The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-11-11
Strike at the Real Cause.

According to the Nashville Ten
nessean, the State of Tennessee ha
borrowed another million dollars t.
meet the current fiscal expense, an,
Immediately or soon thereafter Their
YVES left balance of only 100000,
in the State treasury. 1t was state'
also that the public highway fun'
had been reduced to 100000, bu
there is an automobile tax which will
increase this fund to $4,000.
was a matter of speculation as t.
whether or not this balance would
carry the State over until the taxes
are in.
AS much as the Roberts tax system
has been criticised, it fails to yield
more than two-thirds enough to meet
the annual current expenditures Of
the State. The Commercial remarked
some time ago that the deficit, or diff
ference between the State revenue
and expenses, would be between two
and three millions of dollars. Before
the Roberts tax laws the State was
running behind at the rate of a mil
lion a year.
Notwithstanding all this deficit
the people of Tennessee are groaning
under taxation. Governor Taylor had
a beautiful single tax scheme, but
Governor Taylor is piling up the
State debt at a greater rate than
his predecessors. Governor Roberts
inherited from Governor Rye an an
nual deficit of $75O,OO0. During
Governor Roberts administration
this was increased TO one million
dollars, and now under Governor
Taylor's administration the deficit is
Increased to nearly three millions of
dollars annually.
What is this deficit going to be
when the next Governor is elected?
Surely Governor Taylor can't expect
to be elected with this state of af-
fairs existing. If he can then we
are very much mistaken about the
temper of the taxpayers of Tennes-
see.
But people generally forget where
the real trouble lies. The Governors
of Tennessee for many years have
not been able to control the Legis-
lature, and the Legislature has been
ignoring completely laws of econ
omy or the principle or paying as
you go; otherwise following course
of general delinquency, which fol-
lowed out cannot but lead 10 repu-
diation or bankruptcy.
Now if the Legislature persists in
this sort of thing there can be no
other result. But the remedy is for
the people to overthrow by ballots
the present majority. Clean out the
Augean stables, suppress the tri-
umvirate and install new blood, who
have some regard for State credit as
we'll as progressive legislation.
In other words the State of Ten
nessee is surely going on the rocks
unless one of two alternatives is
adopted. Either the assessment for
schools, fairs and public highways
must be reduced or the State tax must
be increased.
The Commercial objects to a tax
for State and county fairs. This pa
per also doubts the wisdom and econ
omy of State aid to higher education.
The public. highway tax is next in
Importance to any of the necessary
of State government. But
admit the propriety of all these State
then more revenue must
be raised by taxation. and the next
election campaign should be conduct
ed on that principle almost exclu-
sively.
Instead of a platform renewing our
allegiance to the time-honored prin-
ciples and paying our respects to the
fathers of the faith and all that sort
IF balloon juice. the first plank of
he platform in the biggest type the
machine is able to cast
should read in good old American:
Tennessee must pay her honest
lebts, and must refuse to issue bonds
n times Of peace.
The next plank should be that the
legislature about to be sworn in
must construct sound budget sys-
EN-. Refusing so to do the platform
should pledge the voters to defeat
he majority for reelection.
Something must be done, and If
We have failed to strike at the real
ause of the trouble. will some kind
riend tell the taxpayers what it is.