The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1905-01-19
SIGNATURE A MIsNoMER.
The Act Creating the Office OF Tax
Collector Henderson County.
Bureau of Labor and Printing,
Raleigh, N. c., Jan. Is. 1905.

A9dlCGA VIZ l
Raleigh, N. c., Jan. Is. 1905.
I have Just been shown an article in the
Asheyille G lzette by q Hendersonville cor
respondent signing himself CONSERVATIVE
signature is a misnomer as the con-
tents arc. in the main, far from the truth.
In the first place the correspondent under
takes to make the act creating the Office OF
tax collector for Henderson county a per
sonal matter between Sheriff Rhodes and
myself and declares me to be the author OF
the law. The fact is Mr.. Rhodes and my
self are good friends, personally, 80 far as
I know, and Senator Hoey is the author OF
the bill referred to, which passed the gen.
eral assembly two years ago. I~hadnothing
to- do with the preparation of the act, or
securing the large number of petitioners
sent from Henderson county asking for its
massage. Wish I could have entire credit
and offer no apology for appearing before
the committee two years ago in support OF
the measure. At that time prepared an
amendment to the Senate Bill, by the adop-
| ton of which Sheriff Rhodes was allowed
the tax list for 1904, instead of making the
effscttv. a year previous. Does this
indicate any personal enmity toward him?
So far as the fees of the sheriff's office
are concerned there are an abundance OF
democrats of ability and high standing who
| will gladly take the position without the
tax list, Sheriff Rhodes has accepted the
office with the distinct understanding that
he would not get the tax list and should
not now plead the baby act by undertaking
the repeal of the law which has never been
tried aud will not be effective until next
June. In the senatorial primary last sum
mer our present senator, Toms, issued a
circular containing this paragraph: ut is
also charged that when / go to Raleigh as
YOUR senator that ] will consolidate the
Office of sheriff and tax COLLECTOR. This is
absurd and untrue. have never thought
of doing anything of the kind and l assure
my friends in the strongest terms that this
law shall never be changed by me unless
the majority of the democrats of my county
desire it," Thus it will be seen that the
matter was thoroughly understood before
the election and the rights of Sheriff Rhodes
are not being molested. Does the Gazette's
correspondent charge Senator Toms with
| pledging himself to stand by a piece OF
~s.oernici JUS Legislation" in order to secure
a nomination. His article so indicates
But Senator Toms will not break this
pledge and all the ravIng radical b eelers
NAV do Mr.. conservative" cannot affect
him. And when the democrats secure the
tax list you will see no return OF nun
dreds of ~delinqnents of insolYent at a loss tc
the taxpayers of from $1,000 to $f5Ot
annually. If the law is to prove hurtful tt
the democratic party why do republican,
, want it repealed SO everlastingly bad2
The affair means nothing to me in 6
personal way and II have no axe to grind"
D but I shall stand by this law until it hts
: fair trial and my better judgment suggests
r it's repeal. And in this conclusion L nav
! endorsement and hearty cooperation OF
large majority OF the working democrats
of Henderson, county.
Senator Toms returned for a short sta!
. in Hendersonville this morning, and tell
me a petition is being circulated ther
y asking that the city authorities be per
y mitted to submit the question Of
pensary' or mo Dlspensary'' TO the voter
d If Hendersonville. Should this request b
granted the temperance forces will 500
:. find themselves involved ID anoteer conte'
st against whisky which otherwise would .
deferred until the summer OF 1906. IL VII
be remembered that an election was bel
Hast summer under the Watts law whlc
resulted in a victory for the antl=llquf
people. It looks rather hard to be force
le into a similar fight thus far in advance {
k the usual time. From the standpoint
revenue and the OF dispensln
ii whiskey the dispensary is an lmproyemeI
" over the saloon. But from a moral poi
n of view 1t is equally as bad and am O
lie nosed 10 our beautiful town going into u
# wbiskey business. Let the people beWa
If @0utting temptation before their childrt
ia any form. Evil only can result fro
such a course. Send petitions against q
proposition. M II y