Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-09-16

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on their books, except by writing letters
to all the trustees, clerks OF courts, back
tax collectors and all the various cor
porations that pay revenue requesting q
statement from them of the dates and
amounts of payments; and / do not find
that there has been any remedy of this
method, or lack Of method, since that re-
port was made. Such a palapable defect
and one so easily cured, should have re-
ceiyed the attention of Mr.. Taylor during
the long period that he was Governor;
and there is another thing which that
report brought to light, not by any
means to be commended, and that is
that Governor Taylor was in the habit
Of drawing pay out of the Treasury OF
the State in advance Of earning 1t, draw
ing his salary a month and sometimes
two months before the State owed 1t. 1t
was a plain, obvious violation OF the
law, and was a bad example for a Gov
ernor to set-an example too that was
followed by other officers of the State
to such an extent, that, as reported by
the Committee, the money of the State
thus drawn out had amounted to over
$4,000. 1t also developed that in two
wears the Treasurer had received as his
compensation in fees and salary $4,000
besides other fees Of which he kept no
account and the Comptroller had reciy-
ed during the same time owe $4,000.
The fee and perquisite system under
which such abuses arose was in force
during the whole of Governor Taylors
terms. Then was the time when he
should have been in favor of "every re-
form that will benefit the people" he
should have been q "reform" Governor
then, and not merely o 'reform" candi-
date now. That Committee reported that
| some of the State officers had expended
large amounts without warrant of law
and recommended that suit be brought
against them. Two bills were filed in
behalf of the State, and neither case had
been brought to q hearing.
There is another evil practice in this
State which ought not to be tolerated
longer, and that is, the practice Of the
General Assembly of the enacting laws
creating more offices and then filling
those offices with members of the Gen
eral Assembly who voted to create
them. This bad example was followed
by Robert L. Taylor. He signed the law,
thus helping to make the law, creating
Back Tax Attorneys, and soon after he
retired from the office of Governor, to-wit
on July l,lS9l, as shown by the records
in the Comptroller's office, he and his
Tax Attorneys for the County of Hamil,
lton altyough Mr.. Taylor was a citizen
of Washington County, in the extreme
eastern part Of the State.
They receipted for $3,79S 81 back tax
claims and have accounted for $l,l33 81
and have made TIC showing as to TIT
balance, and neither does Il appear il
Comptroller's Office that the ex-Governol
gave any bond as Bax Tax Attorney, al
though the law signed by Gov. TayloI
required a bond from Back Tax Attor
neys, in double the amount Of taxes re
cefpted for.
Fellow citizens: There is another cpl
sode in Mr.. Taylor's official career tina
demands more than a passing notice. Ii
his message to the Legislature, February
8, 1887, occurred the following passage
"A number of citizens of Tennessee,
have memorialized your Honorable,
Bodies, representing that they are de
positors in the Bank of Tennessee; tina
they have never withdrawn their depos
its and are consequently creditors of tn,
institution, and through it, creditors O
the States If this he true, then it is un
questiodably the duty of the State +
recognize its obligations and settle will
these claimants on just and equitabl
terms. | therefore recommend that you
carefully examine this question and de
termine the merits of these claims, t.
the end that justice may be done in tn
premises"
The principal OF the amount, it wa
claimed in the memorial to the Legisla
ture, would, "it was thought" not ex
ceeded Sl,500,000. With interest adde,
they would have amounted to over "a,
100000. In pursuance of the memorial an,
the kind message of Governor TAYLOR,
bill was put through the Senate to settl
with these depositors, but it was kille,
in the House through the influence
largely OF that overwatchful, patriot
and heroic citizen, then a member of tn
House, Hon. John ii. Savage. To hin
and his coadjutors the State owes a deb
Of lasting gratitude for its escape iron
this additional enormous burden. II til
State upon any ground was liable t
these depositors, which had been denie,
and disputed by many of the ablest law
yers in the State, including one of til
ablest Attorney Generals the State eve
had, Mr.. Heiskell, the proper course t
have pursued was to have submitted tn
question to the courts for judicial decis
ion, and not to have sought to have
miscellaneous assembly, many of who's
members were not lawyers, pass upol
so grave q question-and that too unde
the influence of a powerful lobby. Ii tn
Supreme Court had decided the Stat
was legally liable, then the Legislator
could have settled these State demand
by compromise.
But fellow citizens, violations of lay
and extravaganza and scandals folloN
in such rapid succession in the admins
tration OF State affairs that / fear
should abuse your patience in recount
ing them, did / not believe that in choos
ing q Governor, q wiso and economical
should be your aim. Whether we cor
tinue to use the money we now have, o
shall have silver alone, however this issu
may be decided, 1t is important to inst
tute reform in our home affairs. Neithe
uUlu " phNVi uUt iNuDiCo hui bihhiOiuo
will dispense with the necessity for
change in our methods and practices i
Tennessee. Ng
In 1893, the Legislature passed tw
acts: one providing for the purchase G
a farm not exceeding 1900 acres and nc
to cost over $4,000 and the erection of
new penetentiary thereon, and for tn
purchase of not more than 10000 acres G
coal lands and the erection of stockade
on the same, not to cost over $4,000.
was provided "that In no event shall tn
aggregate expenditures to carry out tn
provisions of this act exceed the sum {
$600,O00.n
The other act provided for the issuanc
of 100000 A IL per cent. bonds to ru
twenty years and expressly provide
that the bonds should be issued froi
time to time as may be deemed for tn
best interest of the State.
Notwithstanding 1T was known this
all the money would not be needed Q
once-notwifhstanding the law itse
provided that only 100000 should be Q,
pended in erecting the buildings the firi
- Annn nnn n .s.Ae 700 a. lIa ~