Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1913-09-11


land River sections of the state.
| "The bill to create the Office of OF
fetal Stenographer for the Fourth
chancery division of the state was Ger
tainly meritorious measure, as Judge
Roberts of this division has fourteen
counties in his circuit, and on account
of the advances in the value of prop
erty activity in this section for the
past ten years he has been forced to
employ stenographer during his
term of Office for the past four years
at an expense of 500 per month which
he has paid for out of his salary of
$4,000 year, and besides the $1,000 a
year he is paying his stenographer he
has to pay travelling expenses and
board for the stenographer and for
himself, altogether amounting to ap-
proximately $2,400, thus leaving him
only $500 per year salary, and besides
he is the hardest worked chancery
judge in the state, and his qualifica-
tons as a judge are the very best.
This bill passed both houses of the re-
cent legislature almost unanimously,
but was vetoed by the governor for
the reason that he personally objected
to it, his real objection to the bill be-
ing on account of the fact that he de-
sires to make two divisions in order to
have the pleasure of appointing Re-
publican judge for the second division,
or, in other words, he is willing to
spend $4,000 a year instead of $1,000
of the states money on account of his
desire to make this appointment.
THE last bill in which l was inter-
ested was to provide for the use of
state convicts to assist in the con-
struction of the state highway from
Memphis to Bristol via the Tennessee
Central route, through Cumberland
county, the convicts to be used only
in the county of Cumberland. This
bill was not introduced at the last
session, and was the only bill l re-
quested not introduced in the last ses-
sion. However, petitions all along the
line had been sent to the governor
asking him to include this subject in
his call, and of all the bills mentioned,
this bill was possibly of the greatest
Importance to this section, and there
was more demand for it by the citi-
zens of this section than for any other
bill.
"The Memphis-to- Bristol highway
fro mNashville to Knoxville via this
route is practically completed with the
exception of twenty miles through
Cumberland county, and it was our
desire to ask the state to loan Cum
berland county one hundred convicts
to help in the construction of these
twenty miles in order that this link of
the road be supplied, and, Of course,
Cumberland county to guard and feed
the convicts and also to furnish all
other supplies in connection with the
CONSTRUCTION of this road.
Cumberland county, as you know,
is the largest county in the state, and
one of the poorest counties in the
state, and the enterprising citizens of
Cumberland county have gotten be-
hind the building of this road and
have completed, or will soon complete
forty miles of this road, but in build
ing this forty miles of road they have
gone to the limit of their financial
strength and cannot go any further
without help, and inasmuch as this
road would encourage road building
all along the line between Nashville
and Knoxville, and if completed would
in addition encourage state roads and
tri-state roads and roads through 9th
er parts of the state, and thereby en-
courage local road building, feel that
the state certainly could afford to fur
nish the use of one hundred convicts
for this purpose, and especially so
when they have more than this num-
ber in Nashville whom they are not
M ,,Ht Nf hnvr M nr1n
ployment for them.
Before writing this letter of re-
quest to the governor, went to the
capitol to take it up with him person
ally, but not finding him, l hent over
this matter tith his private secretary,
NTH the result that | am convinced
that he did not include these measures
for the reason that was not of his po-
litical persuasion, and that he person
ally objected to two of the bills, and
his objection to both bills, | feel, Is
from a political standpoint only, and
feel that every act of his, officially
and otherwise, is prompted by politi-
cal motives only, and not by any de-
sire to do his duty as a statesman or
as governor in looking after the well
fare of the state
These are the only bills, with one |
exception, in which representatives OF
my district we're interested, and sup
pose the only request made of him
from this section.
1T is indeed very discouraging to
try to represent district under cir
of this kind and especially
so when the majority of both houses
signify their approval of the measures
by supporting them, as was the case
with the Herbert Domain bill, and the
bill furnishing relief to the Fourth
chancery circuit.
Since it has been demonstrated be-
vond question that the governor, by in
,luding only his pet measures Of
general nature, and local bills only for
as political friends who ran away,
Ind has no desire to do anything ex-
,ept to play politics, and since there
s only the appropriation bill, which
s imperative, and for the sake Of
which the Democrats adjourned, I feel
hat the Democrats should pass the
appropriation bill and adjourn, be-
;ause the failure of the present legis-
ature to make good and be of some