The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1907-02-01

| ter, who can both read and write who
| have been residents of the county for
| I'VE years, so as 70 insure the appoint
ment Of competent election officers and
to give the minority party bona fide
representation at the polls.
FOURTH recommend that the list of
all judges and clerks of election be re-
CURED to be published at least ten days
before every general election for the
information of the voters and to FUR
Their safeguard the purity of the ballot.
Filthy further recommend that
some legislation be had looking to uni
formity of COUNTY action in the seiec-
tion of delegates and in party nomina-
lions, so as to prevent undue advant-
ages being taken of either the candi-
dates or the people, and that all candi-
dates for State officers be required to
make sworn statement OF their cleo
ton expenses.
All our election laws should be en-
braced in one act so far as they relate
to general elections and the practice
of amending old laws should be discon-
tinued.
1t is safe to say that no one knows
or can know the exact condition of
these laws, sid l recommend that a
new law be snActed which will be pre-
else in its terms and clear in its mean
ings, so that the present confusion and
uncertainties will be obviated, and that
all other laws in conflict with 1t will
be repealed.
/ call your attention to the following
plank In the platform:
I'VE favor legislation that will pre-
vent the acceptance and use by public
officials of passes, franks or free trans
portation from transportation or other
public service corporations" and rec
ommend such legislation as will carry
it into effect
Insurance Laws.
call your attention to the follow
ing plank in our platform:
I'VE favor the enactment OF such
laws as will tend to reduce the fire haz-
ards In Tennessee. establish more rigid
requirements In building construction,
reduce incendiarism and compel compe-
tition among insurance companies. so
that fire insurance rates now Onerous
on our people may be reduced"
l recommend that your committee on
insurance take up this question and in
stitute full investigation in regard to
the charge of insurance combinations,
and IL they are found to exist then the
enactment of such laws as will effect
ually break up and in the future pre-
vent such combinations
1 make the same recommendation as
to life insurance companies.
Uniformity of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Tax
Assessors.
There Is a lack or uniformity in the
assessment of property in our State,
and the Comptroller, in his report,
thinks that much of this could be
avoided by county assessor with such
assistance as may be needed to take
the place of the district assessors.
I agree with his view on this subject
and recommend legislation that will
carry Ii into effect
In my opinion the creation and re-
tention of back tax assessors has done
the State much harm and no good.
The people have been disturbed and
yexed with their activities, scandal has
sometimes been caused, oppression Of
ten charged, and / think the time has
come when the whole system should be
uprooted. A state auditor could exer-
else every necessary power the back
tax assessors now have, and when there
has been no assessment or fraudu- |
lent assessment OF property for taxes,
this could be corrected by the boards of |
equalization of the State and counties
BY recurring re-assessment, but when |
an assessment has once been honestly |
made and the taxes paid. i should be
q protection to every man, firm or cor
poration. and there should be no power
in such cases to back assess.
Auditor--Bank Exana-
liners.
The necessity OF separate and in
dependent department to examine the |
accounts of all State officers and state |
institutions is absolutely essential to
the proper conduct OF State AFFAIRS.
Such an officer clothed with power to /
make examinations of the books and |
accounts of all officials handling State /
revenue and required to make q report /
OF Investigations and findings will not
only be Of Invaluable assistance to the /
Governor, who should be kept informed /
at all times of the conduct OF State in
stitutions, but also to the law-making
body in the work OF legislation
The auditor should be required and
given the power to institute a uniform
system of bookkeeping In all Offices
handling State revenue. so that each
officer or the same class throughout
the state win use the same system.
The duties of such an office should /
be precisely defined, and he should be
required to be an expert accountant.
In addition, recommend that three
State bank examiners. one TO be ap-
pointed from each grand division OF the Il
State, who shall be charged with the
duty and inquire into the condition OF
all banks chartered by the State and
to make their report to the state Aud
si