Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1920-05-13
One grandly joyous thought
Comes to us DER and DER,
Taxes will be higher this y ar
Than ever they've been before.

COll0S 10 us D er ana o CT,
Taxes will be higher this y ar
Than ever they've been before.
And they will be. That's what th,
law is for
Further proof as to who will foo
the bill is to be found in a recent de
cision of the supreme court. In &
suit brought by the Governor thai
august tribunal decreed that state
bonds ARE NOT PROPERTY, and
therefore cannot be taxed. When
the effects of this decision become
operative millions of dollars of wealth
will be tax free, and the real estate
owner and business men will have to
pay that much more in taxes. The
next logical step in the scheme will
be to take county and municipal
bonds off the list of property-and
more taxes put upon the farmer
Men, wake up and help wipe out this
iniquity; or do you prefer bankrupt
cy? This exemption law should be
repealed. In his announcement the
Governor says this pet law of his
needs amending. Amend it-No!
Wipe it off the sta-ute books.
Then what would you do, go back
to the old system? Certainly. It
affords all the needed authority for
just assessment and equalization of
taxes. Under it valuations as a
whole were more than doubled be-
tween 1900 and 1914 and could be
increased to point that would
greatly reduce the rate of taxation
Under it Governors McMillin, Fra
zier, Cox and Patterson not only ran
the state on cash basis, but paid
about five million dollars of the
states bonded Indebtedness. And
they did this with total revenue of
about one-haf that now being col
lected. What they did can be done
again. Taxpayers of Tennessee, help
me to win this race, so that Gov.
Writ may restore the state to days
of genuine Democratic honesty and
simplicity.
Another strong objection to the
PlCoCAt dooOooIAOII low ID tHc COI-
dition generally throughout the coun-
try, due to unprecedented imitation
of prices. Even though the assess
ment law was all its friends claim it
to be, it works hardship upon real
estate owners because land values
are inflated to an unheard of degree
Once these high land values get on
the tax .books 1t will be very difficult
to get the valuation reduced.
In their eagerness to squeeze more
money out of the taxpayer those re-
spOnsible for this law overlooked the
fact that the time selected was most
The country was all
torn up as result OF engaging in
the war, the nation staggering under
an enormous war debt, the problems
Of reconstruction unsolved and wide
spread unrest pervading the ranks of
labor, and in the midst of these seri- |
nus conditions Gov. Roberts forced |
this unjust law upon the state, there
by adding greatly to the general feel |
ing of anxiety
fhuu " JhOoC Iulh6C IhC ldCl Ludt |
{ is almost impossible for farmers
% secure labor, and the unusually
ate coming of planting weather, it is
small wonder that the farmers are
n revolt and propose taking this tax
aw off the books and retiring to pri-
rate life those who brought it into
existence.
About Liquor Laws
All state liquor laws should be
epealed. The United States has
one into the prohibition business by
Incorporating 1t in the federal consti-
ution. The federal government is
'owerful enough to enforce the laws
has made touching this question,
nd has millions of money to use for
hat purpose. So let Uncle Sam car
Y the cost and do the work for the
lme being.
Tennessee Is financially ill sick un-
, death unless lief is furnished, ,
nd by repeating all its liquor laws '
lany thousands of dollars can be ,
aved in court costs, and the courts ,
lowed to proceed with other busi- /,
ess. Every dollar thus saved |
ould reduce by that much the need /
,r increased taxes, and all told would q
= the largest saving possible from 4
1e source h
Prohibition was put upon Tennes- Il
'e in an un-democratic way. in that t
10 people were never allowed to- v
,te upon the question directly. No G
eat change should be made in state "
,licies without direct vote OF the /,
,ople, and the Democrats of Tennes- q
q are now given the rIrst opportun- i,
Y to express their opinion on the q
ohibition question at the ballot box. m
So long as national prohibition en- a
Tres no relief can bes had from the b
y spell through state legislation. n
1t under court decision congress G,
8 power to say what constitutes fl
liquor-that is, what HI
rcentage of alcohol may be put in
beverages. Therefore, for the te
esent at least, the vets must look p
yIyo for v.o1inf 1 a