Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1912-10-24

| tight for this measure, and led its ed
vocacy before the legislature to = Eue
| eessful conclusion.
1t is very noticeable that GoverESr
McMillin's modesty has not increased
| with age.
Inspection of State Banks
My platform again declares ia favor
Of law for the r,g.d inspection of STATE
banks, so that both dep0sit0rs end stock
holders may be better protected. Ten.
nessee is one of only three states which
have no bank inspection saw, and the
ederal government haI declined to
make postal deposits in our state for
that reason. The people of this state
have suffered enough from banks looted
from the inside to cause the law-making
power to take steps for their protection.
Two years ago the the platforms of
all parties in the state favored bank
inspection law. This year the McBrllin
platform omits all reference to the mat
ter. Perhaps they have baekslidden on
thus subject.
The Divorce Evil
One of the greatest evils in Tennessee
today is the lax administration of liber.
al divorce laws. This condition is under
mining the social morals OF the state,
and converting marriage iEto the mock
cry of a temporary convenience.
Public sentiment all over the nation,
under the leadership of thoughtful and
far-seeing men, is becoming aroused to
the necessity of a reformation of the
divorce laws, and the enactment of uni
form laws upon this subject by the vari-
Gus states.
| believe it safe to say that three out
of four of the divorces obtained in Ten
nessee are the result of collision between
the parties, are therefore in violation of
the law, and are an imposition on the
trial courts and the public.
Anything that impairs the sacredness
of the marriage contract and cheapens
it in the eyes of the people is of meal
culable detriment to society, and the
state should, therefore, intervene and
prevent the abuses of the divorce system
so far as possible.
Public Education.
Both Governor McMillins platform
and mine contain strong declarations in
favor of public education. More money
is being spent in Tennessee today than
ever before for the support of the public
school system, and yet Tennessee, ac-
cording to the statistics, ranks third
from the bottom on the list of all the
states in point of illiteracy. She also
ranks badly in point of amount spent
by the state for the education of each
child The question of how to raise more
money for the common schools is one of
very great difficulty. The amount be-
ing spent now, along with one or two
more meritorious appropriations, has
rendered it necessary for the state to
suspend payments on its bonded indebt-
edness.
l will continue to advocate rigid econ
omy in other expenditures of the State
Government and the utmost liberality
for the common schools.
Just as our love for our children
stands in advance of every private and
personal feeling, so does public educa-
ton outweigh. every other public con-
Some of the obligations of
the state might, perhaps, be honorably
deferred, but the obligation of the state
to it's boys and girls must be discharged
now or never.
The unused power of the streams that
leap down our mountains and hills to
the sea is not hopelessly lost, for the
sun and wind may some day bring the |
water back to where it may yet turn |
the wheels of modern industry. Not so
with the wasted energies of men. The |
boy who is compelled to pass through |
life with an undeveloped brain, unframed /
hand and uncultured soul, is but the !
shrunken image of what he might have |
been. His personal deprivation is deplor-
able and the loss to the world is great.
Therefore | say we must educate, edu-
cate, even if we are forced to feel the |
hard PRESSURE of rigid economy.
Our university and normal schools
must be maintained, but above all the
schools, beyond which the null
5ftude of our children never go, must be
fostered encol a9ed and built up with
out delay. We need consolidated schools,
onger schools, better school houses, bet
,er paid teachers, a more practical course
If study and better facilities for teach
ng it.
Having furnished these facilities, the
state should see that no helpless child
$ deprived of them by the negligence
If parents or the greed of employers.
The public school system must be TAX
N out of politics and kept out, both in
he state and county. The granting of
certificates of qualification to candidates
or county superintendent must be upon
merit and not upon political favoritism.
The State Board of Education must not
,e political machine. The public school
unds and the interests of the, little chill
ren are too sacred to be prostituted to
uch ends.
Compulsory Primaries.
As all the platforms declare in favor
4 compulsory primaries for the nomina-
ion of candidates for public office, this
nuch-needed legislation ought to be en-
cted. The thoroughly discredited mob
onvention and soap-box primary should
e discarded and thrown into the scrap
cap, and the people should be given the
opportunity to vote directly for their
arty candidate, under all restrictions
nd safeguards that surround regular
lections. The Patterson-McMillin crowd
ave free, public demonstration of the
eed of legislative primary down in
helby county in August. The argu-
lent will be clinehed in November. Such
ew Patterson-McMllin candidates as
usceed in getting elected to the legis-
rture may then proceed to carry out
heir pledges for decent compulsory
rimary law.
Corrupt Practices Act.
T., 1;,o +b;s ~