The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1913-06-13
The Oracle
Speaks.
Lon M'Farland, the house
Cou nterpart of Parks
w orley in the Senate
Speaks as M0uthpiece
of the Regulars.

1t was given out last week toe
late for publication in this paper
that Lon McF arland, the patriot
put in charge of the Regular
headquarters in the Maxwell
House, under Senator Welch and
Representative Todd as Guardi'
an and Vice Guardian, had as
sumed the role of mouthpiece
for his crowd of whiskeyites,
graft supporters and State cred.
it destroyers, and pledged his
faction as being anxious to ad.
just the States finances. Mr..
Mcfarland. after expressing the
hope that the funding board,
while in New York, might be
able to do something toward
Placing Tennessee back on a
firm financial footing" said:
If the bonds are not in proper
shape. the Democratic party is
willing and anxious to assemble
at the capitol at any time to do
our share in getting them in mar
ketable shape. We feel that
the finances of the state have
been impaired and endangered,
a condition which has never fac.
ed our people since the war.
The honor of the state is in
question and the prestige of
Tennessee is in peril, therefore
it is necessary that the leaders
of the state bestir themselves.
Where the responsibility for the
present condition Of affairs rests,
the people will decide. The leg
islature is generally taken to
represent the will of the people,
and if the board sees that these
bonds cannot be sold in their
present condition, it will remain
for this body to rec that proper
steps are token to put the bonds
in the proper condition."
Not being able to keep parti-
san politics out of the interview,
Mr.. Mcfarland did not tell why
his crowd Of "trooly loil" Demo.
Gratis built up list of appropri-
atlons more than a million dol.
lars in excess of the States
ability to pay, but he did say:
IF the bonds are already in
proper shape, then it follows
that their failure to sell lies in
the fact that the state is torn IN.
to AZ political tatters and that
the turmoil and unrest makes it
unsafe for bond buying houses to
Invest in this collateral. This
condition, it is recognized, is re.
sultant from the defendant from
the demand that the minority
shall rule or ruin, and to this
end quorums have been, during
the past two sessions of the leg.
islature, ruthlessly broken by
the abscondence of fusion legis-
| lators.
THE state does not now pay
it's employees, and the fusion
leaders in their protestations
that their men shall not return
to the legislature and assist in
| the, transaction Of business vital
Ily necessary to the welfare of
Tennessee create the impression
that the state may fail to pay its
employees the next two years.
| We ask how can bond buyers
feel justified in investing in
bonds issued by q state which
refuaes to pay the salaries Of its
employes2"
The Honorable Lonnie might
have told. while he was erupting,
that there was ample opportuni.
ty to constitutionally pass the
appropriation bill but at that
juncture the master spirit of the
loyal-to-liquor crowd, whistled
and snapped his fingers and
enough Of the fdos followed him
out Of the House to break a con-
stitutional quorum, which action
brought on whatever predica-
ment may eyiat in connection
with the States obligations. 1t
lis needless to name John Isaac
Cox as the man--as it was a
waste Of breath he will need la.
tier TO deny it.