The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-09-20

ID. B. THOMAS.
Sworn and subscribed to this first day
of April. "A. D. 1859, before me.
Z. DRUMMoND,
Justice of the Peace for Humphreys
county, Tennessee.
And fled this account and execn-
ted this accompanying receipt:
House of Representatives Of the Unit
ed States, debtor to Dorsey B. Thomas.
for the sum of $1658 so, under the reso-
luton of the House of Representatives
of March 2, 1867, for time expended and
expenses incurred in contestiIg the right
of Hon. Samuel NJ. -Arnell to a seat in
the House Of the 18th Congress.
Received of Edward Mcpherson,
Clerk of the House of Representatives
of the United States, $1658 so in full of
the above account. ID. b. THOMAS. y
"April 10, 1892
To which is appended the follow
ing certificate:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
stREGIsFER' IS OFFICE, August 8. 1870.
Pursuant to act of March 3, 1877,
entitled An act to provide more effectu-
ally for the settlement of accounts be-
tween the United States and receivers
of public monies, /, John Allison, Reg
lister of the Treasury Department, do
hereby certify that the annexed copy of
voucher No. 9403, and the copy of the
oath of allegiance hereto attached, filed
in the account of Edward Mcpherson,
Clerk of the house of Representatives,
United States, are true copies of the or
iginal on file in this Office.
- JOHN ALLISON, Register"
Be it remembered that John Allison,
ESQ.,, who certified the annexed trans
script, is now, and was at the time of
doing so, Register of the Treasury of
the United States, and that full faith and
credit are due to his official attestations:
In testimony whereof, I, w. A Rich
ardson, secretary of the Treasury of the
United States, have hereunto subscribed
my name, and caused to be affixed the
seal of this Department, ut the City of
w Washington, this 9Th day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1870
WILLIAM A. RICHARDSON,
Il. S. Acting Sec. of the Treasury.
How he will harmonic this solemn
oath with his circular "To the Voters
of Madison, Upton, LauderdaIe and
Haywood Countless" / will leave to
himself. But when he undertakes the
task l will ask him to explain in ad-
dition the application made to the pres
ent Congress for payment of the ac-
count paid in April, 1869, and to show
for one service.
His Legislative record is not consist.
ent with his present position. Now he
is opposed to the payment of any part
of the State debt, but on the 18th of Oc-
tober, 1869, he was a member of the
State Senate, and voted for this resolu-
ton: Senate Journal, 1869-70, page 48.
BY Mr.. Hall; Senate Joint Resolution
No. g, viz:
ITT
on the part of those who have hereto
fore controlled the State Government
in pledging the public faith, by the is
suance of State bonds, has tended great
ly to impair the public credit, and inn
part distrust to the minds of many as to
the ultimate payment of our public
debt; and, ---
WHEREAS, A people who, in all
of their history, have shown scrupul-
GUS fidelity, commercially and other
wise to private obligations must consid-
| sential to the honor and dignity of the
State; therefore,
Be 1t Resolced By tie General assembly
Of the State Of Tennessee, That the peO-
pie of Tennessee will not signalze their
restoration to the control of public af-
fairs by sanctiOning, in any manner, in
difference to public obligations.
g ResOloed, That expediency, together
with the honor and good faith of the
State, demand that the interest upon
the public debt be paid at the earliest
practicable moment, and it's principal
securely provided for at maturity; and
to these ends under careful retrench-
ment and rigid economy in all other
| respects the entire available revenues
and resources of the State should be
faithfully applied as they in honor are
pledged
Mr.. Nelson, moved to strike out
"reckless extravaganza, and insert
fpreviOus legislation, (which was ac-
cepted by the introducer.
The resolution was then adopted
In the following February Senate bill
No. 273, to sustain the credit of the
State, was on its third reading This
bill provided for State tax of thirty
cents. Senator Morris moved to strike
out thirty cents and insert ten cents
Mr.. Thomas voted against the motion.
Senator Etheridge tried to defeat the
bill with motion to lay the bill On the
table. MIR. Thomas voted no, and while
this bill was pending Senator Greene
offered an amendment to reduce the
tax on polls to seventy-five cents. The
amendment was laid upon the table.
Mr.. Thomas voting for it; the bill pas
sed the Senate, Mr.. Thomas voting
against the reduction, of the tax from
80 to 10 cents, and against the reduc-
ton of the poll tax to rs cents. This
bill was amended by the House of Rep
resentatives and returned to the Senate
with provision for tax of twenty
cents instead of thirty.
Senator Etheridge moved to concur
in the House amendment and it prevail
ed by majority of 4. Mr.. Thomas vo-
ted against it and lost the only oppor-
tunity of his life of voting for a
TWENTY CENTS TAX.
Again, in 1870, alta second session of
the State Senate, during the pending
of Senate Bill No. 1913, to provide reven- |
ne for the State, the bill provided for a
tax of so cents. An amendment was |
offered reducing the levy to so cents |
Senator Morris offered an amendment |
reducing it to twenty-five cents. MIR. |
Thomas voted against the motion. He |
voted against the motion striking out |
80 cents and inserting so cents, and up !
on the passage of the bill his vote is re- /
corded in its favor. The condition of |
the taxpayers of Tennessee is as good I
to-day as it was in 1870, and the very
argument that the Democratic party |
makes to-day in opposition to an in
crease of the rate of taxation was made /
upon the floor of the Senate by Sena-
tors Morris, Slauk htt,r and others, when
Senate bill 1913, providing for tax nf
so cents, received the support of Mr..
Thomas. He was then deaf to the
cries of an impoverished people. Now
his heart is full of love for them and
pity for their caIamities, and you will /
remember that the Democratic platform /
of 1874 was recently re-adopted. Mr..
Thomas was then, irl 1874, candidate
for Governor. His name was placed in
after the adoption of the
platform. He was ready to "accept the
with the resolutions annex
ed, and then cordially Endorsed the
policy of the party and supported its
candidate. Why this change? Mr.. I
Thomas has a mission. The masses
of all parties" learn from his Charl-
ton letter, demand its performance for