The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1904-09-16

the people Dy unjust and unequal tax
alton, then on deposit in the bank
Of the country. How is that vast sun
distributed, and who has the benefits
and the profits from it without inter
est? The last report which | hav,
seen shows that the great Republican
states Of the North are enjoying Thu
bulk Of it; that Wall street and the
money centers of the East are reyel
ing in its undistuFbed possession. The
state OF New York alone has $4,000,
600, Pennsylvania has $4,000, 0OG, 600
while the Democratic State of Tennes-
see, which pays from $4,000, 900 to
4 s14,000,000 a year taxes to the ma
tional government, is only allowed ST.,
/ 100000. Talk about favored banksl
Why. my fellow-citizens, there is one
bank in New York, the National City
Bank, which has $12.OOO,OOO. Under
Republican manipulation of the pee
pies money one bank has loaned to
it. without interest, twelve times as
much as is loaned to the whole Of
the 2,25O,0O0 people in Tennessee.
vored banks in Tennessee about which
my competitor complains, and in
which is deposited part Of the bal
ance in the state treasury, is the
Bank of Winchester, and one of the
stockholders and directors is the Hon.
Jesse NJ Littleton, Of the county of
Franklin. AS politician seeking Of
fee he criticises the Democratic party
and the treasurer for depositing
money in his bank.
AS a financier he says he loans
that money to the people at the I'M
lawful and usurious rate Of 10 to 16
per cent interest. In the first in
stance he seeks to deceive and fool
the people into voting for him out
of prejudice against a surplus which
does not exist, and in the second
place he confesses that he violates the
plain statute laws Of his state in order
to fleece from the people and put into
his own pocket unjust and usurious
interest.
When the Democratic party came
into power in 1870 it found that dur
ing the Republican rule the old convict
lease system had been established and
was then in force in Tennessee. The
Democratic party abolished that sys-
tenn and established the present sys-
tenn
My competitor criticises this SPLEEN
did department and advocates abol-
ishing the three commissioners who
1t and look after its bust
ness affairs. Let us look to this for
a moment
When the Democratic party abol- |
ished the old convict lease system |
handed down to us by the Republican |
party 1t bought splendid coal field,
worth today moro than five times its
original cost; built modern, we'll
equipped and up-to-date penitentiary, /
where the convicts are being humane
~ treated, without it costing the tax
payers Of Tennessee one single dol
ar, as propose to show from the rec
1rds. Not only that but by wise and
Iudicious management, by economy
md sound judgment, under the DEM
,cratic party the penal system of the
state is not only selfsustaining, but
asst year it paid every dollar for its
and paid into the treasury
;195,000 in net profits, and for the
lrst six months Of this year the net
Profits were $94,517.
When the present system was in
Iugurated 100000 Of bonds were
ssued to buy the coal lands and build
he new penitentiary. Since then the
has yielded in clear prof
is over 100000, or enough, If so
pplied, to have redeemed every bond {
ssued and paid the interest thereon, I
nus giving to the State and the people i
he entire coal field and penitentiary, K
Nth its equipment, without their hay {
ng cost them one cent. This prop I
rty. which, under a policy inaugu- {
ted and perfected by the Democratic t
arty has come to the people OF Ten 9
essee without cost, is worth today '
lore t7Ian $1,OOO,oO0 in cash. I
How was it under Republican rule
a Tennessee? From 1866 to 1869,
le penitentiary cost the taxpayers Of b
ennessee $459,746, or an average loss I
( $114,936 each year. Under Gov. a
awluns, in 1882, the last Repub- 6
can administration in Tennessee, the D
only yielded SAL, 500 a I
ar, while under Democratic man t
cement it yielded last year $4,000. n
y fellowcitizens, thanks to Demo c
ratio statesmanship and fidelity, Ten h
sssee has today the best penitentiary p
any state in the Union, and 1t is L
aking more clear money than any y
in any state, and 1t is fl
ping II without friction and without 81
lrting any man in his labor or his 1t
And / leave it for you to al
" whether you are ready to turn 1t Il
er to a Republican governor who 81
lvocates policy which would Grip Ell
g and impair it, If it did not tear D,
down and destroy it. 81
My competitor declares himself IT
,ainst the Adams law. This he has vi
perfect right to do, but in order to
1t and still be a candidate for gov n
nor, he had to remain discreetly "
lent on that law before the conven- Al
IN and repudiate his party's plat Ii
IN after the convention. That plat n
rm says; W