Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-04-27

my iell III hCcUIu VIII m6u Vi all par
ties, who favor low taxes, aud oppos
heavy burdens for the present ant
future generations. | think it bette
to declare what | think ought to b,
done, tbon TO guess at what others ma,
do. When bad men cOuspire 5000
met must unite"
LIST. All men without regardio part.
who are opposed to the policy, anC
execution Of the 1908 funding bill
should form a union and pIejce eacl
other to stand together uatll this in
equity is defeated.
I'd. When this is accomplished, j
can then be determined what is bes
thereafter to be done by the CRANE
army of the people thus organized.
In this contest party and party
leaders should be ignored. Let hin
be first who can serve his people best
and will do most to destroy the lobby
and tie leaders who have concealed
their purposes and violated their Mat.
forms and pledges to the people. This
bill eau never be executed il the PEG.
pie oppose it. The bondholders mu q
rely upon the faith and credit Of the
state Tor payment, and this means the
will Of the people. The attempts, by
a legislative trick, to put a yoke upon
.freemen and their children for ninety
nine years will answer no purpose,
except as a monument Of the folly Of
its advocates and authors. The people
will defeat it, execution, or the battle
will last ninety-nine years.
If the people will elect a legislature
that the lobby cannot control it will
be a light task to draft laws 10 defeat
the bondholders. Answering more
directly your question, it is my opinion
that low tax democrats ought to unite
with high tax democrats, republicans
and greenbackers against Mr.. HawEins
aud the f.ithless men who have Joined
him. The 1908 bill, in my opinion,
is not the law of the land" aud will
be declared void by all courts, state
and federal, if brought before them.
Citizens who hate corruption, oppres.
sion and class legislation, and who
desire to maintain the honor and the
constitution of Tennessee should come
forward and join in a bill of injunction
70 stop the funding until the courts
shall decide whether or not a legisla-
ture in violation Of platforms and
promises can bind freemen for ninety
nine years by a law irrepealable, there.
by doing a thing that neither the
congress of the United States or a
constitutional convention can do.
This bill is unconstitutional and a
ftaud. The caption is a falsehoo1. 1t
says: "To COMPROMISE and settle
In point of fact, it discriminates be-
tween bondhOlders.
The LIST section discriminates be-
tween classes. 1t aUows the s%pecula-
tor to fund his boad aud prohibit
education and charitable institutions
from so doing. This violates lection
8 article 8 Of the constitution Of Ten
nessee.
The 1st and 4th sections constitute
Num-, Nolan aud Polk a funding
board, ito examine, audit and flud
any legally issued bond" with power
to sit "at such times ana places rs they
may deem wise and propsr," which, Of
course, means New York or elsewhere.
to suit the bondholders. These meu
(if anything are in every sense a spe.
cial court or tribunal created by the
legislature as a favor to a certain class
of bondholders, with power to adiudi-
cate and pasJ upon the legality OF al.
bonds not held by educational or char
liable institutions. In other words.
they are to adjudicaSe a question that
has been before the courts. the le2is-
%lature, aud the people for years.
This in substance allows a cert in
class of bondholders to sue the site
before q court not elected by the poo
pie, and in which suit The state is
heard or not allowed the right of APP
peal-and the judges get from 81 10
$40 per $1,000 if decided for the bond
holders, and nothing if decided for
the state.
This violates sections /, 2, and 4.
Of article 6, Of the state constitution
all judges must be elected by the
people.
Poll. Nolan and Num- will be- trcs-
paAsers, and liable for every dollar
thev take from the treasury. | predict
no Legislature hereafter selected will
excuse thar O%ffense.
The third section makes COUPONS
receivable Tor ell taxes. This violates
the llth article Of the state copstitn.
ton 10 this tue school iund IS ''pe--
petua! fund" The principal cannot
be diminished" ard the iptercs. Z
"%lnviolably appropriated" to common
schools.
The 1908 bill males commons 70
eeivable for school fund and poll tav
Love ofthe bondholder or the inan'
- AHAA
ence Of the lobby causes its advocate,
TO forget the constitution and tbe
children for ninety-hine years. The
bill strikes at the life Of the state. and
is void upon general principles. IL,
e~ding idea is that the bondholdel
muss be paid if the state, the schools
and the luna ics perish. This Is no.
humanity.
The courts will decide that the s t,
expense may be collected In sucI
funds rs the legislature shall diree
aud appropriate for that purpose. Tba
the bondholder mrst look to the leeis
lature to- leyy, collect and appropriat
money TO ply him. That the l%episIa