Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-09-12
Exhaustive Statement by Governor POr-
ter Of Reforms Brought About by
the Democratic Party in the
State During 1856.
He Meets His Opponents with UnglOVed
Hands-ThOmas's 20-Cent Scheme
Yardley Well ReceiVed-Maney's
PrOpOsal-Ete.

| large number OF citizens from that plscl
and intermediate points along the lire
At twelve o'clock the discussion wa
begun by Governor Porter, who operet
the debate and spoke as follows:
FELLow-CITIZENs OF THE COUNTY
OF WusoN-Tn " o years ago was hon
ored by the Democratic party OF Ten
nessee with the nomination as the can
didate for the Cffice OF governor Of the
State. The people tifisd that nomins,
tion at the ballot box, and L have labOreC
to perform the high duties with which
am charged with courage and fidelity
Again / am before you with my party
Endorsement as q candidate for re.elec
don, and / propose to-day to give you
an account OF the ad ADMINISTRATION of the
State government for the past two yesFs
To you alone Sm / res ponsible. YoU
slOne can demand OF me q statement Of
my official conduct. But before render
il, let me call your attention to the cir
cumstances under which / addressed
you two years ago. Then was
confronted by an opponent OF
experience and ability, the leader Of the
Republican party Of Tennessee, who WIS.,
indorsed aud recommended by his party
in conVentionl Behold the cnange! A
party onco cInfideut and aggressive
has abandoned lis organization IN Ten
nessee, it has lost confidence ia its own
integrity, and has abandoned regular
political warfare; ii has no trusted lead
er who will "cry, courage to the field?'
Not one Of them will go before the peo-
pie and ask for change in the admin
istrAtion OF the State government; they
have confessed their weakness and fed
The field ingloriously. at the time OF
my inauguration l was environed by
difficulties OF the gravest character. No
governor of Tennessee was ever 30 beset
by circumstances OF SO much embarrAss-
ment. Business of every character was
in State Of prostrstion; there was O
general failure of the agricultural pro-
duetions Of the State, aud for the frs.
time in the history OF Tennessee, the
producer Wss reduced to bare subsist-
ence, he had no money, and nothing to
exchange for il, confidence was gone,
and uni yeIsal bankruptcy seemed newt
able. Our people could not escape the
Federal taX-gaiherer, for all seasons are
alike to him, but our own legislature
could, and wisely did, postpone for q
wear the collection of the revenues OF
the State. This eminently proper meas.
ure, while it brought repose and relief to
The people, added new embarrassment
TO those Of Us who had undertaken the
administration OF the State government.
There was . borrowed money account OF
s6e5 600 ta be met, u warrant account OF
$ZSo, ,ZSe ~ ualTy nZ5vIzsszvsl--ti->e, tha in,
terest on the school fund to be provided
for, beside the maturing interest on the
State deb. Ordinarily these sums are
Of small consequence to State, hut
with an empty treasury, collections Gus
pended, and clamorous creditors, the
amount was simply appalling. There
was but one resort, and one meas
ure OF relief, and l mention
IL to the credit Of the able treasurer and
comptroller, ii was adopted. Every dol.
lar that came to the treasury was paid
out to the creditors of the State, not
dollar was allowed to rest for a night
no new liabilities for the State was Gre
ated, by adhering 10 this policy, the
borrowed money and all outstanding
warrants have been psid. The school
fund and the interest on State bonds
held by counties and educational institu'
tions were provided for and paid. The
State authorities were compelled to let
the payment OF the interest on the pub
lie DE- b. go by default. To the offer to
borrow money to meet this liability,
harsh terms were demanded, and the
policy of borrowing money for any pur-
p2se was abandoned, not to be renewed
with my consent. This conclusion wss
announced to the creditors OF the Sta'e
in an open letter published in December
last. and copied by nearly every paper
in the State, aud at the same time ! an
nouneed to them that so soon IS the
treasurer could spay of the outstanding
warrants and the balance then
unpaid on the borrowed money
account, thst be would pay the install.
ment OF interest due July L, 1875, so osCon
as the requisite amOu2t OF money Wss
paid into the treasury. Notice to the
creditors Of the State has bsen given
that the balances due July, 1874, and
January, 1875. with full instelment
due July /, 1875, would be paid on the
fifteenth OF the present month. This
money was levied by law for the pay
ment Of the interest Oh the State debt,
and the officers charged with it's dis.
bursement pay it out in accordance with
the plain provisions OF the law, and in
obedience tC the repeated declaration OF
the Democratic party that payment
would be made whenever the State had
the ability.
RETRENCHEIENT AND REFORM.
The last general assembly inaugurated
this movement in Tennessee by the sbo-
lition OF two of our State courts, and ]
have caused circulars to issue to the
clerks of all the cOnrts in the State, for
aHinsffvos inf finYa fh of
m,SV warrant the abolition Of several
more It them.
TAX ON RAILROADS
The railways of Tennessee are q new
source OF reveaue levied by the State
during the last fiscal ycar-S69, Gil 10
and this will be largely increased with a
return Of prosperity to the roads and to
the country.
THE ABOLITION OF THE OFFICE OF TAX
COLLECTORS,
The trustees are now the collectors as
well ss the discussing agents Of the
counties. Until the passage of this act,
theIe were In the State county trustees,
whose average oay was $3.50 per snnum,
sggregating SIS, 200. This sum is saved
TO the taxpayers; and this is only one
of the good results OF the passage OF this
bill. Before its repeal the collector of
Davidson county received for the col
lection OF the State and county revenue,
5000 per annum; the railroad and spe.
cial tax.colIector resolved $500; the city
OF Nashville paid its revenue collector
$1,000; total paid in one county for the
collection OF the revenue, Sis, 200. Un-
der the present law, the trustee, as col
Iector of Davidson county, can only re,
ceive $4,000, with three deputies at $1,000
each, making $1,000, or $500 less than
was paid under the repealed statute.
have no dGts from other counties, but
the saving will average ODe-fOurth as
much as this, or $2l15 TO the county,
and aggregate Sl95. $50, and is'an actual
relief 10 the Taxpayers, by the passage
OF single act, S2S2. $50.
REDUCTION IN THE COST OF JAIL FEES.
The Iegisl ture of 1883 increased the
nav OF jaileTs for the board OF prisoners
from forty cents to sixty cents q
dsy, The last legislature reduce !
II TO forty cents. The result has been a
large saving to the State AID county
From December 19, 1873,
Ia AUGUST 1, 1874, eight months and 8
h ,lf the State paid To jsilers' fees for
Dosrd , ST. Of prisoners, Sos, ,S4S 80. This is
he average under the law OF 1866.
Under the present statute, the State paid
'or the same service, from December
Ii. 1875, TO August l, 1875, S29 54S Us.
The saving TO the county treasures ls
10 the same proportion. Tne cost OF
and Gales for taxes for the two years
ending the nineteenth Of December,
o-a ,-oa GEE Id0 Al on thia