Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-05
A NOVEL PLAN.
Paying Of the state Debt without Tax.
ation-COmPtrOIIer Bureh's Bank
Revival seheme-HOw 90 Bring
About misunderstanding MIIIenium.

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The financial questions which are at pres
ent assuming a character of the utmosi
Importance have induced many persons
Through the public prints, and otherwise
70 give their views in regard TO our State
Affairs and their management in the way
oest calculated to reduce taxation. Some
say reduce salaries, some favor indirect re
pudiation, and few direct and absolute
Reputation. Many have been the plans
and suggestions made, but among them all
no feasible, practical plan has been adj
vanced. They SAVIOR too strongly Of the
imagination, and, being for the most part
the productions of Oflice-seekers and Office-
holders, have had, as | conceive, only such
elements Of reform in them as will sound
well, aud do as little harm TO the interest
OF officials as possible.
Such suggestions as l shall make in this
communication, If meritleSs, are also un-
selfish, since have never, and shall never
seek TO. any official position. Having a
community Of feeling and interest with all
the other good citizens of the State, by sub
serving their interests solely, nay own are
partakers of the good, if there be any, to
now from my suggestions. My language
shall be plain, for am not professional
man, but unsOphisticated; half farmer and
half mechanic. / say half, because am
not perfect in either; but rs a mechanic,
when want a house, select my timber,
eut and dress it, give proper attention TO
the length and number Of pieces desire,
and so completing my frame work, finally
erect such an edi6ce as / desire. As
q farmer, when my object is to
kill weeds, / do not lOp one here, pinch
back one there, and leave scores untouched;
But plOso deepl gather their roots from
the under depth to which they penetrate,
and in a mass, foliage, stalk and root. |
commingle them in the upheayal, and leave
them dead and incapable Ofproducing their
like. The plan of the operation, in both
instances, is the plan propose in our State
affairs. Let us erect such principles of pol
ity as may suit us into such fabric of gov
ernment as will protect and foster us. Let
us eradicate and destroy, from the root,
such evils as beset us.
An enormous amount of taxation seems
tired upon US, and with every indication
that unless some measure of relief is af-
forded, it will crush and paralyze us. How
shall We be rid of it? This our inquiry.
The way is as easy and plain 20 nv
mind rs il is TO erect the house aud 10 get
rebuild our political structure, and strike
at the root of our evils. My first sugges-
tiOn is that the State of Tennessee should
be governed by IFS people, and not by poll
ticians; by majority of the people, and
not by few pretentiOus, lOud-talking wire
workers These political gentry who first
esSayed TO guide us, the people, now by
curious combination Of effects, are arrO-
NIL -.
so complex that no one knows what our
laws are, nor could life Of constant study
indOctrinate any one fully in their mys-
teries- Yet ignorance of law is not to be
received as plea for IFS violation. These
men must be invited to stand back, and
simpler method Of law-making Introduced,
which | shall presently show.
The first remedy for all our evils is this
Let the m' m )ei Of our next Legislature be
directed 10 call a Constitutional COnven-
tiOn. Let that Constitutional Convention
be composed mainly Of farmers, mechanics
and merchants. Elect none 10 that cOn-
vention but those who will pledge them
selves TO abolish all our courts as at pres
ent constituted. Extend and limit the
powers Of the Legislature as hereafter
shown. Repeal every statute upon the
books, (but this repeal not to effect vested
rights, and the abrogation Of the courts not
to take effect until all pending litigations
are concluded, and 4 limitation Of twelve
months given in Which such litigatiOns are
to be settled.) Abolish the offices of Comp
troller and Treasurer, and all county offices
except one clerk and one sheriff and depu-
ties. Let them stand pledged 70 abOlishing
these Offices, and, instead Of our pOnderOus
machinery, let them enact as follows: A
code Of laws, few, plain and simple. for
the government Of the people, cOmpre-
hensive enough 10 include the detail
required and explicit enough to be under
stood by the merchant, mechanic and farm
er. Let them frame constitution which
shall establish the Bill of Rights and con-
tain other essentials in accordance with the
principles herein set forth. Let there be
established but one court in each county.
of general and final jurisdiction, to be held
by Judge elected by the voters of said
county. This court shall be without terms,
and shall remain always open for the ad-
judieatiOn Of business, so that when a dis
pute as to any matter requiring the inter-
position of a court arises, il can he tried
and determined within a short space Of
time. Let it be prOSided that jurors may
be had in any cause, either at the expense
of the party calling for the same, or at
the joint expense Of both parties, except
in criminal causes above the grade of mis-
demeanOrs, when all causes shall be tria-
bic by jurors at the expense of the State.
Let there also be for each county States
Attorney TO prosecute in behalf Of the
State and county; the sheriff and his depu-
ties TO collect and account for county taxes
TO the judge OF the court, and the Judge TO |
account for his disbursements to the grand |
jury Of each county; the grand Jurors TO he |
selected by lot in the presence of three ius-
tices bv the sheriff, and to meet every three !
months and the grand jurors in connection |
with the iudge,to supersede the present |
quarterly court in its functions, for the |
purpose OF making appropriations for cOun- |
~ purposes, levying county taxes, etc; the |
justices 10 he as at present, with |
jurisdiction enlarged, and all causes 1
triable 10y them, appealable TO the judges |
court. And, if necessary to have supreme |
Court or Court Of Appeals, let it be with
out term and sit At the capitol Of the State. /
consisting of not more than three Judges,
any one Of whom to constitute the court in /
the absence Of the Others. Let all of the /
officers, State and county, except sherifis /
dLiu lustiCtcs NC SdldIltus SutTlIIS anu lItStf-
ces To receive fees, and the salaries of other
officers to be fixed by the Legislature, vary
ing the same according to the population |
aud business in county Offices Let the /
Governors office and its function remain
about rs at present; the Secretary of State
to fill the Office of Comptroller and Secre-
tary, and the Treasurer's Office to be |
abolished in accordance with the financial |
plan herein afterwards advanced. The |
Legislature is to meet once only in every |
four years, except where il is necessary for
them to meet Oftener to elect |
Senators to the United States |
Senate, and to have power to change, alter |
Oramend the Constitution at each meet |
ing, but no constitutional clause or law |
passed by them TO the binding unit both |
constitutional cause and law shall be rati- |
fed by the voice of the people at the ballot
box, clause by clause, and section by sec
tiOn. In this way the people will govern |
themselves indeed and IN truth, and not in |
name, as now.
In this way We can reduce current ex- |
penses, with the Legislature meeting once |
in four years, useless offices abolished and |
the features Of economy so changed that |
our judges and clerks will be sustained by |
the fines and fOrfeitures of the courts. Our |
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