Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1920-10-21
COL. w. R.
CRABTREE
Whose Recent Death Has Caused Scr.
row to All True Tennesseans
In Announcing His Candidacy
for the Gobernatorial
Nomination Said:

am moved to this action by an
undeniable demand from the Demo
Gratis throughout the state for a
change of the measures and correc-
ton of the policies adopted by the
present Governor.
If the measures and policies of this
administration deserve the approval
of the people of Tennessee, the Gov
ernor should be indorsed by second
term. If his administration has mot
been efficient, economical and conduc.
tive to the welfare of the state and its
people, he is not entitled to an endorse.
ment for reelection to second term:
and the people should have and exer-
else their constitutional rights to
change bad Governor at the end OF
two-year term.
Governor Roberts was nominated
and elected Governor of Tennessee
without the Democratic party having
adopted for his guidance a platform:
and consequently the measures which
he caused to be enacted by the Legis.
lature and the policies which he has
adopted with reference to the handling
OF the states business and finances
are his own. The Democrats of the
state will have the opportunity for the
first time of passing upon their wisdom
and expediency
Among the reasons why Governor
Roberts should not be indorsed by a
denomination are the following:
Tax System Is Vicious.
% His much Wanted tax system. of
which he is the author, is vicious. I'm
democratic in principle, inefficient In
operation and extravagant in admin
istration. 1t permits the Governor of
the state to name the officials who
assess the property of the humblest
citizen and may be used as the instru-
ment of tyranny or for political
advantage. 1t is extravagant In
administration because it greatly In
creases the number of officials for the
assessment of property, and has been
used as a landing place for the dispo-
sltlon OF patronage to the members OF
the Legislature, who, at the Cover
nor's instigation enacted the law.
I'D I,
the act for any reduction In the special
taxes for local purposes, If they have
been imposed by the Legislature. no
matter how much the assessment of
property may be increased. The
assessments have been made all over
the state by so-called state tax Stats
tlclans who were turned out to prey
upon the people without any previous
KnoWledge in the assessment of real
estate or personal property, and most
frequently were not acquainted with
conditions and values in the territories
which they were assigned to assess.
county assessors have had to con-
tend with these uIscientific and hasti-
ly prepared assessments, and while
they have made sincere effort to cor
rect the errors and injustices done,
there are still large number on the
tax books
II singles out real estate, and espec-
iaIly farm lands, as it's target, and
places upon the already bent backs Of
the farmers of Tennessee the entire
burden OF raising the revenue to meet
the annual deficit, now greatly increas-
ca by the extraVagancies of Governor
hoDerts, though pledged ii economy In
campaign pledges, and demanding Il
In his messages to the Legislature.
Governor Roberts admitted the in
justice of his system in putting SO
great burden on the farmers when he
mad his representatives in the last
House and Senate introduce bill deal
ing with personally taxes; but no
sooner had this bill been introduced
than the owners of personally spoke
In such decisive, loud tones, that the
governor hastily abandoned his pur-
pose and caused the bill to be pigeon
holed.
Both Governor Roberts farm tax
and Governor Roberts personally tax
laws are unsound in principle, and
vicious in their possibilities. The for
mer should be repealed, and the latter
never again offered for enactment.
10 Governor Roberts afraid to say
whether or not, II reelected, he will
seek to have enacted into law the
personally tax bill introduced by
Speaker Todd In the Senate Of 1897
Governor Is Real Tax Assessor.
The power to appoint every one OF
the vast army of tax raisers and stats
ticians now employed under the pre-
sent administration, gives the governor
the power to assess personally the
taxes of every freebooter in Tennessee
the power to reward his friends by
lowering their taxes. and to punish HIS
enemies by raising their taxes
power that Democracy despises and
tyranny embraces.
Governor Roberts tax law DESTROYS