The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1920-10-15
The Taxes.

One or the most bitter and uncom-
promising campaigns ever made in
any State against any candidate for
Governor has been made against
Governor Roberts in Tennessee this
year. He has been accused of inn
morality. perjury, treason. and most
all the crimes in the calendar, but
with all that not a single specific
charge has been made and proven.
1t is always the case that with any
great change in fundamental law or
existing political conditions people
become dissatisfied with or actually
hostile to the governing powers.
1t is more often than otherwise a
case of Misunderstanding or distrust.
There is lurking suspicion that the
interests Of the people are in danger.
There is another feeling which hides
behind these things and that is self
iahness, and thereby hangs a tale"
A case illustrating the point, diff
ferent in character. was the forma-
tion of the present city of Washing
ton, d. c., said to be the most beauti-
full or one of the most beautiful cities
in the world. This was the result of
the aggressive fight made by Boss
Shepard, when Washington City was
a struggling settlements - muddy,
swampy, unsanitary and unsightly-
discredit as national capital.
Boss Shepard, as one of the Com
missioners of the District of Column
bia, led fight for civic resorm, in
volving a complete survey and re-
modelling of the city The streets
avenues were completely
changed, all radiating in convention
al lines from the capitol building.
and every street and avenue without
exception was overhauled to conform
to standard width and lined with
beautiful shade trees, with small
parks at intervals and circles paved
and parked and marked with monu-
ments. All this was the undertake
ing, monumental indeed, made by
Boss Shepard He succeeded in in
augerating the work, but the prop
erty owners, though adequately and
liberally compensated for their losses,
became so incensed that Shepard's
life as a citizen of the United States
was in danger and he became an ex-
lie to Mexico. There he remained
for twenty-five years. Those living
at that time, realizing the injustice
to Shepard, called him back and cell
ebrated his work and he was BAN
quoted and honored as a hero.
A case more to the point was that
of Governor Cox, of Ohio, who led the
fight for tax reform in that State.
The conditions there were not ma
terially different from those in Ten
nessee before Governor Roberts was
elected. Governor Cox readjusted
the assessment laws to a cash valra-
tion on the same. basis that was
adopted in Tennessee. The people
rebelled, and Ohio, being normally a
Republican State, Governor Cox was
defeated for a second term.
The Republican Governor then I'M
dertook to destroy the work Of Gov
ernor Cox, and before the first term
had expired the people of Ohio. see
ing the mistake they had made and
the injustice they had caused to Gov
ernor Cox, opened a general move
ment for the return of Governor Cox
to the State House. He became the
Democratic candidate again and was
overwhelmingly elected.
Thus the tax reform, tho belated,
was approved in the State of Ohio.
The same opposition that fought the
new tax laws in Ohio, is fighting the
Tennessee assessment, laws to-day.
1t is in the main Republican opposi-
ton, but there are those, no doubt,
who own large bodies OF land and
large holdings Of real estate who do