Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1920-07-23
COL. CRABTREE
SPEAKS IN DRESDEN
Court Room Well Filled With
Eager Listeners-Judge
Jones Introduces. =,

Arriving here one hour late from
Cottage Grove, Col. Crabtree, demo-
cratic candidate for governor, en-
tered Immediately into discussion
of the Roberts administration.
The Mac band had been engaged
and entertained the crowd pending
the arrival of the speaker. Extern
siye plans had been made for his re-
ception, but these were broken into
by the delay of arrival. Advertis-
ing had been sent out broadcast over
the county, and the court room was
filled, there being many in to hear
Mr.. Crabtree from the country.
The speaker was introduced by
Judge Jones, who occupied some 25
or 80 minutes time, the good judge
going into the road contract
in Carroll county, charging the
state highway commission with CIV
ing W. T. Murphy and Y. Y. Phillips
$4,000 for $5O-I that poor bust
ness ability had leen displayed in
this matter. -g Il
Col Crabtree prefac, G
marks by saying that he came 80
mainly because it is the home of his
friend, Judge Jones He had been
speaking frequently and that his
throat was sore and worn out. His
voice was poor and he spoke with
difficulty. From what we had heard
and read we expected Col. Crabtree
to read a document prepared by
some other person, but if he had a
manuscript he evidently forgot to-
produce it here.
He said the Roberts tax scale
slides upward for the farmer and
downward for public utilities, citing
just one case to substantiate his
statement; that under the law the
governor is given the authority to-
appoint the tax statistician and tax
appraisers and thus the power to.
raise the assessments Of his enemies
and lower those of his friends; that
the law is vicious and undemocratic;
that the law makes taxes burden
some on production; he criticised
the sending of troops to quell riots;
said that troops were sent to VIII
hanson county to prevent the mob
bling of two murders and that the
citizens that county were Inundated.
He said that Will House is not the
kind of man he would have on his
highway commission, because his
ideals are not the right kind. He
repeated his recent attack on the
highway commission for letting the
same contract twice in Carroll coun-
ty; that the whole scheme shows
lack of business methods but that
Will House is a "clever" fellow. He
charged that House let a contract to
his brother-in-law, L. A. Elliott at
a price Of $4,000 above the former
bid. This is the instance of
where the bonding company de-
clined to make bond for w. T.
Murphy and Y. Y. Phillips, Elliott
not being member Of the contract
ing firm at that time) He said we
must send the right kind of men to
the legislature, for without good
men as Legislators any governors
hands would be tied.
Mr.. Crabtree, as we recall, did
not offer a remedy for any Of the
multitude Of existing evils he
enumerated. Mr.. Crabtree is not
an orator. He is just plain man,
who was mayor Of Chattanooga and
a leading banker there.
CIT is but common justice to say
that the Carroll county road con-
tract, talker much about by Jones
and Crabtree and bid in second
time BY Murphy and Phillips, was let
to the lowest bidder each time, their
second bid beiny about $40, 600 be-
low any other submitted Also the
Hon. Tom Jeter cast his vote against
the $3.50 appropriation for legisla-
tors, mentioned BY Judge Jones.