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

tailed TO Show up and therefore Mr.
Tillman had the field to himself. The
audience that greeted him was large and
intelligent, and followed the 81 eaker
with due attention. There were a goodly
number Of ladies in the audience, and
tapen altogether, it was a fine meeting
| and a profitable occasion to the Repub-
lican party.
We give Mr.. Tillman's speech in full,
and hope all IL readers will peruse it
with care:
FELLOW CITIZENS:
Let Us Have a Change.
The Democratic party has had con-
troll of the Government of this State for
over a quarter Of a century. 1t has held
almost undisputed sway. The people
have in some elections, in some degree,
condemned it for its many mistakes, its
incapacity and gross mismanagement
and breaches of trust, but these OCCASION
al manifestation of the displeasure of
the people have been ignored. Those
who constitute the inner circle of the
party, who hold and WELD all the various
elements Of power, the Machievellis and
Talleyrands of Tennessee politics, have
acted upon the idea that the State be-
longs to the Democratic party-that 1t
has the right, the "divine right" to rule.
They have assumed that the party can
not or will not be called to strict account.
Aparty so entrenched in authority never
responds promptly and fully to the de-
mands of the people. The reason is
plain: Inside a party so long in power
there is formed what is commonly called
"a ring" composed of those whose offices
depend upon the continuation of the
party in power-and who re-enforce
themselves by paying tribute out of the
%perquisites of their offices to certain able
lawyers and expert politicians and by
contributing literally to the party's cam
paign fund. How can reforms be effect
ed by q political party dominated by
wise and good men in the Democratic
party in Tennessee, but their counsel
and influence have not proved of any
great force in shaping legislation or i'm
proving the administration of affairs.
4. So far is this from being the case that
one of the leaders Of the party is reported
to have said hat Tennessee was the
8 worst governed State in the Union,
There are many prominent facts in our
IlSlOly VIA tChu w PlONO Vic tluti vi
9 this assertion. Instead of the Govern
q ment becoming moro and more economi'
cal, year by year, it has continued tc
grow
More and More Expensive
t and extravaganza. From the close of the
y last Republican administration, January
1883, there has been q rapid increase o.
expenditures, so that under the first two
v years of the administration of my CON
: petitor, the Hon. II. l.. Taylor, the expen
y ditnres had doubled, and under his sec
ond term they had considerably mor'
than doubled. The increased interest OF
the state debt and the payment of thu
t. Bank of Tennessee money does not &C
count for this increase; it lacks severa
IL hundred thousand dollars of accounting
for it. If anyone will take the pains {,
examine the itemized statement of ex
pense under Gov. Taylor's last admins
}. tration he will find numerous items in
/ dicating ~extravagant expenditures o
. the money paid by the taxpayers of tn,
. State. The expenses of the regular SEES
sion of the Legislature were $67,S4l 70
and yet my competitor saw proper Il
call two extra sessions of that bod,
which cost the people an additional sun
of $29,247 g. There was an expenditur,
of S2l, 500 for the Bureau of Agriculture
' which was an increase of $4,000 owe
what was expended under the Republi
, can administration. Against this Blu
: reau have nothing to say if the farmer
J. are greatly benefited by its administra
ton, but in times like these we possibl,
might get along without such large ex
" penditures on this Bureau. Our farmer
s by a little extra effort might be able t.
conduct their farming operations with
: out so much assistance. There are othe
items that need explanation showing al
increase of a thousand dollars here, tw,
. thousand on another account, and so OF
. all indicating a lack of that close econ
@ omy which those in charge of the people
q business should observe. Government
= burdensome at the very best, and tn,
people are entitled to have it cost as lii
tie as possible-consistent with efficiency
The cost paid by the State alone, mot /
% mention the amount paid by the coun
e ties,) on account of
Criminal Prosecutions,
and for arresting fugitives during thos
>. same two years, amounted to over $400
h 900. My competitor a v "this questio
!, of criminal costs is a question for tn
people themselves to SETTLE" but is h
D. not one of the people, is he not indeed /
j. the position of a leader of the people
and has he no word of condemnation fc
" this system of criminal prosecution
~ MhiCU 10 III VI tiC BltultSb cNllS Via
- afflict the State? A reform of the sys
~ tenn has been imperatively demande
for twenty years. 1t is a disgrace to tn
State-and was n disgrace during TIL
four years my competitor was Governo
and II he ever applied himself to TIL
" study Of the question, if he ever Gale
40 around him the able and patriotic me
20 of his party for counsel upon the sui
I'D ject, If he ever made a definite suggestio
m thn InntSIpttrn rnnarli.sr 10 b. $40.
was his course, | have not heard of /
b. The Legislature of last year, 1896, passe
10 an act throwing the costs on the countiC
Of all prosecutions for stealing or recei,
d ing stolen property under the value {
1t, sixty dollars. Such an act does not Q
ra to the root Of the matter. 1t merel
shifts n certain part Of the burden frol
the State to the counties. This act hi
been declared unconstitutional by Oh
Supreme Court. II 1t be true-and 1t
true-thatother States have enacted law
and administered the laws so as to n
duce this item Of the cost OF Governmer
N to n very small sum-, we people of Tel
" nessee can do. likewise: and the failuI
of the Hon. r. L. Taylor and his party
Ia. do anything looking toward this muc
40 needed reformation is but another ev
40 dence that n party that is kept in powe
~ for years and never called to account
Will uO hOtlliuSt VI bub WHY llltle Ill I'll
r. way Of retrenching expenses. 1t woul
10 seem hardly credible that an intelliger
ly people would endure for so long a tim
/. this excessive burden in the way {
criminal ~costs-which amount to $1,000
"a 600 a year, paid by the State and cour
- ties, Of which amount paid annually b
~ the State, over $4,000 is expended in tn
a. Counties of Knox, Hamilton, Davidso
n. and Shelby alone. Under the law as
z, now stands, these costs, which constitut
at the largest single item of the expense {
our State Government, are paid as 10
10 lows:
Ia |. In all misdemeanor cases where th
prosecution is unsuccessful, or wher
e the defendants convicted and the cost
v can not be collected from the defenC
.. ants, THE COUNTY PAYS II CosTs.
y 2 In all felony cases THE STATE PAY
r. CosTs upon the same conditions; eA
Ii cept that, II a felony case is dismisse