Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-03-17
What's the Matter?

one Vi eue mobL prog Itb5lVe CHI
zens Of Nashville, letter from
which We make the following
extract.
"What in your opinion are
the chief obstacles to a more rap /
I'd material development Of Ten- 7
uessee? With all our natural /
advantages other Southern
States are gaming more than
their legitimate percentage Of
new manufacturing enterprises.
L. there any good rea<"n why
North Carolina even should out
strip u? Isn't there something
wrong Ia our methods or our
law,!"
We hsve9ongGentertsined the
belief that the chief obstacle in
the way of the material Develop
ment of Tennessee wsssthe ants
Quated constitution of the State.
1t Is hardly necessary to rear
range in battle array the reasons
why that instrument 10 a mill
stone around the neck OF the
commonwealth. Any disintSr1
esIed man vino looks into this
que5tionsca not fail to be con
vinced that u revision Of the or
ganic law is necessary. Why,
then is 1t not done? The fault,
IN oNr judgement, lies with the
politicians. There was 4 time
when politics offered Ny honor
bic career to high-minded Inen
with an aptitude for pubic at
fairs who desired to serve Their
country and at the same time t"
fill positions of public trust and
nigh honor. But that day be
longs virtually to the past. Il
to~day u number Of we'll meau>
ing citizens devise u plan tor the
Improvement of the State, the
politicians sit in judgement up
on it. The question each one
asks himself is not whether tue
plan proposed is benshcian to the
State, but which side of the
question would furnish him with
the most effective campaign ma
terial In the constitutional COZ
ventlop issue the men who fol
low the game OF politics saw thai
they could invent bugaOoos to
il flame the people If they took
The negative side with much
more effect than il they sided
with a movement aimed ut the
general amelloration of tine State
The grievance or conspiracy Is a
much better political weapon
than a programme of reform.
alton. 1t we could extirpate the
small bore politicians ot Fennee'
see, We could place the State hf'
ty years in advance of its condi
ticn to-day. Bat no matter
what movement is projected fol
the benefit OF the people, it mus
count upon receiving the active
; opposition of a maj 'rity OF 'h'
politicians OF botn parties. Ou
7 g Institution stands In the way o
material development. Our law
, are red faAs OF warning to man
, utacturers. There is no reason
, why Tennessee should not hav
| y thousand cotton mills, a
f North Carolina has. There /
no reason why it should not b
+ one Of the most prOsperou
D states in the Union. Aud tn
fact that the hostility Of the pol
s iticians may always be Counte'
/ on should not cause as to aban
don our efforts to make it sc
The fundamental error in GU
' system is not perhaps that "
are overtaxed, but that we ar
taxed tor the benefit Of office
holders. When ComptrOlle
Harris invented a system Of bac
tax collecting, all the benefit
: under it accrued to the ofhci'
y class. We tax ourselves about
d million doll0rs a year to pay tn
t fues OF our criminals, to sustui
OR "a agisteral junk shops an
to encourage litigation. Hasa.