Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-05-09
Unole Josiah's Palace Sleeping Car
Record.

Uncle Josiah's Palace Sleeping Car
Record.
Josiah Patterson, candidate for
governor, is charged with lobbying,
in connection with ALI Taylor and
r.. r. Butler, for the passage OF the
Tennessee bank bill, which was de-
signed to saddle debt of about
81, 100000 on the State. Some people
think this bill was right and ought
to have passed, that the State is as
legally and morally bound for this
debt as for its own bond notes or the
railroad bonds. However, this may
be, Mr.. Patterson is not one of this
class. He evidently don't believe
that the measure was right or he
would boldly proclaim it so and de-
fend his action, but to the contrary,
he admits that he did lobby for 1t,
but excused his action upon the
grounds that he served in the capaci-
ty of an employed attorney in dis
crediting his own action. This, to
say the least of it, is an untenable
position. Any man, not necessarily
IA lawyer, may become hired lob
best, and the lawyer can not be an
attorney in such capacity. A law
yer may plead for criminal whom
he knows to be guilty of the worst
of crimes and use all honorable efforts
in behalf of his client, and still main
tain his dignity and integrity as a
counselor.
But admitting that our Uncle Josiah
might Gas an upper case) be excused
on his pretext for this one little in
discretion, and association with All
and Bob, how will he answer for
his record in the legislature when he
gets in some very clever lobbying
for the Pullman Palace Sleeping
Car Company, catching his fellow
members in a state of mapping on this
elegantly equipped palace bill?
The Revenue law, prior to 1888,
levied a privilege tax of $75 on
each sleeping car run in the State,
and read as follows:
"Sleeping car companies shall pay
an annual tax, for each coach, of
$500"
The CCmptroller's report shows that
prior to 1883, the State collected an
nually $3.50 privileges on sleep
ing cars run in the State.
In 1888 Mr.. Patterson was member
of the Legislature, and if we mistake
not was chairman of the House Ways
and Means committee, at least he
was a member of that committee
and reported a revenue bill changing
this law, which is shown in the acts
of 1888, page 1874, to read as follows !:
each sleeping car company doing
business in this State shall pay a
privilege tax to the comptroller in
lieu of all other taxes OF $50 co."
This reduced the revenue derived
from the Pullman sleeping car COM
pany, it being the only one operating
in the State, from $3.50 to $50 90 a
year.
The House, as we understand, re-
fused to accept the change recon-
mended and voted it down, reinsta-
ting the old clause of $75 per coach.
We have also heard it stated that Mr..
Patterson supported the change pro-
posed by his committee with good
deal OF animation and earnestness.
Whether this statement be true or
not, we are unable to say, but Col.
Patterson can answer. However, il
is fact that the law was changed to
conform to the committees report
after the House had voted it down,
and is now the law, charging sleep
ing car companies $50 per year in
stead of $3.50 for the privilege of
doing business in this State. How
this change. was made is another
matter that we do not understand.
1t may have been done on recon-
slderation, but we are unable to
state; in all events it was changed
before the bill was sent to the gov
ernor for his signature. Col. Patter-
son can likely explain the whole
matter.
The question for Col. Patterson TO
answer is, was he acting as an attor-
new for the Pullman Palace Sleeping
Gar Company in this instance, or
,,as he there In the capacity Of rep
resentative Of the people q Tennes-
aee. IL as lawyer he violated his