The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-01-06
STATE FINANCES, ETC.

Tennessee's Comptroller and
Treasurer have each made their
biennial reports, Las to the income and
expenses and financial condition of
proud old Tennessee, with her mar
vellous resources"-as t" Nashville
American, DR.. HALEY or Col. Kille-
brew are wont to express it.
Tive heroic effort of these worthy
state officials to make it appear that
somebody else has Numbered, is
pathetic in the extreme. The "you
did it" and II told you 500 is par
ticularly prominent between the
lines. There seems to be no credit
to claim, and either will be happy
if the responsibility for the present
bankrupt treasury can be shifted to
other shoulders.
They both agree that the time has
come and now is, when the "State
must practice the strictest economy"
These are fine sounding words, but
the trouble is that the State can
practice economy in but one way,
and that is through competent and
economical officers. Mr.. Harris
friends say he has collected more
revenue, given more time and energy
to the duties of his office, than any
Comptroller the State has ever had !;
and yet the State has been steadily,
persistently, continuously losing
money unde" his administration.
Mr.. Craig's friends say the State
never had more Conscientious,
honest, faithful Treasurer than he
has been, and he Is even running for
fourth term, on "his record;"
but "his record" shows that the
State has been sinking money every
year since Mr.. Craig has been
Treasurer.
At the same time, during these
years while the State was drifting
towards bankruptcy, Messrs. Craig
and Harris have been prospecting.
Now this is not intended as a
special criticism upon these gentle
men, either as State officials or az
individuals. The point we are
coming to is this: The State-"the
proud old commonwealth Of Ten
nessee, with her marvellous and
matchless resources Govern
or down to and including the County
Courts-has been run by and for and
in the interest of the office holders.
That is the plain truth. BIZ
ennially, when the nominee for Gov
ernor is hustling for votes, he de-
claims loudly and eloquently about
Iretrenchment and reform" BIZ
ennially, just before the Legislature
meets, the Treasury and Comptroll-
er wax warm upon the same and
kindred subjects- All down the
line the cry from "retrenchment and
reform" is sounded; but when it
comes to "retrenching" and ire
forming'-when it comes to doing
the thing so much talked about-at
that important and critical period,
the work stops dead still. Platforms
resolve, Governors recommend,
Comptrollers and Treasurers advise,
legislators grow eloquent, but when
it comes to actually doing the thing,
they all halt, and the office holder
continues to build up his individual
bank account by checking against
the overdrawn account of the State.
Now what is needed and what
the people demand from the domi-
nant party in Tennessee, is to re-
deem some ofits pledges-to actually
do some of the things they have
been 50 long and so eloquently talk.
ing about. The most loyal party
men in the State, can find little in
recent administrations to "pOint to
with PRIDE" Democracy itself has
even gotten to be ashamed to put
that time honored paragraph in
their platforms. The people are
tired and we'll nigh disguised with
reading Governors messages and
Comptroller and Treasurer reports,
full of lamentations, fair promises
and good advice, but Simplifying
nothing. They are tired of smart
politicians talking to them in a
patronizing sort of way and think
ing they are fooled. They are
neither fools nor being fooled. And
If this Legislature does not examine
the books, and stop the leaks, and
inaugurate better system of State
government than Tennessee now
has, there will be a political up
heaval soon that will turn just any
body in to get incompetents out.
The people are not much concerned
as to whether it was Taylor or Nc
Millin who reduced the States in
terest one half of one per cent.
They are not worrying their brains
as to whether it was because the
legislature did take Harris advice