The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-01-15

THE eyes of all Tennessee are up
on the present General Assembly at
Nashville. Some look hopefully,
others despondently in that direc-
ton. Some legislatures come and
go, and the people pay little heed to
them. But this year promises have
been made, and the people expect
them to be kept. Reforms are
needed, and the people demand that
they be given. Relief from bad
laws, burdensome taxes, eXtrava-
gance in office, has been promised
and is expected. For the sake of
the members, for the sake of the
people, for the sake of the Demo-
cratic party, we wish to warn the
solons at Nashville assembled, that
the peOple-their masters-are tired
of the game called politics. They
demand that you let your little
game of grab alone, and give them
some fair, equitable, wholesome,
business legislation. They are tired
of your putting your hands in their
pockets and giving away their
money to political drones and hired
lobbyists. They demand that you
shall appropriate no money, save for
the necessary expenses of govern
ment economically administered.
They will not allow you when you
return to your homes, to put the
blame upon others. That trick has
been worn threadbare. The in
dividual must be judged by the acts
of the whole. If you allow the lobby
to invade the legislative halls, you
are responsible for the mean and
despicable work of the lobby. If
you pass laws "full of sound and
fury, signifying nothing" you will
return at the close of the session, to
Disguised constituency. For if we
mistake not the signs of the times,
the people are watching public mat
tiers more closely than ever before,
and will hold their representatives
to a more strict account. We COM
mend to your favorable considera-
ton, the plain, bold, sensi-
bic message of your retiring Govern
or. 1t comes direct from big brain
and an honest heart; from a man
whom the greed for gain cannot
tempt; whom the power of corpora
tions cannot scare, nor the wealth of
corporations cannot buy. Listen to
his wise counsel; trust to his rugged
honesty; and with ungloved hand
strike the lobbyist, the bride giver
and bride taker, the polluter of the
ballot box, the treasury raider, and
all such corruptionists, full in the
face. Make no makeshifts. At
tempt no stradles upon the peoples
rights. Deal not too gingerly with
public wrongs. Have the courage
of your convictions. Heed not the
syren's song, nor look upon the wine
when it is red in the cup. Spurn
the tlatterer and his wiles. Think
not to fool them, but rather deal
honestly with your constituents. Be
true to yourselves, your country and
your God, or else you will curse the
day that the people elevated, pre-
Gerred and trusted you.
A PRESS dispatch from Altoona,
Pa, of January 8 says: MRS.
Oscar Adams was found to-day
starved to death in an upper room
of Fourth street tenement house
Her husband was found by her side
half crazed and in a critical con-
dition from want of food. The
Board of Health reports siXty-five
families 600 persons in ALL utterly
destitute Pennsylvania, it will be
remembered, was one of those
States which fought so bravely un
der the banner of goldbugism, anC
advocated McKlnley's theory o!
"overproduction" of the necessaries