The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-10-07

l do not come with any apology for I
the record of my party in The past
zone is needed. l do not come, as my
competitor came in his opening speech
at Rutledge, apologizlnS for the sins
end iniquities of his party, when ii was
in power in Tennessee.
The Democrats party comes, not
as king for pardon and forgiveness for
past wrongs, but conscious of the rec
titude of its purpose, it comes with a
clean record of wise. faithful and eco
nomiCal government. When it came
into power it found the State III wreck
AMI ruins; its credit gone; its treas
ury empty and its people bowed down
in pov erty and ashes, struggling under
the burdens of unjust and excessive
taxation imposed upon chem by the
Republican party.
1t found the rate of taxation sixty
cents OH the hundred dollars. aud still
the l copies charities neglected. the in
terest on the public debt unpaid, and
the State bankrupt.
1t found that during the reign Of
the Republican party from 1862 to 1870
| the State debt had been increased By
that party by the grossest and most
glaring frauds from S16,OOO,OO0 to the
| appalling sum of s41,O00,000
AS everybody knows, under our sys-
tenn in Tennessee, most of the taxes
are collected in the first part of the
year and the balance then on hand
must be enough to run through to the
end of the year or there will be de
felt. Against the balance in the treas
| ury OF the 1st of July comes the
current expenses, which from then Oh
greatly exceed the collections-the
semi-annual interesDo on the public debt
and-the semi-annual interest on the
school fund, the sinking fund, and DIT
the end of the year the surplus to be
| turned into the school fund. To do
as my competitor advocates, and leave
this $1,290,O0O uncollected and in the
rockets of the taxpayers would force
the State to repudiate its debts, de
fault on it's interest, lose its credit and
become a borrower to pay its current
obligations. 1 leave you to say
whether a man who advocates such
a financial policy would be safe and
prudent man to place at the head of
your State government.
The last report of the treasurer OF
the State shows that more than -
per cent of the States entire income
goes to pay three general items, towlt;
Charitable and educational institu
tions. interest on the State debt anC
the sinking fund, and less than ~ pc
cent is expended in maintaining th'
whole judicial, legislative and eXecu
tive departments of the government,
while only IL per cent OF its lncom'
is spent for salaries outside OF the JU
dietary. Excluding the sinking 1unG
it costs less than 81 per capita to rul
the State government, While under IN
present profligate and wasteful ad
ministration of the Republican part
II costs s9.4O per capita to run tn
rational government. This Illustrate
= The difference betG cen old-fashlone
! Democratic honesty and economy an
Republican extravaganza ana olshoi
esty.
The agricultural department ha
heen in existence since 1875, and nc
, 1883. as stated by my competitor.
was in operation during the last h
= publican administration in Tennesse
= in 1881 and 1SS2-and was durin
: those years run at cost to III
!. State of s13,721, while for the la
= two years it has paid its entire COS
of operation and turned into tn
treasury $9.527. During the RepubI
can administration the commissions
O of agriculture received a salary
). $4,000. Now his salary is $4,000. Th
O is the only department OF the Sta'
n government organized and mai
I. tained exclusively for the benefit
!. the farmers of Tennessee, and "
a nv competitor wants to abolish it.
s AS between the old soldier and tt
n SoO,OOO bright faced school chlldre
who need the States help on the OF
"a side. and the bondholders upon u
other, 1 said, and repeat 1t here'
the bondholders wait. Their debt
not due yet, anyway. The boys az
e girls. who are to make the futu
IS manhood and womanhood OF the Sta
le and are to be the chief factors
ls the development of its resources al
II the prod.ction of it's wealth, and WI
n- will in a few years take charge
is its affairs, shape its policies and g
e termine its destiny, must be tralne
educated and made intelligent CT
Zens now. or it will be too late.
I recommended to the leglslatu
ts that the appropriations for pensions
ex-Confederate soldiers be increas
a and it was increased $4,000. To the
es old Confederate soldiers who sac
~ feed their fortunes, their hopes a
their health at the call of their Sta
must be extended the helping hand
a generous and patriotic people no
- or it will be too late. A few me
years and they will be gone and the
. will remain only the memory or tn
~ splendid courage and heroic devoti
to duty.