Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-06-21
BuIIdOzing.

The Cleveland Banner. heretofore
a staunch high tax paper, has this to
say
The advocates of the 1908 settle
ment do not only want to force it
upon the people. but they have the
boldness and ~effrontery to say that
the taxpayers should not grumble, but
pay it without murmur. 1t is a new
feature in the history of legislation
that the people cannot criticize and
condemn the acts Of their public ser
wants. The act of the late legislature,
settling the state debt at 1908, was
passed by deception, fraud, and bri-
berry. This is saying a good deal, but
it is true, nevertheless. The people
were led to believe from the platforms
Of both the state credit democrats and
republicans that the debt could be
settled at 50-4. Such a settlement as
this would have been acquieseed in by
the people. No effort was made to
get a compromise of this kind. The
bOndholders withdrew their PROPOSE
ton of COG, and submitted the 1908
proposition, and at once a majority of
the house of representatives favored
its passage. The holders Of bonds
filed the galleries, and by special
pleading and the use of money, brought
about a sentiment in favor of settling
the debt at these figures. A few
weeks before the proposition was
made by the b~ondhOlders the mem
bers, in writing back to their constitu-
ents, said that if the state debt was
settled at all, it would be settled at
50-4. What broughtabout this change?
We answer: The use of money. The
people held no meetings and instructed
or requested their representatives to
change their views upon the question.
The senate rejected the proposition by
a majority Of one vote-a recOnsidera-
ton was moved and carried, and a new
lot of vultures were summoned to
Nashville-they went with their beaks
whetted up and their appetites sharp
ened, aud by the use OF money they
bought up a senator, and fastened up
on the people this measure, with the
abomniable coupon feature attached.
This has been done, right under the
nose Of the people, and now they are
asked to willingly submit 10 the great
wrong. They will not do it, unless
we have greatly mistaken their tenn
per. They will talk about and agitate
it, and they ought to, because they
have the bills to foot. They have
been deceived and wronged by their
representatives, and it is their right.
and their duty, to show their disap-
proval of such conduct, and they can,
as yet, only do so by talking, When
the proper time comes, they will send
forth, in thunder tones, a voice that
cannot be misunderstood. The people
have been deceived, and they have
defrauded, and every honest and in
formed state credit democrat, and re.
publican, and low tax democrat,
knows such to be the fact, and we do
not wonder at such wide spread dissat-
isfaction among them. The passage
Of the 100 3 bill done more to build
up an out and out reputation party in
Tennessee than John Savage could
have done in a century. We have
always been a state credit democrat
we were led to believe that it could be
settled at Solve were opposed TO
making coupons receivable for taxes
so was the democratic state conven-
ton of last August, and we are unal-
terably opposed to the 100 3 settle
ment. and If there is any relief for the
people we shall contribute what we
can to bring hat relief about.