davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05
SPEAKER ANDERSON.

The speaker of the senate is one
af the oldest men in that body, but he
b also one of the most active and
alert where the interests of the state
a1e involved. He is always heard in
mTOtest against extravaganza. He
Goes not leave the chair often to
speak but when he does he generally
has something to say that is full of
good, common sense and that appeals
vita irresistible force to the thought
and judgment of the people. His ap-
peal for the enactment of the law en-
fDrcement measures was timely and
TO the point. He appreciates it, if
others do not, that the democratic
party is on trial in Tennessee and
must keep the faith with the people
or It will surely and certainly invite
their just wrath. But the venerable
speaker is at his best when attempts
are made to get gay with the peoples
money. 1t is then that he sounds the
alarm, one that the members would
do well to heed. Mr.. Anderson is go
ing to prove mighty bulwark of
safety for the Rye administration.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05
SMITH AT TOP
FOR PAST YEAR
ms DIVISION OF NATIONAL
LIFE WINS QUITE A DIS
TlNcTIoN.

Quite a distinction came to A. H.
Smith, superintendent of this diyi.
sion and his staff of co-workers. in
that during the past year they led
class A in increased business for the
National Life and Accident Compa-
ny of Nashville. This division in.
cludes four counties with Columbia
as headquarters and this is the first
time that Superintendent Smith has
led all other divisions in his class for
an entire year. In recognition of his
work and that of his assistants the
company has invited all of them to
banquet at Nashville on. FRIDAY
night at the expense of the company
Mr.. Smith states that while much
credit for this splendid showing is
due to his assistants local conditions
mad something to do with the result
IL shows that this section has pros
pered during the year.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05
INVITES OFFICERS TO
ATTEND MEETING
HoWsE WIRES MAYOR pEpMAN
TO BRING DELEGATION ii
NASHVILLE. N

Mayor J. M. Dedman this morning
received the following telegram from
II. =. Howse. mayor of Nashville
I earnestly request your presence
az the meeting of the Tennessee Ma.
nieipai League, which will meet at
the Hermitage Hotel here tomorrow
morning at ten o'clock. Please ~.
tend cordial invitation to yor
BOARD OF aldermen. the city attorney,
ana ex-mayors of the city of Coluin.
oia to attend the meeting. Wire me
If you and others will be present.
Mayor Dedman is very anxious that
several of the city fathers shall 20
with him to Nashville to attend the
meeting, which is always not onlr
very enjoyable, but also very profta.
Die. He has received the promise Of
Aldermen. Forgey. Parker and Akin,
and probably one or two others to 20
with him.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05
TAX COMMISSION.

Gov. Rye has appointed a high
class tax commission. The members
selected are successful business men
who know and appreciate the injus.
tice and inequalities of the present
system of assessment and taxation.
They should be able to devise some
means for improving our present
plan. That they will render the
state efficient service and do all that
they can to assist the legislature in
bringing order our of chaos In our
lax system of assessing and collect
ing revenues we have not the slight
est doubt Tn governor is to be con-
graduated UPON having found six
able and conscientious gentlemen
who are willing to serve in this
STAINLESS Lob
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05
WARDEN RlMMER
RESIGNS OFFICE
MAIN PRISON OFFICIAL SAYS
ASSOCIATIONS HAD BECOME
UNPLEASANT.
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Feb. 4-War
den thinner, Of the main prison
handed in his resignation to the board
or prison commissioners this morn.
ing. He claimed innocence and full
exculpation from the charges which
had been made against him, but he
said that his associations at the pris.
ON had become unpleasant.
Recently Rimmer was tried before
the board of prison commissioners
upon a charge Of having had Illicit
relations with Dollie Parker, one Of
the inmates of the prison. He was
exhonorated by vote of two to one,
commissioner Thomas B. johnson
alone voting to discharge him.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05
THE WHEAT EMBARGO.

/ Steady advance In the price o
wheat has again stirred some of oul
congressional patriots to renew tn.
suggestion on an embargo on ship
ments. It is doubtful If the congress
has the constitutional power to i'm
pose an embargo, but that considera
ton aside, there is little danger of a
serious attempt being made by con
gress to take such drastic action
The reason for the rise in the price
OF wheat is plain to the wayfaring
man. The demand has been unprec-
edented and the supply has been
short. 1t is hard for self important
statesmen to believe that there are
any laws, natural or divine that can
restrain their powers, but against the
old law of supply and demand con-
gressional action must beat in vain.
More than half of the producing
millions in Europe are engaged in
devastating war. Production in half
of the civilized countries of Europe
has stopped. The soldiers must be
fed; the people back at home must
be fed; the waste in war is enormous.
America is the one great producing
and exporting country of the world
with wheat to sell. Naturally buyers
are coming to this country after our
wheat, the greater the demand the
higher the price. Complaint is made
that farmers have contributed to the
high prices by holding their wheat; ,,
they have refused to sell, but have
been waiting for better prices. I'm.
fortunately that is true only in part |
1t is pity that more farmers did not
hold heir grain for the increased |
prices. A few in Maury county did.
but the number in proportion is not
1t is equally true that high wheat
makes -four costly. Bread will be
scarce and harder to get. That will
impose some hardship upon many
people. But there is another side ia
The question. High prices for agri-
cultural products have always gone
hand in hand with general prosperity
When, as was the case in the early
lineties of the last century, mules
sold at $50; horses were hardly sale
lble at any price; corn was worth
quarter, wheat forty-fve cents and
'ther commodities in proportion.
'aunt famine stalked through many
Industrial centers; dinner pals were ,
mpty, business was paralyzed and
was merely a dream. Be-
ween 1900 and 1907 this country en-
Dyed probably its greatest period of
dinner pals were once
lore full, there was more work than '
here were laborers to do it and BUSH a
ess in all lines fiourished. During
nat time the prices of all farm pro- Il
ncts and commodities steadily in. a
reased. It is fact that our expert (,
nee proves. that when the purchas-
g power Of the dollar Is great It is
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05
NEWSPAPER ETHICS UPHELD.

! NEWSPAPER ETHICS UPHELD.
The Supreme court Of the Unite'
i States has ruled that newspaper
have the right to decline to give tn
source from which they derive In
, formation on which news articles ar
based.
The decision was made in the cas-
of certain staff men of the New Yorl
Tribune who went to jail for con
tempt of court because they had the
hardihood to keep their word.
In this instance, certain customs
frauds had been exposed by the Tri
bune. Federal officers, unable to
prove that these frauds had been
committed, brought the more alert
members of the Fourth Estate into
ocurt and attempted to force them
to divulge secrets which they had
obtained in confidence.
The Judge, no doubt o prosecutor,
las many judges are, ordered the
scribes to the bastile. The environ
ment wasn't pleasing, and a legal
fight was made. Finally the highest
court of the land ruled that the low
er court had erred.
Had the Supreme court ruled
otherwise than it did, there would
have been but little ethics left to
journalism.
Lawyers and doctors and ministers
could have continued to maintain a
high standard of honor, but the news
paper man would have been at the
mercy Of every legal inquiistor. Amy
little secret that he might have pos
sessed, involving another in a Grim
inal act, could have been forced from
him by the stomach pump of the law.
The result would have been disas-
trous to the gathering Of news. The
whole news gathering game is bas-
ed in the honor of the man who is
entrusted with the task of finding
out what is going on in the world.
How many live articles that would
benefit the public if printed would
never see daylight if an energetic
Exporter knew that in order to save
himself from languishing existence
n prison he must betray the friend
Who had tipped him Off"
Should the priest be forced to be-
ray the secrets of the confession
i? Should the lawyer be made to
eveal the admission of his clients?
Should the physician be compelled
o publicly state the nature of the
ilments Of his patients?
Certainly not.
Nor should the newspaper profes-
ion be robbed of the right to have
standard OF ethics Of it's own
)ecaturs Daily.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05
TAX ASSESSMENTS.

The farcial manner In which the
law requiring property to be assess
ed at its actual cash value is enforc
ed in Tennessee is shown by a com
parison of the assessments of farm
acreage property last year with the
assessment upon the same property
nearly half century ago. For ex.
ample the acreage property of Ten.
nessee, was assessed in 1879 at an av.
erage of $3.50 an acre. Last year the
average assessment in the state was
1854 an acre. In this time the real
value of acreage property in Tennes-
see has risen by leaps and bounds. It
is probably worth more than twice
what it was in 1879.
II the acreage property in the four
counties of the state, where it is CIV
en- added value because of the posi-
bility of development for urban pur-
poses were eliminated there would
be only a slight increase in the aver
age assessment. For example Da-
wilson county farm property has
doubled in assessable value during
the period mentioned having risen in
value from $21 an acre to $42.9S. But
this property is not properly to be re-
garded as being upon farming basis
since its proximity to Nashville gives
it value out of proportion to its
worth merely for agricultural pur-
poses.
Maury county lands were assessed
in 1879 at an average of $14.61 an
acre. Last year they were assessed
at an average of $1S.04, an increase
of less that $3.50 per acre or about
twenty per cent. Probably farm |
lands in the county during that pc
riod have doubled. To show that real
value has no relation to assessable
values it is only necessary to cite the
upon acreage property in
this county in 1896 during a period of
world wide depression, when every
product of the farm reached it's low
est level and when business condi-
tons were probably worse than have
ever been known in this nation. In
that year the farming property of
Maury county was assessed at an av-
erge of $1413 an acre or within less
than four dollars an acre of the pres
ent assessment Since 1896 we be-
ieve that every farmer in Maury
county will agree that lands in this
county have largely more than doub-
ed in marketable value. =
However, Maury county has simply |
'een taken as an example. Other
ounties show the same condition.
FOR example Williamson county
which many insist has a larger pro- r
of fine farming lands within .
Is borders than Maury, is assessed :
t an average valuation OF only 1889 !,
n acre. In 1896, during the period :
depression and hard times, lands !
! that county we're assessed on an b
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05
TIE CUSTER LAW.

Gov. Rye's prompt approval of the
custer law, passed in its original form
and containing all of its vital fea.
lures, is most reassuring. We deep
ly regret the governors decision to
stand for amendments that would
have made the law less effective, but
he Is to be commended for yielding
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05

W luo luukmGut VI Inb mhJOElty y
, the legislature. This measure shoult
make easy the removal of officials
, who defy the law, who win not d.
their duty or observe their oaths.
is an emphatic and most gratifying
redemption of the democratic party'I
pledge to the people to stand for rea
enforcement of the temperance laws
Under the custer law the attorney
general of the district or the attorney
general of the state, or ten citizens
freeholders, may file complaint in the
courts against delinquent officials.
The courts have power to remove
the officials against whom proceed
ings are brought. The officer who is
earnest and faithful in the discharge
of his duties will have nothing to
fear from the law. 1t is true that
1t may be abused, just as all laws
are subjected to abuse, but the off,
cial who can establish a good record
is certain Of vindication in the courts
of the state.
We do not expect, even with the
most drastic law, that it will be pos
sible to absolutely prevent the sale
of intoxicating liquors, but we are
convinced that the prohibition laws
can be as effectively enforced as are
the other laws of the state. That
has been proven in this county. Prob
ably the prohibition law is better en-
forced in Maury county than other
statutes. Where the |
officials charged with the duty of |
executing law are determined, ag-
and courageous the laws
will be measurably we'll enforced,
even in the absense of a sustaining
public sentiment. Once the people
are educated to the necessity of exc
cutting the laws we will have little
trouble with the faithless official, he
will not be tolerated.
1t begins to look like we have
reached the end of the long and hard
md trying hght in Tennessee for
aw enforcement. 1t has been a bit.
er and unpleasant struggle but in
he end it will be worth all that it
las cost. The most notable and
tightly gratifying feature of the
splendid achievement is that all. poll.
ical organizations are now commit
ed to the cause In Tennessee. Demo
rats, independents and republicans
IL joined in the movement to vindi.
ate the law Our faith that the
ause of law enforcement would best
q served by committing all parties
o 1t and by restoration of the
ominant party to control In Tennes-
ee has been justified.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05
KEEPING PLEDGES.

Members Of the house of represen
fatives who voted to pass the Elkini
custer law just as it came from the
senate have shown high regard fol
their platform pledges and keen ap
preciation of their obligation to the
people of Tennessee While The Her
aid does not agree that the proposed
amendment, advocated by the delega.
Aions from the law defying cities and
governor, was the vital principle OF
the measure, 1t does believe that to
have eliminated this provision would
nave materially weakened the means
given the people to force their delin-
sauent officials out of office. The Of
mcial who persistently and openly de-
les the law and proves himself a
Rerjurer should be kicked unceremo-
miously out Of Office and the methods
for obtaining that result should be
easy and speedy. Officials of this
character are entitled to no consider
alton. they are the very worse type OF
saarchists.
The most gratifying feature of the
vote in the house Is the fact that the
@nembers refused to yield their con-
victions and forget their obligations
10 the state upon the specious plea
that they must stand by the COVER
nor. Mr. Rye Is entitled to the ear
nest and cordial support Of the legis-
aators in his every endeavor to ad-
vance the best interests of the state,
when he is right and when his course
does not run counter to their sense of
duty. But when he steps into the
breach and becomes the ally of
Crump and Howse and the delega-
tions from the cities controlled by
law defying bosses he can claim no
consideration from the members.
The very fact that the proposed
amendment to the custer law was
supported by the Shelby and David
son and Hamilton county delegations
was of itself sufficient to excite the |
suspicion of members who really de- |
sire genuine enforcement of the law
The support of these delegations |
should be warning to the country
representatives that there is a mig
GER in the woodpile."
The Elkins custer law is a splendid
measure. 1t redeems the pledges of
Both the democratic and republican
parties to end the reign of lawless-
ness in Tennessee. 1t is to- be regret
ted that the weakening amendment
was saved only by the solid support
of the minority in the legislature, for
hereafter the democratic party must
divide the responsibility and honor
for this legislation with Its political
opponents. However, law enforce.
ment should never be q party ques-
ton. 1t is unfortunate that Gov. Rye
should have even temporarily become ;
the champion of the Crump and
Howse delegations, but we live in the
hope that the governor will profit by !
his experience this time and will not {
repeat the offense.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05
UPWARD TREND
OF SUGAR PRICE

AS if in sympathy with -four and
wheat sugar has started once more
an upward tendency in price. From
s5.5O per hundred on the local market
1t has advanced this week to $50
and a further advance is expected be.
fore the week is over.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05

average Of 1926 an acre. Although
probably Williamson county farm
; will bring on an average three time
} as much today as they would havt
sold for in 1896, the assessment il
J. less than ten per cent higher than i
was that year. Giles, another one O
, the famed Middle Tennessee blue
grass counties shows the same state
of facts. In 1895 the lands of thai
county were assessed at an average
of 1857 for taxation; today they are
assessed at an average of $11.46. II
would be difficult with any one famil.
lar with the lands of the three coun.
ties to explain such marked dispar.
ity in their assessable values.
Maury county's lands are properly
assessed at higher rate per acre
than the lands of any purely agricul-
tural county of Middle Tennessee,
but we are unable to see any valid
reason why they should be fifty per
| cent higher than the lands of VIII
, liams or almost double the assess
ment of the lands of Giles county.
Smith, a county away up on the Cum
berland river, with only a short
branch of railroad to reach it, denied
many of the advantages enjoyed by
Williamson and Giles counties,
comes next in, the taxbale lists to
~Maury county. The lands of that
county are assessed on the average
OF $3.50 per acre. In 1879 they
were assessed at $12.39. 1t would be
impossible for any one to give any
sort of valid reason why Smith |
county lands should be assessed on
an average of SIS an acre more than
are the lands of far famed Sumner
county, and yet the records show this
to be the case.
For purely agricultural purposes
only two counties in Tennessee are
assessed at a higher rate per acre
than Maury county and they are both
in West Tennessee. Lake, one of
the smallest and youngest Of the
counties, heads the list with an aver
age assessment of $2064, while OBJ
ion comes next with an average as
sessment Of 1885. Evidently the
assessors in Lake county have had
some regard for changing conditions
for the records show that the lands |
Of that county In 1879 were assessed
On an average Of $7.57 an acre, or c
one-third of the present valuation.
United States census statistics tell {
Is hat during the forty-five years {
between 1868 and 1914 the farm lands /
" Tennessee largely more than t
doubled in value, but one turns In d
'ain to the reports OF our taxable s
wealth for any vertihcation of this
statement. For example in 1868 the
lcreage property of the state was as.
essed at $179,124,0O0. Last year the
otal was $224,154, 900. an increase of
35,000,000. This is approximately
wenty per cent. During that period
th total taxable wealth of the state
increased from $2OS,O54O to $780, II
81 900. In other words the total y
alue of all property has increased =
so per cent while acreage property .
vsa advancing only twenty per cent. 8
These figures show that our entire
ystem of assessing property needs =
eivsion. Some counties, like Maury, =
lille assessed at far less than the o
Nv demands, are paying much more 81
nan their proportionate part of the -
expenses necessary to run the state o.
overnment We not only fail to =
xecute our law but our system is u
rossly unjust and unfair. u
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-02-05

sss.srls. Ter n. s...,s.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-21

The Uinted States has protested to Great Britain against interference with parcel post shipments between this country and Sweden.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-21

XMAS HOPING AND WREATHs OF
 LAUREL
 JOHN RECk 6 SON
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-21
PARDONs MANY KOREANS

Seoul Korea, Dec. 21-The special coronation amnesty proclaimed by Emperor Yoshihito, has caused con siderable rejoicing in Korea especially among the relatives and friends of convicted people of whom 10000 ben eft by the amnesty. In the Seoul prison alone, which contains only me Ie prisoners. 1 ,466 out of the total of 1,576 were either pardoned or had their sentences commuted.
Evening journal., 1915-10-05
DEMOCRATIC WARD MEETINGS.

James Salisbury. chairman of the
Democratic City Committee, has is
sued a call for ward meetings to be
held in conformity with the rules Of
the party. These meetings must be
held on or before October %. for the
purpose OF electing ward chairmen.
vice-chairmen, secretaries and dis
trict committeeman,
Harry T. Graham. vice-chairman Of
the Democratic County Executive
Committee. has issued a call for an
election in each representative district
in the county. outside of Wilmington.
on Saturday. October 30. from 4 to Z
p. m. TO elect one member from each
district TO the County Executive Com
mittee for the next two years.
Meetings for the election OF repre-
sentative district committees OF not
less than three members will be held
on October 2S and II a member Of the
county committee is unanimously
chosen az that time no election on the
following Saturday will be held.
The City Executive Committee will
select one member from each repre-
sentative district In the city to the
County Executive Committee.
Evening journal., 1915-10-05
DR.. WAGNER ADDRESSES
west chester Teachers

Or. Charles A. Wagner, State COM
missioner OF education. and DR.. r.
l. Cross. the rural superintendent OF
New Castle county schools, attended a
meeting OF rural school teachers In
West Chester on Saturday. DR..
Wagner, in addressing the teachers.
said
This meeting is going TO prove the
most profitable one of the year for
you teachers. II Is going to mean
more TO you. even, than your annual
Institute" he continued. Institute is
a fine thing, a helpful thing. but there
you hear men and women tell you
how 10 do all sorts of things. and you
think, oh, yet, but do not have the
equipment they describe. or l nave
not the grade in which those thinga
can be carried out or the kind of n
school house Today you have heard
teachers situated Just as you are.
teaching in just the same one-roomed
country school houses, tell how they
have done the things that have count
ed. What they have done you can do
and after hearing them tell how they
have succeeded il will be impossible
for you 10 go on in the same rut you
have been travelling in You cannot
help being inspired and going home to
do better and more aggressive work"