Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1901-02-07
OPPOSES A CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION.

WIN LIN 4 1NNs
should republicans of Tennessee
support the movement for constitu-
tional convention?" is question being
repeatedly asked.
mo"
Under our present election laws such
convention woHld be com posed of the
worst element of our people. Only par
tlsans, subservient to the rule of the
King of Tax eaters at Nashville could
be elected, excepting in a few counties
in East Tennessee.
These men, when elected as delegates
would disfranchise every voter whom it
Is would to disfranchse. Not only
that, but the rich corporations would
control them the same as they do ma
jority of the Legislature Corporations
would be practically exempted from
taxation and the land owner would
have to foot the bill.
No, unless the Legislature will give
the people a fair and honest election
law first every republican should OPP
pose Constitutional Convention
Cleveland Herald.
This from the chairman of the
Republican State Committee IS to be
expected. 1t is part of his duties to
keep political agitation and partisan
spirit as much as possible. In this
he is not to be blamed, as any other
man in the same predicament would
do the same. But will such a course
prove OF benefit to the state, and are
we going to have a state given up to
endless inuendoes in politics or de-
voted to increase in commerce and
manufacture. DO the common peo-
pie of the state find their living in
following the banners of the polite
ians or do they get 1t in the shop,
the mill, or the factory. Do they
find more consolation in the promis
es of the politician, the officeholder
"tO be or not to be-" than in the in.
spring ring Of the silver dollar, or
the gold dollars-note the plural
as they fall from the hands of the
accursed corporations into the will
ing palms of the wage-earners?
We believe the employees of the
Herald are much more eager to re-
ceive the money of their employer
than his promises, though both may
be equally as good.
The charge of the Herald that I'M
der our present election laws such a
convention would be composed of
"the worst element of our people" is
refexive. Reading such a sentence
we feel that the Herald insinuates
that our present ice-holders are
composed of the very worst element
of onr people. This is sweeping
assertion that it hardly seems credi-
BILE that any man who wished to
present his state in a favorable as
pect to the citizens of other states,
would make.
Let us hope 1t is only an effect of
the "costly wines and the amount
consumed" at the convention men
toned by the Herald in another col
umn.
The Herald endeavors to draw a
distinction between the land owner
and the corporation in this state as
regards the payment of taxes. Such
a distinction appears puerile. We
believe that the corporate ownership
of land IN Tennessee is nearly as
great as that of private ownership, il
not as much. Wherever you GO
there are vast tracts of coal, iron and
timber lands controlled by corpora.
tons, and great many OF these
are being developed. Coal, iron
timber, stone, phosphate, lead, zinc
copper and other raw materials ar,
being put on the market, which if j
had not been for the magic touch Of
capital under the name of corpora
ton would have been untouched anC
perhaps unknown. The private in
divldual would have been unable I,
cope with these mighty resources o
nature. Every effort he made woulC
have been so Insignificant as to re
suit in his own ruin.