The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1919-08-15
FORMER STATE SENATOR HEARD
BY SPLENDID AUDIENCE OF
MAURY FARMERS.
REVEALS RANK EXTRAVAGANCE
Says Corporations Control Machine
That Controls Democratic Party in
Tennessee-ChaiIenees Governor to
Call Extra Session.
DAILY Herald, August 12.)

legislature passed new assessment
law as applied to farming lands, but
failed to pass proposed companion
law that would have applied to corpor
atiOns, former State Senator j. w. G.
Church, in an address at the Grand
| Opera house Monday afternoon chal
| lenged Governor Roberts to. call a
special session of the legislature tC
right the wrong. Senator Church de-
| nounced the railroads and other great
corporations in the state, char-.--
that they dominate the present politi
cal regime in Tennessee, and that the
farmers and common people must re.
volt to saveSthe state from macine
rule. Because of the autocracy Great
ed by the machine, said Senator
Church, the treasury is being depleted
by an army of pie-grabbers.
Members OF the legislature who vOt
ed to create rat jobs for themselves
were condemned as the worst lot OF
| pie-grabberS. Senator Church said
that the thirty-three senators had for.
ty-two women assistant engrossng
clerks, who were appointed as part
of the machines payment for it's con.
troll of the legislature. He said that
by their vote for a bill to give free
passes to the members Of the legsla-
ture they proved they were under con,
troll of the railroads
Senator Church charged that al
though the legislature abolished the
old equalization board which cost
about $4,000 or $4,000, it had trans
formed the state railroad commission
into an equalization board at cost
of more than $4,000, with permission
to use $4,000 more and also with pow
er to take whack at the $4,000
emergency fund, created by the appro-
priatiOn bill.
Violation of the state constitution
by members of the legislature who
had voted for high salaried positions
for themselves, was charged by the
former senator. He said that one
state senator had become statistician
for the board of equalization at a sal
airy of $4,000 a year, while another SEN
ator had become secretary of the state
highway commission, with a big sal
airy. In one annex of the capitol there
are five members of the last state SEN
ate, he said, holding jobs created by
their own votes.
Senator Church said that the state
railroad commission was a creature
of the~railroads, and is dominated by
the railroads. This board, he said, is
the channel through which the tax
payers must go to get to the courts
with their grievances.
The methods of the equalization
board in making assessments of farm
ing property were characterized as
the spinning of a web into which the
unsuspecting farmers are being drawn
by land inhaters and land traitors,
He appealed to the farmers to revolt
against the machine.
Senator Church declared that the
democratic party must be reconstruct
ed by its own members, that he was
not assaiing the democratic party or
any individual, but that he was pro-
testing against the corporation CON
trolled political machine that is now
controlling the democratic party in
Tennessee. He said that he had
been fighting for the peoples rights
for eighteen years, that the. people
are asleep and that it is time for the
regular democrats to quit voting for
man just because he is the nominee.
Zone of the henchmen of the cor
porations said that | was an old moss
back, that | didn't pay enough taxes
and that before they get through with
me they will give me unshirted h."
said Senator Church, "but before /
get through with them they will be
believing like weaned calf"
The former senator made frequent
references to the great corporations.
charging that they seek to throw the
burdens of the government on the
farmers. He said that the pie-grab-
bers had more than 100000 to spend
and that was the reason tina the
equalization board was sending
bunch of agents into Maury county to
assess property here. These agents,
he said. stay at the Bethel House at
the expense of the people They
would not accept the valuation of
farming land given under oath by
land owners in this county, but are
working here and at Mt Pleasant. he