une, wit imiv ny expiismg it.
um Hemoerauc metimii in JNew
,ia ' e 8 'own us Uy example how to (tea.
with tins veiy crime, winch is tn truth
at the bottom ot the wdiole matter.
reals ago william M. 1 weed then a
very pom man; obtained H, L ,,, h (;e
"w city g<neimneut ot New \ ork. He
used lus office tor private gain, aim
rapidly f increased tl is power iris and Ins
’l, !r S .Tdu.’s
,r n u .,ritv * 1 * \
werenmlinns, . , instnenos . f svpr>‘imiitnufJes, j
.
J “ ,d
" ' y '
aou as uuuueiiL as ms wonsmp oein.u u
v« od mune. and n dZXus dangeious to'^nd to ottend nis !Ss
w lien at t o ; last ms ci imescomu Sfidm^ionwr no longei
• t ■ " • ^i.vi/.r-iV.^
•**VV' will
t i,,fvvlo- l?e
'
eit ,12
'
’ ''fed ,'ol ’ s r’ o.! t' 7, -li ! l.i.Tnf i!) wl it th v e
' ,)•<■.'. such men
1 '"'f , . 'y ,\ '
8
1' , ! kIiT r
‘ t, i‘,m n friends' a ,
‘
] i t |„,, ,. v .' w it limit
, , b . n , 1( . tt , r If the Demo
putvof New * York had under
. Xiideii Tweed .nd i, .d .1.,
mm-pd ‘ 'ind O’t'unor -f criminals
;IIU , vj!e oa i un IM i ;l to^. pursuing him
with , m .lign nuriHise .raced' the party would
, i.'istlv , .ig and ' ruined ' ‘ and
i ' s so
-
Murphyism in Georgia is Tweedism
in its beginning. Tfie two crimes are
precisely the s, me, and there is union in
the suiroundings of With strikingly
similar. If not arrested and utterly
destroyed now, that crime in Georgia
will multiply. It wifi soon laugh at
optHWition and mock mere (>eiial statutes,
It must be disgraced, and all w t
apologize tor it must share remedy. its It late.
This is the only effective is
a ease for 11 pi.pular uui sun wrath. cmurel If not the cruMi^i ytate,
distribute the, offices, and apprepriate the
Hie h.xes of the people,
Even now the et il .n Atlanta is iar^
of and this will case not readily shows die. beyond doubt ' 1 ‘ ” that ‘
this is not the only crime, nor Murphy
the only criminal, ofthe , .. ... kind m . t.,e .
State. Dies any sensible man suppose
that Murphy, nnained and alone, eoiiiu
have accomplished what we see was
accomplished ? Could any unai’ed
criminal have had pajiers defending tiiiu,
friends flattering him, great and (so
called good men helping him, and a
committee of really able and true men
making him a solemn report absolving
him from everything wrong, in the face
of his undisputed and confessed cor
rupriori ? No ! this crime bears every
mark of experience, of practiced shrewd
ness, arid of co-operative influence.
Murphy is not the only man who has
used putdic office for private gain, and
who is growing rich on a small salarv.
Like the ancient Hydra, this crime
shows many heads already I see in a
report to the General Assembly, that
State-house officials are actually parties
to contracts with the State, and exe
cutive officers of the State are also les
sees of the State ! If the Legislature will
do their duty, instead of sending their
time investigating irrevalent issues,
trying to impeach honest witnesses
only because they tell the truth, and
that, too, by the testimony of persona!
enemies, aud allowing attorneys ' to fish
evidence to try tlnur « a es in court
they will not rest until they ferret out
all these arrangements, by which State
officials are using their offices to enrich
themselves, whether by practicing for
money on executive duties, or by con
tracts and leases with the State, or by
other ways. And they will not complete
their lats'rs until all who have thus used
their offiees are driven from the Capitol,
and honest men put in their places who
will lie Voiitent w.tli the salaries fixed by
law. It vet lie fortunate that these
men have attempted so much i> this
case, anil, under cover of
a good man oil charges which noisKly
^ Vl® f ^ msin hi " ,S r If e ’, haVe
sought to secure , leg ■ it lire absolution
for the r comrade. If they had been
content to vindicate ibe Governor from
inueudoes which nobody made, and tliere
rested, the agitation might have ceased,
and their avocation continued. But to
ask the Legislature, by solemn resolu
tion, to declare, what no other civilized
tr« »< I v has ever declared, that tliere is
not hing wrong in the boldest use of
public office for private gain that has
ever been proven or confessed, will I
trust, wake un all good men in the
State, and result in bringing tlie whole
gang to grief,
I know, as few can know, the dan
g e rs which a public man must encounter
who dares, at this day, to make war on
frauds and corruptions in tlie public
service. Every guilty man, and every
niau who sympathises with or profits by
nis guilt, at once regards the war as
personal upon liimself, and liecotnes at
once that public man’s personal enemy,
These guilty men are numerous, active,
unscrupulous, and vengeful. They wax
fat with public plunder, and are able to
subsidize papers, hire detractors, and
buy caluniniuators to do their bidding,
When tolerated by those in power they
are more dangerous than hungry wolves,
it ud it is easier for public men to join
them or let them alone than to tight
them, I was anxious to support the
administration ; but when in spite of all
my entreaties to the contrary, I found
that administration making the authors
of the most gigantic fraud of history the
favorite beneficiaries of its patronge, I
was compelled to denounce such a de
of the Government
tffut rejufii. iniquity wa« Unit all the guilty parties t->
...tm-.;,, -
enemies, and the edminislratiou itself
vvi lid rew afi its confidence.
With pride and pleasure I was sup
porting our State administration. When
I found an instance of glaring corrup
U in that administration I exposed it
to the Governor and demanded purgation,
The result was the author of timt fraud
threatened uu very fife in open day, in
the signt of his friends stationed as
witnesses, in the most public spot of the
capital city of my State and residence,
;„ u l without losing the confidence or
friendship of his superiors in power,
And the Governor liimself still sorts
with this intimate friend and Renounce*
me as an euemv pursuing him with
“malign passions !”
ut 11,18 . . ,. " raakc . d'Serence
‘ l wl 110
except . to nerve me for the contest,
I well know that without honest ad
minlstratio.. good government is i.n
IKJS8I ° ssl t,i e {’..nstitutions 1 nsuiucious. however However wise wise —
laws, , however just—become but "as
S(>uud .; llg brli8 lind tinkling cymbals’
ul dess tney are honestly administrated,
The great issues in American poli.ies
llow are wdiether fraud or tlie Consli
tution slwll be tlie supreme law, and
whether rogues or honest men snail con
uol tlie government. The struggle will
h« fierce, and the issue mav tie doubiful,
but my part in it shall be inactive, timid,
,,,. uncertain. For tliis 1 shall claim no
cr edil,for l am discharging only a duty
u, yon who have honored me with your
al,d 1 di '* «ot fearlessly
maintain your h<mor and dofemi your
ujrnts 1 should l»e, indeed, a .eprobate.
'If we excuse or condone fraud in our
State government aud by our own party,
W e have no right to condemn fraud m
11 5“ ^ nd ^
a dversarv party ; and lo attempt it will
V“' y :Ubje< ; 1 "f l " n, " ck,ry «•«! ridicule,
[c , s lH ,,.uh iU lv uiitoctunate that this
............. <a»»i» m ««*.
u,,1 « w| ien the two great parties ot the
"^'ou are getting ready, alter long ex
ceS!k ' 8 ’ tw WH 8*> H'® ii'vatest political
»*«le ever waged in American history
for ' ef,,nn a,,d lK,,lest m himistiatmn.
for tins reason, as well as
of its peraonal featuies, t a. tins
basgiven me more pain and mortiheati m
than any thing which lias ever occurred
hi our Mate.
I forliear novv to discuss all the facts
of ll| e case. I decline even to express ail
opinion on some of ils aspects, in view
the mauy miserable pretexis and false
issues which have been raised to prevent
the read tacts and issues from b.ing
passed upon, 1 have felt it my duty to
present the main facts of tlie iiaiid and
the reasons aud motives which have cou
trolled me iu dealing with it.
J "L,. 1 'L J, l!
, , « , li tn f
‘
, uersonallv unkind or
’ *
Jn r . )r 8t , or tVelmg or bv anv
0 p,ier than a sincere and deter
nrlie< } one to maintain the honor of the
. , Jd nurifv the public administra
^ , g a will be to the end, an un
falsehood, aud no man can
t0 one act 0 f ra i ne which can
p. ll[iate it _ All these pretexts, sub
terfuges and personal charges against
myself constitute nothing but a plea of
fared bv conscious infamy to hide its own
deformity behind its owiw calumny, and
I shall make this so plain in the future
that no man shall doubt it.
And now, fellow-citizens, I close this
address by expressing in a few brief
words, all the pith and marrow of this
whole case :
Murphy committed a fraud on the
office of the Governor, and I reported
that fraud to the Gove'nor. There
u(>on the Governor treats Murphy as his
friend, and denounces me as bis enemy !
Murphy introduced into Democratic
Georgia the first known instance of that
form of corruption which, in other
States and in the Federal Government,
has done and is doing more than all
other forms of corruption to disgrace
our politic*, to irn over sh honest people,
to enrich official rogues, and to threaten
our popular institutions with ignomini
ous shame, rottenness and ruin. Mur
phy boasts of his act and defends it; the
Governor excuses it; and I denounce it.
< in this issue the demand now is that
Murphy shall lie justified, tire Governor
shall be sanctified, and I shall be immo
lated !
It is pleasant now, as it has often l>een
pleasant through many trying ordeals in
the past, to know that the people must
render the verdict, before the rings,
i>oiiticians, and sensational mendicants
can execute the sentence
Your fellow-citizen,
Benjamin H. HrLL.
■Washington, D. C., January 7th, 1879.
______________ ____
Jl TT’PTTr aW iiU A TlTnrt3 V JjifVliwJjDtLfjI'l l T , TC!TrtjrTi , 'Kr r X T , <! O.
-=
January 1st. 18*9.
MAPPHOUSE
Greenestoro,’ Ga.
f HAVE taken charge of the above
named Hotel, alreauy so renowned for con
venience m'dgemy^rfto comfort and neatness "tupto and I
keep table supplied itshigh
reputation by keeping my
with the best the market affoids, attention
t, l e comfort ot my guests and politeness
and i . reas^nabl'e^BvThis^mk^^f . sndVeeeive lilJral conduct
hope to merit a share
u f the public pat .> rage. A trial is solicited.
Jau.l7,l87>j.t-o-o. L. AGREE,
aaV."
BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS
Choice Seeds. Ac. By Mail, 8
For Al.00 w.' mail postpaid, eithrr of 5
following Collections, all choice varie- |
, ties. 20 Verbenas, or 8 Ilelitrnpes, f
f 8 Geraniums, or !• Fuchsias, L
8 Coleus, or 8 Hoses, Chrysanthemums, 9
j^or : 4 Ivies, or 8 House Plants,
10 assorted Green i
£ Air 8Gladioulus, 24-Sc, 12-10e, or 8 pkts. Doulde Garden Tuberose,^ Seeds, 1
or
!,ior 24 (>ackets choice Flower Seeds. 7 ,{
a-ircular, with additional Oollec- ■J
»tions fl mailed to applicants,
Sj(Local EDW’D J EVANS & CO.,
Agents Wanted.) YORK, PA.
« Jan.l7,j-nn__
Johnson’s Anodyne this terrible Linimiment will posi¬ will
tively prevent terrible disease, and
postively prevent this disease, and
will Information positively that cure will nine cases out lives of sent ten.
save many
free by mail. Don’t delay a moment. Pre
ventation is better than cure. Sold Every¬
where. I. S. JOHNSON & CO., Bangor,
Maine.
------
-B.'aiJPATia M'.AT.
Crawfordville Academy.
lyAVINGbeen Academy, elected I Principal of the
Crawfordville beg leave to in¬
form the public that the exercises of the
School will he resum'd on Monday, the
27th inst. It will he my object to teach all
pupils intrusted to me thoroughly and care¬
fully. and I solicit a liberal share of the
public, patronage. C. T. BuGi,S, Rector.
Jan.17.1879.t-oo.
Convent School.
Under the Supervision of the
SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH,
Sharon, Taliaferro Co., Ga.
T respectfully HE SISTERS inform OF the ST. public, JOSEPH that would their
School, at Sharon, Taliaferro county, Ga ,
will re-open Feb. 1st, 187)1. Thanking their
friends for past patronage, they kindly ask
a continuance of the same, ami assure their
patrons that every effort shall be made to
improve Terms. the pupils entrusted month. to tlieir care.
$1 50 per
l-if' A reduction will be made for several
members Extra of the same family. made for
1-4T chaiges will be
Music and French.
Jan.l7,n-t.
THE BRINKLEY
A High School for
Boys and Girls,
Situated two and a half miles from
NORWOOD, GEORGIA.
Sprmg Term Opens January 20th.
S. G. BRINKLEY, Principal, and „ Instructor , ,
M1 *£ m Utru.uental V.^al Musks and Teacher
Music
tuition twenty, twenty-five, or thirty
(1()1 , ars according to class. Music extra,
B.ard in private families at seven dollars
per month. For particulars address the
P^'P a b ‘
n Nor W, G».
kind opi lit® no- Tarin agij «
fVm M RS . A . E. SHIELDS those begs who leave have to pu- in¬
her patrons an Term
pii s to send to school, that the Spring 13th of Jan
of tier school wilJ begin on the
uary, 1879. She returns thanks for past
patriuiage, ami solicits a continuance. »>e
SJmie bra ’sSSTl thepresent veer, to wnd
their children at the earliest possible time.
MRS. A. E. SHIELDS,
jan3,-o-t
Sharon Institute.
Business School for Boys and Girls
.* IT. E. — supplied. ^ P*illCipil. — . ■ ■
ST Assistant
nTHE 1 Spring Term of this Institute, for
1879, for Six Months, will begin on
MONDAY, JASUARt 13th, 187».
gr’ Good board from S8 to $10 per month,
For particulars address
’ 10 J V E S har^b Gs.
Bleaehings from 5 cti to 15 P^V^rd
