Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1920-10-21
POINTED PARAGRAPHS FROM
SPEECHES OF ALF. A. TAYLOR
Main Issues of Gubernaterial Campaign Dis
cussed Clearly and Convincingly by the
Republican Nominee. .
THE EMERGENCY BOARD AND EMER.
CENCY APPROPRIATIONS

1t appears that in 1915 the Legisla
ture for the first time set aside by ap
preparation the sum of 100000 70
meet any emergency or exigency tha'
might arise in connection with State
institutions or to take care OF a DEF
icit An Emergency Board, consisting
of the Governor, Secretary of State,
Comptroller and Treasurer, were au-
thorized to use this fund for the pur-
poses contemplated and set out in the
act
The Legislature of 1917 renewed
this authority, limited as the other ap-
propriations were, expressly and spe-
officially to institutional use. This Leg
islature provided $4,000 for meeting
expenses of the State Taxing Board,
Public Utilities and Railroad Commits
sion.
In one of the Acts relating to this
new department it provided that the
Emergency Board might transfer
funds from the Emergency Appropria-
ton to the Tax Commission Appropri'
alton when exhausted. This provision
was not looked for and passed with
out discussion.
Under it unlimited offices have been
created, horde of clerks and en-
hnt fnr nj a.
nent, employed, and the members OF
the Legislature wholly ignorant of this
wide-open authorization are made to
carry the odium of this carefully con-
cealed authority under which more
than $136,78 has been spent.
Not only this vast sum has been
used out of this fund through care
fully concealed purpose amounting to
fraud on the members of the Legisla-
ture, but Governor Roberts has drawn
on the fund time and again for other
departments.
He exhausted his own Office expense
appropriation early in the year 1920,
and made orders and drafts on this
fund through his Emergency Board.
He created offices and paid salaries
for other departments out of this
fund. He paid expenses of different
branches of the public service out of
the Emergency Fund.
1t is doubtful whether the Legisla-
ture can set aside ANY amount of
public funds for board thereafter to
appropriate for various uses. If the
Legislature can legally and constitu-
tionally set aside 100000 for a board
to appropriate for sundry purposes,
why can it not set aside the entire
revenues of the State, of $5,000,00
and let this board assume the consti
tutional functions of the Legislature
and appropriate all of the State reve
nues in its discretion, 1t had previ-
ously been the belief of Governors
that when the Legislature appropri-
ated for specific officers in a depart
ment and specific sums for expenses
that no more money could be spent
by that department.
The Budget Law of 1917 expressly
forbids the expenditure of any money
and the officer guilty is subject TO a
fine of $780,
Governor Roberts has flagrantly vio-
lated this statute and laid himself liza
BILE to several 500 fines. He showed
absolute disregard of his own consti-
tutional duty and his oath to observe
the Constitution, in that he assumes
functions belonging wholly and entire
ly to the Legislature
Not content with preparing the bills |
for his Legislature to pass, not willing |
to wait for an extra or regular session |
of the Legislature where this body |
could at least go through the form of
legislating, the Governor and his
board constitute a Legislature of their
own, orders certain moneys to be paid |
out, and the Comptroller draws his
warrant and the Treasurer pays out
the money.
1t is time for a look into the State
treasury. 1t is time to check up and
balance the account and take invento-
ries, count the cash and recover
money illegally spent and punish those
who illegally spent 1t.
Colonel Taylor says, If elected Gov
ernor, he proposes to have State
Auditor who is not dominated by the
Comptroller of the State; who will see
that no monies shall be expended for
any purpose beyond the appropriations
made therefor, and that he will insist
upon the faithful execution of the
budget law that limits expenditures
of the State government to specific ap-
preparations for specific purposes.
Taxation.
stand for the repeal of all the vi.
clous tax laws of Governor Roberts
and the passage Of a plain, simple tax
law that the average citizen can read.
lily understand and the restoration OF