Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-09-08
THURSDAY, SEPT. 8. 1898
SOMETHING WRONG.

The Troy News Banner calls at
tention to the fact that while the
banks in Tennessee are bursting
with idle money we regularly send
North for money to pay semi an"
nual interest, millions and millions
of dollars to pay for harness, agri-
cultural machinery, buggies, Wag
Ons, medicines, shoes, boots and
other fabrics of a thousand kinds.
"The other States" saws the News
Banner, ARE expanding their man.
featuring interests. growing with
the times and with their Opportun
tiles, while poor old Tennessee is
prying up on her bones, squirming
and wriggling to make herself as
mean and insignificant: as possible.
Home capitalists, as we'll as outsid-
ers, are afraid of the fools who bi.
annually cluster and clatter in the
State capital; they flee as chaff be.
fore the winds. The legislature
never fails TO show the teeth of its
hostility to capital. The double
taxation, the taxation of the stock
as we'll as the taxation of the ma.
Chinerv the grounds, the buildings
that the stock represents is the
chain that locks the wheels of the
manufacturing car Of progress.
Wealth all around us, the banks
full of capital, the barns full of pro
duce, the forests full of timber, the
mountains full of iron and coal,
the whole land teeming with fat>
ness aud riches, yet the country
actually at a dead standstill, 80 lar
as manufactures are concerned, ii
not actually going backward. Why
don't the legislative fools knock
off the manacIes shackling the
great old State, and let her bound
forward on her splendid destiny?
Nobody knows why. the 70 Is less
than anybody. The lack of prog
ress can be ascribed to no other
cause but that of Dad. wicked, un-
just, narrow minded laws. Manu-
features ought not TO be bled. pun.
ished, Oveltaxed, alienated any
more than agriculture. AgrIcul-
ture, manufactures, transportation,
commerce are the four landmarks
of civilization that 20 hand in
hand. You can not strike one
down without impairing the efficie
ency, the effective, organic force OF
the entire civilized body. Wake
up you old, sleeping, deadhead
members Of the Legislature. The
buglers Of destiny are blowing, but
your ears are dull The State, like
a ship tugging and pulling at her
restraining haws, RS, is ready with
bellying sails to spring forward on
the most wonderful voyage of her
career. Wake up, old deadhead,
cut the hawser, let her go, and the
future generation will rise up and
call you blessed" The Legislature
is what the people make it, and If
it is faulty the people are at fault,
if it is blamewOrthY, the people are
to blame. The communistic spirit
of con6scation is abroad in the
land. aud the legislator who il not
willing to RAID corporations is but
indifierently regarded. People are
recovering from this distemper, It
is pleasing to note, and the outlook
for the future is more encouraging
Memphis Commercial Appeal.
We do not sympathize with the
author Of the above editorial in his
reckless use Of the word "foop as
applied to our Legislators We do
not believe our people could put
with such a legislature as the torn
".ool" would imply. Let us hope
il is only d generic term, and that