The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-10-18

mined that no question should be con-
sidered except from the viewpoint OF
their factional interests, Iney rejected
the olive branch OF political peace ex.
tended by me in my inaugural address
and first message to the General Az
sembly.
The Legislature.
A few examples of the truth OF these
statements will suffice.
Legislation along the lines OF prison
reform demanded by every consideration
or justice and humanity, was denied for
the express reason that. it might re-
dound to the credit of my administra.
ton. Senator Hill McAlister, chairman
OF the committee appointed to draft
these bills, deliberately strangled them
for partisan reasc o, and stated that the
parole bill should not pass because ne
wanted to handle the pardon problem UNI
der the same conditions that had sur
rounded his patron saint, Patterson.
A bill requiring the payment OF inter-
est 4on deposits of state funds in banks
was choked to death when it occurred to
certain astute statesmen that the power
to select the banks to be favored with
this gracious gift of the peoples money
was valuable political asset. And thus,
in order that the State Treasurer may
be empowered to play politics with the
public fund.- our state continues to give
away perhaps 100000 per year, and is
one of only three states in the Union
that gets no interest on its deposits.
If the true inside history of the meth
DDS employed in the manipulation of the
deposits of Tennessees public money
could be unfolded, it would cause the
people to sit up and take notice.
My fight for law to require banks
to pay interest OH state deposits has
resulted in plank in the Republican
platform favorlng such law, and Nc
Millin's platform has followed suit. Pub
lie sentiment will sometimes move act
of machine politicians to declare in favor
of a needed law, even if they find a
way afterward to repudiate their prom
Uses.
A bill was introduced and urgently
pressed to continue the strangle-hold OF
the machine on the Agricultural Depart
ment, by taking the power of appointing
the Commissioner away from the Cover
nor, and permitting the old-time gang of
useless, idle and inefficient tick and feed
inspectors to remain in office. know
one member of the Legislature who was
offered lifetime job at $500 to vote
for this bill.
Deliberate Conspiracy.
The Comptrolleris office was indus
triously manipulated for partisan pur-
poses, and disposition was manifested
to wreck the credit of the state, if a
plausible way could be found to at.
tribute the disaster to me.
A deliberate conspiracy was entered
into to load down the appropriation bills
with useless and extravaganza appropria-
tions, with the intention either OF bank
rupting the state, If the bills were APP
proved by me, or forcing an expensive ex-
ira session of the Legislature if they
failed to pass for lack of my approval.
When these bills were under considers
tion in the Senate, the doors were closed
and nobody was allowed to remain inside
except the Chief Clerk or Comptroller
Dibrell, who acted as the financial ad.
wiser of the Senate. And there, under
the leadership of John l. Cox, who had
been in the Legislature for nearly eigh
teen years and under the direct super.
vision of Frank Dibrell, the chief fnan-
cial officer OF the state, a set of appro
priation bills were framed up, which,
added to the outstanding appropriations
would have caused the state to default in
the sum of $1,312,000. Can you believe
That they did this ignorantlys No
Whatever may be said of them, they
are not fools. Then it follows that they
conspired to ruin the credit of the state
by slipping through these loaded bills.
Appropriation Bills.
When these appropriation bills reached
my desk | devoted three days and nights
o. almost continuous work to their con
sIderation. The Legislature had had the
whole session. | then sent message
to the Legislature, showing in detail, and
with mathematical certainty, that they
had appropriated over million and a
quarter dollars more than the state
would be able to pay. threw the re
sponsibility squarely upon their shout
ders and suggested that they recall the
bills and triu them until the states ex
penditures would fall within its receipts
John Isaac then publicly proclaimed thai
snch thing could not be done and never
had been done. About that time the peo
pie and the newspapers got afoul OF
them, and public sentiment forced them
to recall the bills. Having trimmed the
bills to suit themselves, some of the
slick gentlemen who in the first instance
tried to put UP the job on the state and
on my administration, have never los,
an opportunity to charge me with all
they left in the bill, as we'll as all they
cut out.
For instance, they have criticized me
for signig the bill with the 5000 salary
grab in it, in the teeth of the fact that
] condemned the salary grab in thres
different messages to the Legislature
| When the appropriation bill was frs4
amended to include the $500 salary grail
! for each member of the Legislature,
| sent in message to the Legislature t.
! cut it ont. When the bill came to me
| with the $500 grab bill included, i mott
| fed the Legislature that | would YETI