The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-05-03
GOVERNOR SAYS A
CORRUPTION FUND
is IN EXISTENCE
TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND noL.
LARS Is THE ALLEGED SUM
RAISED.
Can NAME The CONTRIBUTORS
Purpose Is to Prevent Law Enforce
ment In Capital City by the Wits
ky Men and Money Is In Hands OF
Liquor Agent.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn, Apr. 80 Gov
Fen w. Hooper. who is spending sew
eral weeks at Mooresburg Springs
asserts that funds are being raised
III the cities of the state to combat
and prevent the enforcement Of the
laws. The governor says that he
knows personally of the raising OF
$4,000 in the capital city, Nashville.
for this purpose, and says that SINH
lar funds are being raised In other
cities Of the state for the same pur.
pose.
His health impaired by the long
winter in the state house, during
which time he had no rest, the Gov
ernor went few days ago to Moores-
burg Springs, in the East Tennessee
mountains to seek rest and to i'm
prove his health. Commenting on
the alleged corruption fund, Cover
nor Hooper said:
"a man who comes from Nashville
to placid place like this is forcibly
struck with the true significance of
the old bit of wisdom that God made
the country, and man made the
town.
HTnn nnnn1n nf tho r11ra mi
ties of Tennessee would be astound-
ed il they could realize the conditions
of corruption and the semi-anarchy
that exist in the cities of this state.
There are thousands of good citizens
IN each Of these places, but the coali-
ton between corrupt politicians and
the element of lawlessness is COM
pletely dominant. Whenever atten-
tlon is called to this fact some fright
ened individuals claiming to be bust.
ness men always protest that the
matter ought not to be mentioned,
for fear that the city will be hurt.
To such a man it does not occur that
correction and not concealment Is
The safe and honest public policy.
LAS an example of what l am talk
ing about, within the last two weeks
corruption fund of $4,000 has 0een
raised by the whisky dealers of Nash
vile for the express purpose of cor.
ruptly preventing the enforcement Of
the laws Of Tennessee, against the
unlawful sale of whisky and beer in
that city.
When | left Nashville this fund
had not yet been paid over to the
prospective beneficiaries, but it was
in the hands of the agent of the whis-
Ky interests. Let it be understood,
zoo, that the statements have made
are not haphazard guesswork. am
in complete possession of the facts.
/ know the amounts assessed against
the brewry and the wholesalers on
down to the little saloon keepers, and
I know to whom the money was paid.
How much of this Is going on in
other cities cannot be accurately
atatei but it is apparent that the
laws are being nulliied, and justice
thwarted in other cities, and some
body is doubtless being paid in some
way for these results.
"The country people of Tennessee
will have to take these matters in
hand, and save the state from further
disgrace at the hands of it's munich
palities.
when political committees have
ceased to dicker, maneuver and ma
nipulate for the personal and political
advantage Of more or less morbid pol
itIcians. and the deck has been clear
CO Of national political considera-
lions these great questions of good
government will be carried to the
people for settlement"
MONEY FOR THE