New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-05
THE SHANE OF TENNESSEE.
UTTERLY INExcUsABLE FEATURES OF THE srATEi
REPUTATION.

UTTERLY INEXCUsABLE FEATURES OF THE STATES
REPUTATION.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: Is Tennessee dishonest? / answer,
yes and no. Looking at the action OF its Legislature
and the attitude of its executive officers IA hard for
outside world speak think Of Tennessee without,
also thinking OF dishonesty. The Is made much
worse by facts OF which the general public has not
been fully advised. One fact is this: About four hhs
OF the States debt is for funds with hch ITS extensive
system of railroads constructed. Twelve years ago
addressed letters leading real estate owners OF the
State and careful to select men Of good deliberate
Judgment who had lived here for than fifty years.
divided the land three classes and inquired their
estimate OF the cash value OF each class of land in 1910
railroad days. and In 1870 latter the system
had wrought somet ing of its influence on the country
vas asonished to find that the figures showed gain
which, II so applied, would purchase all the railroads Of
the State with their rolling stock aud equipments, and
leave surplus equal six times the entire State debt
Allowing 33 l3 per cent of the increased value to have
accrued If roads had been built Though 10 per cent
would have covered such increase and the clear gain 10
the people because OF the roads equal
the value OF the roads and equipments and enough
to pay twice the whole State debt.
Does il not therefore, look dishonest and exceedingly
strange that the State should hesitate pay any portion
of its debit And still more so that the programme is
refusal pay hail. the interest Gu any portion OF it,
with largely expressed anmus TO repudate almost the
entire debit
How has this shameful spirit of dis honesty orig-
naedi spirit OF recent origin. IL in this way:
After the grayback reorganization Of the State Govern
ment IN IsG97O few blatherskite politicians, TO bring
themselves into nOtOriey, began 70 declare that large
part of the bonds Of the State had been randuenty
issued and that the State unable to pay the debt
and such part of it had been void ought not To
pay as the bonds held by Northern men. who had
freed niggers depriving us OF value far greater
than the bonds For years attention paid TO
the bathersktes; but the noise continuing caused
parallel to Judge SCOTS deer Jud Scott one of
the old time ursts OF Tennessee, and an honest truthful
man. OF his mountain courts was induced 10 join
several OF the lawyers IN deer hunt Failing to Kill
any game, they purchased a small deer which a woods.
man had just killed; and Judge scott mad the hon9r OK
carrying the game back 10 the hotel behind his saddle
lawyers reported the deer shot by Judge scott;
ground to stand and bushes and vines were In the
way. In short. irregular hunting tale was made Of 4.
repeated at the following courts about half way
Judge scott began telling the tale himself stating all tho
parcuhrs and the result or his successful long range
seeans as to why they should not pay honest debt
Is Tennessee able to pay its debit Yes and 1t could
without serious Inconvenience pay double as much.
Taking the present taxing value OF the property in Ten
nessee an assessment not burensome would extDgnsh
the entire debt dollar for dollar In ten years; and lee
me here this fct What is known as the tax value,
as applied to real estate is but little more than Ia tne
yalne which the real estate would c0mm3nd at public
sale will at least be safe in saying that purchaser
will Ind it hard to buy farm ut $1,000 which taxed
But there is at least good feature about the Ten
nessee case Tennesseeans not all dishonest Nearly
one hundred thousand OF its voters are in favor OF pay
ing the OF the bonds or the holders
choose ountariy 10 make reduction, 10 Will be grate
fuy accepted Let add that the nearly one hlndrcd
thousand voters referred to are Republicans Small
nat of The over hundred tho aud voters VINO cast
bemocratIc ballots would readily with the Republic
cans in paying the debt About fonr ffths OF the re.
nainder cor the Democrats) are what call judge scott
deer cases. aud the other fifth. believe, are about
honest enough TO STEAL i,crd cInsa nini0 Jbrdndt.
Is there hope for financial justice to the creditors OF
our state md restoration Of its former good names
Yes Iy the Republican party acquiring majority In the
state and II Is steadily climbing and growing IN tnst
recon one important fraction of Its gain IL made up
NJ young men whD are wiser not ho1cster than their
olrbon Democratic fathers n relief In that way Is not
then my hope that means az the END
NJ tbe law I'm court will be provided to compel the state
10 he honest aud II neither be attanabe the uuro
history OF the Commonwealth must be written In black
80 ~, "A ,gshonor W. X.
Nosbrikl, Tspu. Feb. 15 1888.