The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-05-08

"
I cessors. but has so increased Il tnal
/ ne today controls more patronage
I than any Governor since the days Oh
I William G. BroEnlOws and the very
/ last hour OF the Legislature found
MIN fighting desperately for more.
STILL GRIPPING THE
ELECTION MACHINERY.
From every stump he denounced
the Governors control Of the election
machinery. He said that IL was a
power that no good Governor would
want and no bad Governor should
have He declared that il was In
famous'-it was infamous'-that any
Governor should have or wish 70 have
such vast and tremendous power. II
was the most vital issue and the most
solemn promise of his campaign 10
take this power entirely out OF the
Governors hands and give II back TO
the people Yet the only step he has
taken to fulfill that pledge has been
10 create three more offices Tor the
Governor to fill and three more sal
aries for the people to pay. No man
can claim that this law is anything
but an impudent mockery of Gov. Pat
terson's most solemn promise to the
people. No man can claim that 1t
takes one particle of power out OF the
Governors hands. No man can claim
that it restores one particle OF power
to the people. Under this law the
Governor does not directly appoint
the Election Commissioners, but he
appoints the board that does appoint
them-a board composed of his own
devoted partisans and dependent up
on his reelection for their continu-
ance in office. What more power did
the Car of Russia ever have than to
choose trusted favorites to execute
his will?
GOV. PATTERsoN's OWN LAW.
"The present law is Gov. Patter-
sons own. A bill was pending in the
Legislature that would have redeemed
his promise on this subject. He sent
for one of it's authors, begged him not
to press the bill. and said that the
administration would have bill of
it's own. little later he sent in
special message urging the passage
of this particular measure. When that
measure was up for consideration in |
the Senate, Mr.. Foust of Hamilton, |
moved an amendment that the board |
should be elected by the Legislature /
the very plan which Gov. Patter-
son himself had first proposed. There
upon the administration leader,
Speaker Toilet, descended from The
chair and moved to lay the Foust
on the table. To the ia !
BILE it went under the votes of the
Senators, and there
went with it the most solemn promise
of Gov Patterson upon the most vi
tai issue of his campaign. The Gov
ernor's Memphis organ, the CONNER
cial Appeal, itself assailed this law as
a fragrant violation of the Democratic
platform, and charged that hostile
Legislature had forced it's passage
for the very purpose of humiliating
Gov. Patterson; yet, today Gov. Pat
,erson himself openly assumes the re-
sponsibility and expresses his entire
and absolute satisfaction with the law
and his willingness to accept it as a
perfect and complete fulfillment of
lis campaign pledge.
THOSE BACK TAX ASSESSORS.
you remember with what elo-
luence he denounced the practice Of
Jack assessing property and how he
the odious revenue agents
Who were swarming over the State to
Tex and harass the taxpayers of Ten
lessee. Special extracts from his
peeches were separately printed I'M
Ter flaming headlines. Patterson De-
LOUNGES the Back Tax Infamy, or
words to that effect, and these were
circulated broadcast all over the
state to emphasize the fact that Gov.
was the peoples one hope
doIi thon
eviltry' and from the pestiferous
evenue agents whom he called the
askmakers of the people, Yet the
ystem today stands unchanged and
nth no effort on the part of Gov
'atterson to abolish it. His only ef
ort was to take over into his own
ands by the passage of the Audi
or's bill all the power and patronage
the system and make it a part of l
is political machine. &
Under that bill of the administra-
on the auditor and assistant audi I
1rs were clothed with the powers
nd duties of the revenue agents, with
he difference that they were not d. {
ectly to back assess property; but l
ley were to decide what property I
nould be back assessed, and how ?
luch it should be back assessed, and t
ere then to compel County Clerks {
nd Trustees to do it under penalty Z
their bond, so that the county off, Q
ais would have to bear the odium a
lille Gov. Patterson welded the q
over. p
Another remarkable feature of the =
II was that these auditors were =,
larged with the duty of examining
lie books and accounts of all Off.
RS having to do with state revenue. Y