Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-05-07
HON. THOMAS R. PRESTON
FOR GOVERNOR OF TENNESSEE
Well Known Business Man Announces His Candi-
dacy In Formal Statement Setting Forth
Views On Many Leading Questions

Few greater problems are beloIe the
oeople Of the state than to bring about
condition that will improve the rural com
munities. Our great decrease in popuiH-
ton and wealth is in rural population anu
farm wealth Tenancy In inns st IHirtS
growing at an alarming rate. thirty
years ago, out of every 100 farmers hN
owned their own farms and 81 dlu not
Now 4s own their farms and 81 are ten
ants Besides, the number OF producers
is declining and the number or consuh-
srs relatively increasing. This TO soHs
extent accounts for the increased cost OF
living. -,
Tennessee should have a system OF
rural credits, a plan by which the farmer
with small means can obtain money ioF
4 long period OF time at low rate OF IN
terest. Under the present tax and other
laws of Tennessee these rural credit so
cieties to which congress is now giving
such earnest and careful attention can
not If enforced, successfully operate IN
our tax laws can be classed as the most
vicious. indefensible and antiquated or
any state in the Union, and no other
agency has caused Tennessee TO retro
grade more than our system of taxation.
which should be revised from start to fin
ish and the back-tax laws forever wiped
from the statute books of this state
Our public schools. while greatly i'm
proved are far from being what they
should be. A late report of the state su-
perintendent of public instruction shows
that there were over 100000 school chill
dren in Tennessee that never entered
schoolroom in 1912, Is this not crime
of everyone? Tennessee has been a state
for 11S years. We have boosted OF our
chivalry, our patriotism. and sometimes
every 100 can neither read nor write,
More than $4,000 white men In Tennessee
can not mark their ballot or read 1t after
someone else has marked 1t.
We have been niggardly In the extreme
in the pay of our public school teachers.
The average annual salary OF a pubic
school teacher in the little state of Ne
vada ls $500 in Tennessee a little more
than $500 ..-
Our sanitary laws and our pure food
and drug act should not only be rightly
enforced. but further extended
I believe we should have a wor kman's
compensation act, a rescue station for
mine employees. as well as other legisla
ton for the benefit OF the working class,
The state should continue to he as In
eral as II can afford in pensions TO the
confederate soldiers and their widows.
We have no more sacred duty than this,
Legislative Abscondence.
Laws should be passed to prevent legis-
lative abscondence. Twelve senators can
flee from their post of duty, which is
one eleventh OF the total number of both
houses. and render absolutely impotent
the III members, or ten -elevenths, who
remain. Why could not some corrupt in
terest in almost any legislature secure
the abscondence of twelve senator's? a
of what we have had in the
past will bring about anarchy and revo-
luton. Since when did 1t become crime
The minority always has the right of APP
peal to the people. For three successive
legislatures we have had quorum bro
ken by abscondence on account of some
phase of the election law.
We have too long seen petty politics
take precedence over everything else.
Political bosses have manipulated conven-
tons, primaries and elections, bartered
and traded in offices, trafficked and jug
sled with legislatures. Under such cond-
ions public business always suffers. II
he refunding of our nearly $4,000, 900 OF
state bonds 1t could have been done ac-
,ording to the records. at less than per
cent. Scant consideration was given this.
rhe conditions of the bond market
hanged. bonds could not be sold al
advantageous figure. The extra interest
because of this inexcusable neglect may
,ost the people Of Tennessee between two
md three million dollars. Just nine days
before the maturity of this vast sum was
given the funding board to is
approximately per cent. the highest rata
# interest probably that has ever been
oaid by sovereign state In the last
quarter Of a century. This extra interest
more than 100000 in twelve months, and
S as much loss to the people as If thai
mount Of actual cash had been consumed
n a bonfire. Wall street houses wers
'aid commission of more than $4,000
ar beyond the customary charge for such
matters: The debt is not yet refunded
old in July, but II should be borne In
mind that the funding board Is in No
way to blame: They have done all they
ould under the circumstances But for
he breaking up of the 1911 Legislature
rovision for refunding this debt would
doubtless have been made. as any pru-
lent institution would have provided for
debt of this magnitude long before ma
urity.
Fire Marshal Graft.
One of the first acts of the 1913 legisIa-
ure was to separate the office of insur-
nee commissioner from the treasurers
flee, giving the governor power to ap-
oint commissioner. assistants, etc.
ure served as fire marshals, relatives of
number of others were appointed. These
inc were among those who were in exile
n Kentucky and began drawing their sal
ries soon after their return. The very
9an who introduced the hill was later
1ade a fire marshal. The chief fire mar
hal of the state cast the deciding vote
4 the senate which prevented the further
Xposing OF the back tax scandal The
ack tax crowd reciprocated by saving
he fire marshal graft.
Do the people indorse such political
lgglery? win they stand and see their
lights bartered and traded for political
dvantage? Win they continue to ac-
uiesce in political deals, or will they taks
There can be no peace and good gov
rnment in Tennessee until the Demo-
rate party IS restored to power, and IL
mere was ever an incentive for the Dem
Gratis of Tennessee to fall in line with
he national administration, that time is
ow.
Wilson'S administration is without
aralleL Not in the same length of time
as any administration fathered so many
preaching. constructive and beneficial
leasures. The president Is keenly alive
the situation in Tennessee, says lie
nows political conditions here, and be
ewes that the question which caused the
)lt in the Democratic party has now
cen settled. If Tennessee continue to go
epublican in state affairs, how long will
be before. it becomes Republican in
Some hold the view that the delegates
the convention of May 26 and II should
, unrestricted, both as to platform and
inddate. Could not a much falrer ex-
-ession of the will of the people be had
the various counties when the dele
ltes are selected, rather than await
leir assembling in Nashville? If polit-
al bosses have traded in delegates in
lie past, why can they not do so again
Id the candidate nominated under such
'ndltions could properly be termed the
Machine nominee" Would not II be the
,tter plan for each county to express
emselves when the delegates are Sc
cted, and send men who will carry out
eli instructions in good faith?
The actions OF the May convention
ould come as fresh from the people a
Is possible for convention TO make
EN- Why not let the rank and file OF
emocrats, the men who will do the vot-
& that win elect the nominee in Novem-
r, dictate the platform and nominee by
their delegates when they are