The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-07-13

| Chairman Of the Finance Committee of
the National Congressional Committee
! had entered into a contract with Mr.
| Conner and Mr.. Hudiburg, agreeing to
pay them twenty-five per cent Of all
sums collected by them for the cam
! paign of 1916. He showed that he had
nothing to do with the making of this
contract, and that when he became
Chairman of the Finance Committee
he simply carried out the contract
| which another man had made, and
that when reflections had been sought
to be cast upon him and his committee
| by personal enemy, ne had demanded
an investigation at the hands Of the
Republican members of Congress,
which investigation was made, and in
which he was completely exonerated
tfrom any blame, and he then showed
that the Republican members of the
present Congress had unanimously re-
elected him Chairman of the Finance
Committee, Of the National Congress
sional Committee. Mr.. Austin then
said that Taylor's false charge with
reference to the collection of said
campaign fund was an insult and a re-
! Election upon the state Republican
membership of the present Congress,
and he charged that Taylor's use of
such falsehood was made for the pur-
pose Of diFerting attention from his
own mismanagement Of campaign
fund in 1916, in which campaign he
(Taylor) as Chairman of the State Re-
publican Executive Committee had
handled over $65,O00, and had in
creased the Democratic majority in
Tennessee from 10000 to $4,000 Mr..
Austin then took up Taylors charge
that he was nonresident of the dis
trict and paid no taxes. He showed
from the records that he had been
voting in Tennessee before Taylor was
born, and had voted in every election
since that time. He also showed that
he was taxpayer, had paid taxes last
year to the amount of 1859, and then
exhibited J. Will Taylor's sworn tax
schedule filed with the tax assessor
for Campbell County for the year 1917.
This schedule is in Mr. Taylor's own
handwriting and signed and sworn to
| by him. In this schedule, in which he
swore that he had listed and turned in
| for taxation all of his property, Mr..
Taylor swore that he DID NOT HAVE
| ONE DOLLAR ON DEPOSIT IN ANY
BANK, and he made this sworn state
ment shortly after he had showed to
a number of reputable men in the city
of Knoxville different deposit certifi-
Gates on Knoxville bank and on
LaFollette bank amounting to 5000.
The speaker then drew Taylor's signed
published announcement as a candi-
date, in which he said: II have bare
ly sufficient funds to meet the legiti-
mate expense of the campaign, and
have not received, and neither do |
expect, contributions from outside
sources" Austin then charged that
Taylor has never made an income tax
return to the Federal Government, and
charged that II he had earned any suchs
sum as $4,000, and he had obeyed the
law, he should have made such re-
turn. The speaker then said that mas
much as Taylor had charged that he
(Austin) was poor man, therefore he
ought to be defeated, the big question
of this campaign is, where did you
get that $4,000, Mr.. Taylor?" The
answer is evident. There is but one
source from which you could have got
ten 1t. AS CHAIRMAN OF THE
STATE REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE,
IN THE CAMPAIGN OF 1916, YOU
HANDLED AND YOUR COMMITTEE
HANDLED $65, 900 AND, ACCORDING
TO YOUR OWN STATEMENT, YOU
HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS
MONEY FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES.
You say you have barely enough money
to pay the expenses of your campaign.
You have no income tax return, and
you sWore you had no money on de-
post in the bank, and all this in the
teeth of the fact that you had this $685.
600 on time deposit in the bank
He then showed that Mr.. Taylor had
stated that over his own signature,
with respect to the campaign fund of
1916, that cas- matter of fact the
entire amount handled by the State |
Committee during the 1915 state cam
paign amounted to only $4,000, and |
every cent of that amount was col
lected and distributed by the Score
tary of the Committee, A. " McLane,
of Lewisburg, Tennessee" Mr.. Austin
then showed that the RECORDS OF
THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE
SHOWED THAT $4,000 WAS SENT
DIRECT TO ]. WILL TAYLOR.
These facts created a sensation in
view of Mr.. Taylors statements that
he has barely enough money to pay
the expenses of his campaign; that
he had received no money from out
side sources; that he swore he had no
money on deposit in any bank when he
returned his property taxation. Those
acquainted with him say that he has
earned no such sum of money; yet he
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