The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-09-01
THE QUESTION AT ISSUE.

of Tennessee has practically aban-
doned every other contention except
It's inststence that I'VE" are not
ready for the change. The time is
not ripei In all OF its essential pro-
visions. the present constitution is
IS years old. To make this matter
clear. 1t is only necessary to explain
that the constitution which was
adopted In 1884 continued in force
until just after the Civil w. when
1t was remodeled by the Brownlow
regime. The democrats. on returning
to power. eliminated the changes In
the Brownlow draft and restored, in
the main. the old form. This gave
us the constitution of 1870.
When the main outlines OF the
present constitution were drafted in
1884, the population of the state was
probably less than one nth of what
1t is now. There was not a mile of
steam railroad in the state. There
were no city transportation systems
for the very good reason that there
were no cities. The telegraph and
telephone had not been thought OF
seriously. The alrplane, the auto
mobile. the motor truck and the
tractor were, of course, hidden in the
dim distant future. The modern grain
reaper was unknown. What estimate
should we place upon the sanity of a
man who would argue with us now
that the mechanical appliances in use
in 1894 are good enough for us now?
The state has outgrown all of the
institutions which II found practlc-
able in 1884. All but its constitution.
1t has outgrown that except insofar
as the growth has been checked by
II. But that is a great deal. We
would not tolerate the OK cart or the
sled of 1884 now. We have even
substituted the automobile for the
horse drawn carriage. But men are
found who declare that the court
system, the legislative system, the
tax system of 1884 are good enough
for 1919! Our local governments are
still. in large measure. administered
from Nashville. If town wants to
build a schoolhouse or county wants
to build bridge. It must get per-
from Nashville.
If we tire Of such a cumbersome
system and cry out for
relief, we are admonished to keep
quiet that the present is not a suit
able time for changes. In the name
of all that is holy. when will be a
time? When will tomorrow
Other states on our borders
have revised their organic charts and
are passing us in the race. Still we
are advised to wait. Somebody is not
ready yet. Somebody is finding the
present order profitable. 1t is the
song of the same sort OF siren. the
listening to which Patrick Henry de-
clared was likely to transform us into
stone. When the time for action ar
rived, the great Virginia patriot was
readyi He wasn't worrying about
what others thought.
Discussing the situation a few days
ago, Judge r. M. Barton, a former |
lonored citizen of this community, |
made the following declaration. along |
with other observations:
"A new constitution for the state
will do more to promote it's progress
than any and everything else that
,an be done. We are operating under
4 constitution that is practically. in
Yearly all respects, over rs years old, |
md that limits legislative reforms in |
many directions. We are behind all |
other states in the Union. The state |
an never be put In proper financial |
without a revision of the |
AK system-whiCh cannot be done |
intil we have a new constitution. We |
IRE living under judicial system |
lat is more than 100 years old and |
'elongs to the age of the OK wagon !
transportation.
"A thoroughly revised judicial sys- |
en- could In one year save the peo- |
lie of the state FIVE times the cost |
# convention; would save the state, |
ounties and municipalities hundreds |
# thousands of dollars every year.
10 such revision will ever be had |
Until we have a constitutional con-
'ention."
There Is the truth in a nutshell. |
These vital reforms, in which so
many of us are interested, will not be
be-effectually accomplished
intil we have a constitutional con-
'ention. Every time the legislature
las attempted an important, clean
ut reform it has had its work pro-
unconstitutional by the
ourts! 1t doesn't require an old
itizen to recall numerous instances.
let every time an effort is made to
ct out of the slough Of despond, the
nystical reminder is repeated that
we" are not ready for a change!
We still have a bewildering con-
usion of courts, and we still go to
Nashville for direction as to how to
our local affairs. II the state
+ the county or the town falls be-
ind in its revenue requirements
hich is quite often-word is passed
ut to increase our precious ad va
prem taxes--either by raising the
ate or the valuation. We are great
u ad Valorem taXation-even to the
oubling Of taxation, in some in
tances. We are much concerned
yer the shadow while the substance
, getting away from us. We pay
o heed to modern methods of taxa
on-our constitution will not allow
s. If you think, as we do, that the
resent order might be improved you
ught to vote next Thursday for a
convention.
The mystery of the murder of