The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1914-04-30
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

ways. and Tennessee can have prac.
dcal working system II she so desires
Few greater problems are before the
people OF the state than to bring about
condition that will improve the rural COM
munities. Our great decrease in popula-
ton and wealth is in rural popula ton and
farm, wealth. Tenancy in this state Is
growing at an alarming rate. Thirty
years ago, out of every 100 farmers Sc
owned their own farms and "a did not
NOW 40 own their farms and 81 are ten
ants. Besides, the number of producers
is declining and the number of consum-
ers relatively increasing. This to some
extent accounts for the increased cost of
living
Tennessee should have a system Of
rural credits, plan by which the farmer
with small means can obtain money for
long period of time at a 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
this state.
Our tax laws can be classed as the most
vicious. indefensble and Anticipated of
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 SUI
perintendent of public instruction shows
that there were over 900 school chill
dren in Tennessee that never entered a
schoolroom in 1912. Is this not crime
which demands the thoughtful attention
of everyone? Tennessee has been a state
for 11S years. We have boosted of our
chivalry. our patriotism, and sometimes
of our education, vet nine men out Of
every 100 can neither read ror write
than ytyhi an, in, aa
can not mark their ballot or read it after
someone else has marked It,
We have been niggardly in the extreme
in the pay Of our nublic school teachers.
The average annual salary of a public
school teacher in the little state of Ne
vada is $500; in Tennessee a little more
than $3OO
Our sanitary laws and our pure fond
and drug act should not on1v be rigidly
enforced. but further extended.
| believe we should have a workman's
compensation act, rescue station for
mine employees. &c we'll as other legisla-
tiGn for the benefit of the working class.
The state should continue to he as -
eral &c 1t 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. Tw elve senators can
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
continuation of what we have had in the
past will bring about anarchy and revo-
luton. Since when did it become a crime
for minority to submit to a majority :?
The minority always has the right of ap-
peal to the people. For three successive
legislatures we have had a 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 trafticked and jug
gled with legislatures. Under such condi-
tons public business always suffers. If
the legislature of 1911 had provided for
the refunding of our nearly $12000,0 600 Of
state bonds 1t could have been done ac-
cording to the records, at less than per
cent. Scant consideration was given this.
The conditions of the bond market
changed. bonds could not be sold at an
advantageous figure. The extra interest
because of this inexcusable neglect may
cost the people of Tennessee between two
and three million dollars Just nine days
before the maturity of this vast sum was
authority given the funding board to is
sue short time notes, which were sold at
approximately per cent, the highest rate
of interest probably that has ever been
paid by sovereign state in the last
quarter of a century. This extra interest
more than 5000 900 in twelve months, and
is as much a loss to the people as if that
amount of actual cash had been consumed
in a bonfire. Wall street houses were
paid commission of more than s140, 900,
far beyond the customary charge for such
matters The debt is not yet refunded.
Short time notes are likely to be again
sold in July. but it should be borne in
mind that the funding board is in no
way to blame. They have done all they
could under the circumstances. But for
the breaking up of the 1911 legislature
provision for refunding this debt would
doubtless have been made, as anv pru-
dent institution would have provided for
debt of this magnitude long before ma
turity.
Fire Marshal Graft.
One of the first acts of the 1918 legisla-
ture was to separate the office of inSur-
ance commissioner from the treasurer's
office, giving the governor power to ap-
point d commissioner, assistants, ETC.
Under him nine members of the legisla
tufe served as fire marshals, relatives of
a number of others were appointed. These
nine were among those who were in exile
in Kentucky and began drawing their sal
aries soon after their return. The very
man who introduced the bill was later
made a fire marshal. The chief fire mar
shall of the state cast the deciding vote
in the senate which prevented the further
exposing of the back tax scandal. The
back tax crowd reciprocated by saving
the fire marshal graft.
Do the people indorse such political
jugglery? Will they stand and see their
rights bartered and traded for political
advantage? Will they continue to ac-
auiesce in political deals, or will they take
matters in their own hands?
There can be no peace and good gov
eminent in Tennessee until the Demo-
cratic party is restored to power, and If
there was ever an incentive for the Dem
ocrats of Tennessee to fall in line with
the national administration, that time is
now.
wilson's administration is without
parallel Not in the same length-of time
has any administration fathered so many
far-reaching. constructive and beneficial
measures. The president is keenly alive
to the situation in Tennessee, says he
knows political conditions here, and be-
lieves that the question which caused the
split in the Democratic party has now
been settled. If Tennessee continue to 90
Republican in state affairs how long will
it be before it becomes Republican in
national affairs?
Some hold the view that the delegates
to the convention of May 26 and 27 should
go uninstructed, both as to platform and
candidate. Could not a much fairer ex-
80 tha u,il1 ~ he