The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1920-10-29
GOVERNOR ROBERTS
MAKES FINE SPEECH
Arrives Late but Fine Audience
Greets Him.

er yet been false to the pledges of the
Democratic platform" are two very
impressive statements made by Gov
ernor Roberts in his speech here
. Tuesday night at the courthouse.
Governor Roberts arrived late on
account of the rain, but a fine audi
ence was waiting for him, and when
he walked into the courtroom Il e
cheering indicated more than kindly
welcome.
The Governor was introduced in
a beautiful tribute to Democracy and
to the administration by Attorney
F. ]. Smith.
The Governor was tired and hoarse
from speaking, but with all that he
made the most telling speech of the
campaign.
He gave his attention particularly
to two subjects. One was the State
police law and the other the tax as
sessment. The police law is nothing
more nor less than a law authorizing
the Governor to call the police,
which is the State militia, in cases
only where the county sheriff or of
ficers of the county are unable to pro-
tect citizens from violence. The law
was enacted as the result of an ap-
peal to the Governor for help from
sheriff of one of the counties near
Nashville. The sheriff had prison
er and he was trying to save him
from mob law. The Governor had no
authority in the case and he phoned
the sheriff to get the prisoner out of
the way as quickly as possible. In
the meantime the Legislature was
asked for police law to cover such
cases. The Governor says he has
never called out the State police ex-
cept where the officers of the coun-
ties have asked for help, and in the
case of the trouble at Knoxville the
citizens and officers of that city
asked for the protection of the State
police before they were sent to Knox
vile. 1t was not fight against I'M
ion labor. That did not enter into
the question at all. The police were
sent to Knoxville only to protect law
abiding and innocent citizens from
violence.
Another case happened in ALT Tay-
lor's own county. A prisoner had
not been guilty of crime, but pop
ular indignation had threatened him
with mob violence, and Governor
Roberts was asked to send the State
police. And this is one of the criti-
cisms Mr. Taylor is making on the
administration of Governor Roberts.
Proceeding to the question of the
tax laws, the Governor undertook to
make very plain his attitude on that
matter. The Democratic platforms
both 1914 and 1915 and the Republi-
can platform upon which Governor
Hooper made his last race for Gov
ernor all called for tax commission
and revision of the assessments to
meet the provisions of the constitu
ton which are that all property,
real, personal and mixed, shall be
taxed at its actual cash value. Gov
ernor Rye made an effort for the pes
sage of such law and failed. Gov
ernor Roberts was successful and the
new law was passed, creating a COM
The assessment was made
in accofdance=with the law and
storm Of protest was made by Demo-
Gratis as well as Republicans. Gov
ernor Roberts was not only redeem
ing platform pledge but he was un-
dertaking to follow the provisions of
the constitution that every person
shall bear an equal proportion of the
taxes. AS an example of the old sys-
tenn, showing the tax inequalities be-
tween the counties, the Governor
quoted the percentage of taxes a
number of counties were paying. In
East Tennessee these percentages ran
from Alto rs per cent of the actual
value. In Obion County the per-
centages was "a. Therefore it was
evident that the oil system was I'M
fair and unjust. Obion was paying
into the State treasury more than
her share of taxes compared with
East Tennessee counties. So were
Weakley, Gibson and Carroll paying
a larger percentage of tax. The Gov
ernor read from the constitution
showing that taxes must be laid at
actual cash value, and that every
person in the State should pay his
equal proportion of the taxes. The
State was fallin behind at the rate of
six hundred thousand dollars year.
During the administration of Gov
efnor Hooper the State ran behind
two millions. One million was lost
m occo,,ut Of tho looc 0f rpt,i olyv