Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1920-10-28
FACTS ABOUT TAX LAW
REPUBLICAN DECEPTION Ex-
POSED

tennessee:
There has been prepared by those
in charge of Col. Taylors candidacy
tabulated statement purporting tC
show in parallel columns the alleged
aggregate of the assessment of the
property in each county of the state
in 1918, the alleged rate of taxation
for that year, and the total taxes paid
by each county for 1918; and the al
legged aggregate of the assessment in
each county for 1920 with the alleged
rate and the alleged total OF taxes to
| be paid under the new assessment; !;
and also showing the alleged per-
centage of increase of taxes in each
county in the year 1920 over the year
| 1918.
Those in charge of Col. Taylor's
campaign are undertaking to have
this statement carried as a supple
ment by the newspapers of the State.
The entire table is such a fabrication
of untruths and deceptfons from one
end o the other that I cannot permit
it to 60 unchallenged. This table is
Intentionally deceptive AMI mislead-
ing and deliberately misstates the
facts with no intention whatever of
disseminating the truth to the voters
and axpayers of Tennessee, but with
wilful intent to deceive the voters
and profit by such INSCRIPTIONS de-
ception.
The column of figures showing the
alleged assessment in each county
for 1918 is false from one end to the
other. It shows only the assessment
of realty and personally, excluding
entirely the railroad and utility as
sessment In each county. It is cer-
tainly fair to assume and to state
that the railroad and utility assess
ment for 1918, aggregating over
$120, 100000, was deliberately and;
intentionally omitted from these fig-
ures with dishonest and deceptive
purpose, intending to make the per-
centage of increase in the assess
ment of 1920 in each county over
1918 a great deal larger than the ac-
tual increase is.
The result is that this column Of
figures shows the total assessment in
the State in 1918 to have been |
$599, 100000 when as a matter of fact |
from records male up before Gov
ernor Roberts became Governor OF |
Tennessee. the assessment of the |
whole property in the State that |
year was in round numbers $726, ,O0O,-
900. Thus, it will be seen that Col.
TaylOr's candidacy seeks to deliber-
ately mislead the voters of Tennessee
by Omitting about $127, 100000 from
the assessment in 1918
The table published then compares
the total tax paid by eacn county IN
1918 with the alleged total tax to be
paid in 1920. This table shows the
total of all taxes, both state and
county, paid in 1918 to have been a
little over $11, 900 900, and the alleged
total of taxes to be paid IN 1920 to be
a title over SIG 1000 900, or an increase
Of about $5000,000.
This comparison even if the honest
figures had been published would be
unfair, deceptive and misleading for
.wo distinct reasons.
l. This table is intended to charge
Governor Roberts Administration
with all increases of taxes in the
State from 1918 to 1920.
2. 1t is intended to create the i'm !
preston in the minds Of the voters
lat all increases of county taxes
evied by the County Courts for va {
iOus local purposes is to be charged {
o Governor Roberts Administration {
There was an increase In County '
axes alone in the various counties $
n the State of Tennessee in 1919 {
ver 1918 of $1,S45,OOO. The levies g
roviding for this increase were fix G
d by the various County Courts in 1
tennessee on the first Monday in /
anuary, 1919, not only absolutely in
ependent of the State Government, q
ut before Governor Roberts was ev- +
r inaugurated Governor of Tennes- q
ee. 1t would have been Just as fair 7
} have compared the total taxes r
aid in 1910 with 1920 as to have
1918 with 1920, and it :,
ould have been just as fair to have =,
harged the present administration g,
18th increases in federal taxes, with :,
lcreases in municipal taxes, or with q
lcreases in the taxes of other r
,ates of the Union as to have charg- -
/ his administration with one cent -
increase Of county taxes either in II
,1S or 1919. -
According to this table there is a :"
| 100000 increase in county taxes of >,
,20 over 1919. This added to the =
lcrease in county taxes of 1919 over "
rs Of $1,S45, 900, makes a total in v
ease of County taxes from 1918 to a
,20 of about $3,550,OO0. Deducting IL
lis from the $5,0O0,00O alleged in
ease from 1918 to 1920 would leave u
100000 of which $98G,723 repre- q
,nts the elementary school fund. o
his amount deducted from the ST. p
10000 leaves S463,277 incsease in 1a
ate revenue proper. d.
1t should be distinctly borne in te
ind that the elementary school hi