Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-07-24
Gen. W. S,
Faulkner'S
Speech.
Continued from First Page

AN'N7f gNA VSNf0 fNAAg AhN kAhhAhChlHHH
Of your collecting officer as it is, you
cannot.
For the years 1909 and 1910 this
officer reserved for salary and expenses
se7, 500 The published report Of the
revenue agent for Middle Tennessee fails
to comply with the law. Collections
amounting to thousands Of dollars each
appear, With nothing given to indicate
from whom they came. ask you why
was not the law demanding detailed"
statement oboyedt Would il not have
been just as easy TO have given the name
Of the party from whom the amount
was collected as II would to have sub
stituted for his name lot of dotted
hnesi / see an item Of s11 900, another
Of $4,000, with nothing given to indicate
from whom II came save the indefinite
phrase, back assessment"
A short while ago one OF Nashville's
leading dailes boldly arraigned this ofTi-
Ger for his failure to comply with the
law. 1t offered to publish for him, and
for the people whose agent he is, a
detailed" statement of his transactions
free Of charge, Up to this good day he
has refused to avail himself of the offer
made. Do you know whyi He is your
officer. It is your money he has been
entrusted TO collect and pay over you
ought to know. Do you know that at
the last legislature an effort was made
to even increase the power given to rev.
enue agents under this law, by giving
them the whole OF the IS per cent pen
altyi Under this system back tax col
lectors are growing rich, but how great
will their power be unless the people
call haiti Do you still say that this
system does not concern the property
owners of the Statef tell you it has
alreay begun 30 lay its hand upon tho
home owners of the land.
At the last legislature there was added
= new link to the chain. An act was
passed that secures fee of $500 to
the back tax attorney for the collection
of thirty cents. 1t is provided that a
hundred or more accounts may be in
cluded in one bill, thus securing a fee Of
$500 for scarcely much more than an
hours work. The only apology for the
enactment of this law was to give to
favored few the means through which
to gather in fees from the people, When
had finished speaking in Maury County
the other day, was taken into the Of
flee of the clerk and master and shown
a record of q suit filed under this statute
wherein for the collection of twelve cents
due to tho State, citizen of that county
was compelled to pay $9.4O. Strange as
it may seem, my friends, this law Is
signed and approved by Tennessee's
great reformer, the Hon. Benjamin W..
Hooper, Governor My friends, l do not
like to deal in matters of prejudice.
II is not my style of speech. There
are many things urged against your
present Governor in which l would not
indulge. While l honor the Con
federste soldier above any other class
and while / would be the first to resent
any insult offered to him or to his glO-
rious history, must admit do not
view the incident of placing the gray
upon the convicts as others seem to do.
cannot think the man intended to turn
from him that class, so many of whom
helped to place him where he is What
l say l strive to make substantial.
appeal to reason and not to passion.
l arraigned this pretending reformer
before you as one incompetent to hold
the high trust repossd in him by the
people. base nay charges on the record.
When as the guardian of the peoples
interests, he approves and signs bill
compelling the home owner of this land
to pay penalty of $500 as back tax
attorneys fee for the collection of twelve
cents, he ID not only estopped from pa
rading his TRADE against the back tax
system, but he is unworthy further to
pose as protector of the peoples inter
est. / would have every dollar due the
State collected, but would secure no fee
greater than the amount collected.
/ would repeal the act giving to the
Comptroller, through his revenue agents,
the right TO compromise the claims due
to the State. / would have assessments
made final All assessments of real
property should be increased to real
value, properly equalized and the rate
of taxation cOrrespondlngly lower. To
this end l would favor the election of
of commission by the people. l would
favor the creation of State Auditor
department to take the place of the
iunketing committees of the legislature,
The Auditor to be selected by the people
and to be empowered Co appoint sutfi
cient corps OF competent helpers. The
Auditor would examine and report on
all departments Of State, he would exam.
inc the revenue offices of each county
every six months and through the dis
triet attorney-general he would file bills
for the collection OF all past due taxes
owing to the State This officer and &
sufficient force could be paid reasonable
salaries with a great saving over what
the junketing committees now cost the
State.
The Game Law.
Now, my COuntrymen, l wish to cal
your attention to another department Of
the State. l wish to cali your attention
to system of taxation that was never
dreamed of by the trainers of your consti
tuition, system of lsvying privileges
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