Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-12-01
Low TAX MEETING.
Some of the Leaders Address the
People Of Franklin.

Speeial to tho Nashville World.l
WINCHESTER, November 28.-Yes-
terday there was a large meeting at
this point, and the Hon j. r. Beasley
called it to order and moved that DR..
Louis Metcalf take the chair, aud that
James Taylor be made Secretary
This motion was adopted. MIR. Beasley
then moved that q committee of five
be appointed to report resolutions.
This motion was also adopted. The
committee then retired, and Mr.
Snodgras wa"sintroduced and addressed
the meeting. He referred, first, to the
fact that the 1908 bill was not the
sentiments OF the people and was
passed by fraud. He then discussed
the legality Of the railroad bonds, and
said the company owed the debt and
not the people. he then spoke Of the
split in the last Convention, and said
the low tax party were willing to
conceed everything else iftbe submis
sion plank was pnt in the platform.
He earnestly advocated the union
of all against the 1908. II
any other settlement was proposed
before the repeal Of the 1908, that
measure would succeed from the
division which would result among its
opponents. At the conclusion of his
speech the committee made the fol-
lowing report: That we reafirm the
principles Of the Low Tax party
which were enunoiated in the plat
form upon which Hon. S. L. Wilson
was a candidate for the Office of Gov
ernor; that we favor the settlement of
the State debt proper as speedily as
possible; that we oppose taxing the
people to pay the interest or principle
Of bonds issued for the benefit Of rail
road corporations, because those bonds
constitute a railroad debt under the
very terms Of tho law, as the bond
holders assert in their suits against
the railroads. That the passage of the
1908 act by the Forty-second Gener-
al Assembly was a s~tupendous crime
against the public welfare, and that its
manifest object was to procure the
dismissal Of the suit against the rail
roads, which are now pending in the
United States Supreme Court, and to
uDjustly tax the people tO pay the
debts Of railroad corporations.
That we view with alarm the effect
which is now being made to force the
Supreme Court OF Tennessee to
the 1903 injunction suit upon
the docket, and make itself q
factor in the consummstion of a great
aud grevious wrong before the people
have had an opportunity to express
their well known condemnation Of the
1908 act and to demand its uneondi
tional repeal.
That the ~exigencies of the times
demand a union Of the elements o
opposition to the 1908 act, and there
fore request the State Executive Com
mittee Of the Low Tax party to call
convention of the Low Tax men Of al
parties to meet at Nashville as earl,
as practicable for the purpose Of con
iSAAAbS anu ucACiuiuiuB upOl 5iCl
measures as may be necessary to secur
the repeal of the l00-3a
That the County Executive Com
mittee Of Franklin county shall con
sist Of four members, to be appointeI
by the Chairman Of this Convention
and hat the County Executive Com
mittee be authorized to appoint Dis
trict Executive Committees, consistin
Of two members in each of the district
in the county.
Signed by John r. Beasley, Rolan
NJ orris, A. p. Lance, w. W. Martin
Fayette Lynch, Committee.
This report was unanimously adopted
Speeches were made also by Wilson
late candidate for Governor, aud Co.
john H. Savage. All present SCENE,
to be heartily opposed to the 100.
settlement.