Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1915-01-21
DISTURBED CONDITIONS


! 1t is not necessary that shall cal
attention to the fact that for the pas
few years our politics have so disturb
ed and divided our people that W.
have been unable to have the benefi
! of wise and beneficial legislation
along lines looking to the materia
welfare and advancement of the state
l do not refer to this by way of criti
cism, but merely to emphasize the fac
that during this revolutionary periot
of our states orderly and constitution
al government was impossible and the
result seems to have been that the
states interest was sacrificed on the
affairs of selfishness for political and
factional advantage at cost of the
states progress and to the neglect OF
her best interests.
Our state is burdened with an in.
debtedness which has been but slightly
reduced during all these years, while
the expenses of government have in
creased enormously.
/ We enter upon the important and
exacting duties of a new year and a
new administration with an empty
treasury in the midst of great bust
ness depression by what seems to be
a needless and bloody war in the old
world.
Our system of tax assessment and
collection renders unequal the burden
of taxation, and our revenue is wholly
inadequate to meet the increased de-
mands of the government.
1
SOME NEEDED REFORMS.
! The system of control and manage
ment of our charitable and penal in
stitutions is not in keeping with the
i progress of the times, is unbusiness-
like in many respects and wasteful Of
! the public fund. Our public school
system receives one-third of the gross
revenues of the state, and still the ed
ucational advantages which should ac-
crue to our children have not yet come
, to them. Especially is this true of the
children who must depend upon the
rural schools. The laws governing the
expenditure of the school funds should
be carefully revised and the system i'm
proved so that every child in Tennes-
see shall ap the full benefits of this
vast expenditure of money. The home
and the school are the two great for
ces behind real manhood and woman
hood. We have sufficient school SEN
timent and enthusiasm to meet the de-
mands ofhthe hour. What we want now
is school houses and school teachers
with sufficient time to do the work nee
essary for the benefit of the children
to the end that money set apart for
pubic education shall be made to yield
the maximum of public good.
1t is my desire that sound business
principles in the administration of
public affairs shall be the rule of ac-
tion. Those who serve the government
must limit expenditures to the actual
ministered The people have the right
to expect this of their servants, and
the servants should respect this right.
In the discharge of official duty shall
earnestly seek to promote the cause or
education, stimulate agriculture and
help to build better highways. hope
some system of highway building can
be inaugurated so as to insure good
roads for Tennessee and the agricul-
tural interests of the state so stimulat-
ed and improved as to induce young
men to go back to the farm and remain
on the farm, not to engage in agricul-
ture, but to become real farmers; to
study the soil so as to get acquainted
with it. learn to love it, look upon it
as faithful and unselfish friend eager
and anxious to yield food and raiment
for the effort and energy expended up
on it, not to treat 1t as a slave COM
PEELED to yield rich harvests for the
greed and qualification of man who
entertains no thought Of giving back
to it anything in return for the bless
ings it bestows If | can contribute
anything towards bringing about con-
ditions during my administration
shall be gratified indeed and feel that
some good has come to the state.
1t is my desire and shall be my pur
pose to deal literally with the old
soldier and the dependent
wards Of the state. The old soldiers
are entitled to something more and |
80 ething better than they have here
tofore received at the hands of a great
state like Tennessee.
| trust that before the end of my ad- |
we may see plans perfect
ed for the erection of a monument to
perpetuate the memory of the brav-
est, the purest the truest and the best
If all our citizenship-our Southern
l will, insofar as | can, lend en-
to every lawful, bene-
icial and progressive line of state ac-
ivity.
( ECONOMY IN EXPENDITURE.
With the aid and cooperation of the
reads Of different departments ct the
tate. shall endeaver to bring about
uch methods and plans OF administra-
ion as will tend to make certain that
very dollar of the peoples money
hall be honestly expended and faith
ully accounted for, and to this end
hall at some time in the near future
ubmit recommendation touching
uestions affecting the fiscal opera
ions of the state as well as matters
to the general welfare.
During the discussions preceding the
November election endeavored to