Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1920-05-13

} SHOWS that this act was Mt legal
, passed by either house o. the ganrr
| al assembly. The 2ou,; lin ION pro
vides that all laws apprcpr;a.in,
public money must be passed by {
record vote, and the senate ant
House Journals show trat this hi
passed both houses without (. rhl
call
This law being void, avery dollar
of stenographer salary paid out un
der its provision was Illegally used
hence should, and I insist r,ust lie
returned to the state treasury. 9TH
er laws provide that thu comptroller
is responsible for all money I'M
properly paid out, but certainly the
Governor cannot afford 10 allow that
official to refund thl2 stenL gra phe +
salary, because Judge Roberts en-
joyed her services. H)4cvur,, : do
not know which Horn of the dilemma
the Governor will take. He appears
to have a strong inclination for ste
nographers, employing two of them
when he became governor, at pub
! lie expense of $4,000 year. These
facts constrain me to propose that
the Governor be appointed professor
of stenography in Col Alvin York's
College when that institution of learn
ing opens its doors.
Other cases of open violation of
law are of record and may be refer
red to as the campaign progresses. It
is high time these practices were
stopped, and they will be stopped
when I become governor
Legislative PIunder
A recent decision of the supreme
preme court will make necessary an
agreement between the people and
candidates for the general assembly
as to the amount the latter will
charge for their services. The last
legislature voted to themselves $3.50
each in excess of the constitutional
pay of $4.00 per day. The comptrol-
ler refused to pay this $3.50, so suit
was brought and the court held the
grab to be legal, and ordered it paid
away went $19,S00 of public money.
The decree practically set out, how
ever, that the $3.50 was for expenses,
and not compensation. The latter
being fixed by the constitution, 1t will
be we'll for the people toe ascertain
just how much expense money each
would-be solon will demand, before
they allow him the opportunity to
dip his hands into the public treas
ury, for it follows as matter of
fact that if each member can thus
appropriate to his own use $3.50 for
expenses he can take $1,5OO. My ad-
vice to you is not to send any man
to the legislature who has the grab
bling idea; send only honest men,
those willing to- serve for the $40O a
day and mileage.
The "open Shop"
1t is not my purpose to discuss Or
ganized labor problems at length be
fore voters from the country and
towns, who are but little affected
and have slight interest therein.
But Gov. Roberts having come out
boldly for the "open shop" in an ada
dress to graduating class, few
words may be in order. The "open
shop" means that union and non
union workmen may be employed by |
any concern. The plan is unfair. 1t
means that non-union workmen seek
all the beefits of better wages and
better working conditions brought
about by the labor unions without
any of the responsibilities
md expenses of the union. Applied
% other organizations it means that
certain individuals conclude that the
or fraternal orders are a
rood thing and then demand that all
he benefits of membership be ex-
ended to them, outsiders who carry
zone of the burdens. Such an alb
urd proposition would not be con-
idered by any church or order, and
would be opposed by its members to
he utmost. No sensible person
would think of applying the open
hop" to the churches and lodges &
ecause of its manifest unfairness. &
hen why seek to apply the princi- Y
lie to the labor unions? t
Judge C. E. Snodgrass gives out '
n interview in which he endorses I
he Governors stand on the "open d
hop" question. This endorsement
ounds ridiculous when it is remem- d
cred that the Judge is member OF O
CLOSED shop" fraternity by decree 8
{ the constitution of Tennessee. 9
hat revered document expressly n
rovides that none but men learned C
| the law may be made judges. b
There are many other questions d
lat could be profitably discussed Il
nd considered but they cannot be Il
ought into the brief time at my p
sposal As the campaign prog O
'sses some of them will be dealt b
ith. c.
Right to criticise I
Some of the statements have N
ade will be fiercely assailed by par G.
sans of the state administration, G
me Of whom will deny the right to
iticise those officials whose public q