The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1910-07-21
SARCASM IS
NOT ARGUMENT
CARPING CRITIC CALLED
Recorder Ellsworth VIII Stick to
Known Methods of Doing Bus-
mess Until Shown Better.

Editor Comet: "SeneX" is like a
sharp shooter, in concealment, shoot-
ing at an opponent iathe open, with q
pop gun. Why not tgSeecourage to ex-
press his opinions over his own signa.
ture? 1t is, however, his privilege to
hide his head in the sand, like an os-
trich, if he so desires.
y others differ with my views, as to
paying a part of debt that has run
for twenty years, l have no quarrel. ]
think some portion of these bonds
should be paid, perhaRnS7, 800
Let those who tIiiNk otherwise ex
press their view to or before the city
council. If it is the consen Sus Of opin-
ion that the entire debt Should be
funded, | think the board viii SO vote
A funding bond is no better than any
other, All bonds stand equally as sc
curities. A funding bond will sell bet
ter than new issue, usually. But if .
city has an excessive debt, Il funding
bond may find slow market, just a
any other bond will. And if part of an
issue is paid, the remainder will surely
sell the more readily. We have haG
some trouble in selling bonds recently
and there is little prospect Of an i'm.
provement soon in the general bon d
market
"Senex" is like the inlidel, who, by
the logic (?) of ready pen or the mus
ic of a silver tongue, utterly domoish
es the religion of Jesus Christ, without
offering q substitute, even a poor one.
1t is much easier to offer destructive
criticism than constructive suggestion.
He secs no good in the per capita basis
of comparison of taxes paid. Let us
have better one, then we can compare
notes. My comparison was made up
from data from firlycities, from 5000
to 1900 population. | will think this
as fair basis as can be had, until
be ter one is offered. What wilder as
sumption can be made than that
town Of Loco Inhabitants will pay as
much fax as 4 town OF 5.0c0? Yet this
is the stylcof argument rs; d by Senex
But be gets wilder yet, when he get
to the question of surplus. He say,
the surplus of $40, Geo due to 1910 taxes
will be sol, 600 for 1911. He is SO alb
sorbed in making out case against;
surplus, that he absolutely ignores tn,
matter of expenditures for 1911. To Ell
tighten him, the surplus, due to col
lection of 1910 taxes, will be used t.
pay the expenses q 1911.
The sarcasm contained in the p. ra-
graph about new buildings is worthy
of an Ingalls, or a Carmack. His CT
forts along this line, is an attempt t,
peoples eyes. Every one but "Sene>
knows that what | wrote along this
line was meant in general wa, Il al
growth means increased expenses
That "taxes do increase with the
growth of a city, is invariably true,
however "bad' it may be Lit Senex
investigate this matter and find out
few things on which he appears TO be
1t seems like question
ing the intelligence of the taxpayers,
to suggest otherwise.
The larger the city the greater the
demands, on the per cap Ia or any
other basis. Consequently more taxes
to pay. If one wants to pay a slnal
amount Of taxes, he must live in
small town. I'll venture that il cest
even "Senex" more to live Than it evei
lid, when his ideas OF lie were smaller
than they now gre
L. IG. ELLSWORTH.