Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-09-05

Constitution of 1870. At no time
since the adoption OF that Constitu.
ton has an OCCASION, SO grave and
urgent existed, ami while the valid.
ity of the action of my predecessors
in exercising such power was never
questioned, yet the authority formy
action has been disputed. 1t is my
sworn duty to take care that the laws
be executed. In the execution of
that trust Iwant to keep to thelaw
myself. and if the means given me to
uphold the law be defective 1 want
the General Assembly to clothe me
with allneedful power to enable me
to execute my trust faithfully.
/ desire to commend to you the
military for their prompt response to
the call of duty. This was perhaps
the first test ofloyalty and courage to
which many Of them had been sub
jected, and the first realization of the
seriousness and Importance of the
oath they had taken. The State
should give proper encouragement to
the military. 1t is not often that it
is needed, but when its services are
required the occasion is an impera.
tive one, and the State should be able
to meet promptly. Many obeyed
this call at a great sacrifice and show.
ed the true soldier>spirit. Some
went in, the face of an employers
threat to discharge them and lost
their positions thereby.
have offered to you such sugges.
lions as seemed to me practicable, in
order to place the State in a, condi-,
ton to abolish the lease system at
the expiration of the lease contract,
and l have suggested the policy
which l deemed best for the present
and future if you continue the lease
system. s...t,..N
If, however, it is the will of your
respective constituencies that the
lease contract of the State be imme-
diately abrOgated, or that the lessee
be induced to relinquish the lease, if
it can be done, then it will be neces-
sary for the State to make prepare
ton for the burden which must at
once be assumed. The State will
have fifteen hundred convicts to be
provided for Immediately with no
place in which to keep them. Their
maintenance will cost at the lowest
estimate 100000, transportation $780,
600, the sum brought into the State
Treasury, paid quarterly in cash,
which deficit would have to be sup
piled, is 100000, making a total of
S350,00O annually.
1t would be necessary to build
penitentiary at once, which, if it
could be built by convict labor and
finished in two years, would cost at
the lowest estimate, made by one of
the best architects in the United
States, 100000. The deficit of $780,
600 for the two years being 100000
and the cost of the prison 100000
would make one million of dollars of
revenue to be provided for by an in
crease in taxation on privileges and
property.
The present rate OF taxation brings
in sufficient revenue to meet the
States outstanding obligations and
pay its current expenses. 1t was
necessary, as was foreshown by the
message Of my predecessor in office,
for the State to borrow the money to
meet the July interest on its bonded
debt, but trust it will not be neces-
sary to borrow any more money, as
the incoming revenue will be sufii-
cient to meet the January interest and
repay the money borrowed to meet
the July interest. The State must
not impair its credit Any increased
expenditures that are made neces-
sary by any enactment of this Legis-
lature should be provided for by
changing the existing assessment and
revenue laws and increasing the rate
of taxation.
This increase should be made to
bear upon all privileges and property
in equal ratio. Each class of citizens
and every species of property should
bear equally the burden of taxation
and'only its proportionate share.
The message concludes with recon-
mendations for the necessary appro-
: priations, and an earnest appeal to
the body to give their best efforts 10
f such legislation as will tend to a
solution of the various questions in
volveG.
rhilion War Ounr