Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-05-14
Mr.. Patterson's Record Favoring Whole
sale Whisky Dealers.

Mr.. Patterson's Record Favoring Whole"
sale Whisky Dealers.
Last week the LEAF-CHRONICLE
took occasion to refer to the record of
Mr. Patterson while a member of the
Legislature, his action in chang
ing the revenue bill 50 as to
reduce the Pullman Palace
Sleeping Car Co.'s privilege tax
from $3.50 ayear to $50, depriv-
ing the State of this much needed
revenue and favoring very wealthy
corporation, subsequently lobbying
for the Tennessee Bank DepOsitors'
bill, which proposed to saddle a debt
Of about 81, 10000 on the State. Mr..
Patterson is a candidate for governor
of Tennessee, and much is claimed
for him as an upper case Democrat, a
gentleman of the highest integrity,
patriotism and great ability. We
have nothing to say against his De-
mocracy and admit that he possesses
q high order of talent, in fact we
confess that he 10 like old Rumfelts
buzzard, "a leetle too smart" but as
a public journal, with no mans indi-
vidual interest to serve, we conceive
it to be our duty to the public to
hold up the record of public men
who are 50 fortunate or unfortunate
as to have one, when they ask to be
elected to high Office of honor and
trust, that the people may judge OF
their fitness to fill the place. In fact
public men who have served well are
generally anxious to have their pub
lie acts mentioned, but so far no pa
per advocating Mr.. Patterson's
claims has seen proper to refer to his
legislative record in support of his
claims upon the Democracy. They
rest his claims on the assertion that
he is very large upper case Demo
crat and able stumper, and the
smartest one in the deck, all Of
which Is no doubt true.
But since none of the charges pre-
ferred against Mr.. Patterson have
been controverted, it being virtually
admitted that he is the candidate of
all the rings and combinations in the
State; that he lobbied to saddle
81 100000 on the people whose
suffrage he now asks; that he
served as the attorney of the Palace
Sleeping Car Co., while representing
the people in the legislature and Sc
cured legislation in favor of this COM
pany and against the people. We
propose to examine his record lit
tie further. We find from the House
Journal of 1888 that Mr.. Patterson
was member of that body and a
member of the Ways and Means
Committee, of which Mr.. Houston
was chairman.
Page 3l6. Mr.. Houston introduced
House Joint Resolution No. SO,
providing fer the appointment of a
Joint Special Committee to draft an
assessment and revenue bill.-Lies
over. Page 375. House Joint Reso-
luton No So, to appoint II Joint Com
mittee to draft an assessment BILL
Adopted.
Page 42S. The speaker announced
rs the House committee to prepare
an assessment bill Messrs. Patterson,
lvic and Case.
Page So. House bill No. S22 be-
ing the unfinished business, was
taken up. (This is the revenue bill
prepared by Mr.. Patterson's commit
tee). Mr.. Manson offered the follow
ing amendment: Wholesale liquor
dealers $50 and taxed rs other mer-
chants.
ct appears from this record that
Mr.. Patterson drafted this bill with
the comptroller's report before him
containing full list of the privilege
tax heretofore levied, and left out
wholesale liquor dealers entirely. \
Mr.. Head moved to amend the
amendment by striking out $3.50 and
inserting 500. The amendment was
lost by 81 ayes to Al noes, Mr.. Patter-
son voting for Mr.. Heads motion.
The question recurring on Mr.. Man.
sons amendment $500, it was adop-
ted.
Here is the indisputable record
showing that Mr.. Patterson did try
10 screen or favor wholesale liquor
dealers by leaving them out OF the
revenue bill entirely and free OF all
taxation, while the retail liquor deal