The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1921-04-15
BACK TAX MACHINE.


Concluding more than half col
umn of vitrolic and wholly deserved
denunciation of the infam.es of the
back tax machine, the Nashville Ban
ner says:
"At any rate the people of Tennes'
see desire that the rotten back tax
system with its revenue agents, be
wiped out" l...
1t takes a real. eighteen karat opti
mist to make this statement in the
light of the history Of the past if
teen years. During all of that period
a vigorous and determined fight has
been waged by majority Of the news
papers on the back tax machine, but
it has continued to thrive and to pros.
per. Occasionally its enemies have
seemed to win victory, as was the
case when Woollen was elected comp
troller, but they proved to be Phyrric
victories for the old back tax machine
continued to do business with the
same old back tax attorneys who be-
fore and since have infested the body
polite of the state. y
1t Is probably true, as the optimis-
tic and versatile editor of the Banner
says, majority of the people of Ten.
nessee in sort Of lazy, Indifferent and
apathetic way, would like to see the
system abolished. Their sense of JUS
tice and their pride in the states fair
name, make them its natural enemies.
At the same time they are not going
to lose any sleep or contribute any eff
fort to effect this desired end.
The only way to abolish the back
tax machine in Tennessee is to elect
a legislature of honest, courageous,
faithful men, pledged to that achieve
ment. But by the time the next le2is
lature is to be chosen in Tennessee
the minions Of the back tax machine
will succeed in dividing the forces OF
good government by "paramounting'
some other and perhaps inconsequen
tial issue and the back tax system will
be entirely overlooked. This has been
done, In Maury county; 1t has been
done in other counties Of the state.
Unqnestionably majority Of the PEG
pie of Maury county are against the
whole back tax system but in the cleo
tion of a legislature they are going to
be so divided over other matters, so
filled. with desire to get revenge
on some politician or faction, SO sci
fishly attached to some pet issue that
will Immediately cause an apprecia-
tion in the value of Their own pro
porty at public expense that they will
never once think of, the iniquities 0
the back tax machine.
Man is inherently a selfish animal
He seldom crucifies self in the service
of the public. He is thinking more
OF some fractional or personal advant
age than he is of the welfare of the
state when he exercises the franchise
This is demonstrated in nearly every
election. The first question the aver
age candidate for congress must meet
from the average votes is 'How much
can you fitch from the public treasury
for your immediate section?" 1t is
more or less true of the candidates
for the legislature. If they can pro
mise roads and schools and public
appropriations they will not be asked
about the back tax machine Right
at present the people of Maury county
are very indignant against the ma
chine, but not more so than they were
a year ago when it's agents swooped
down upon them for thousands of dol.
lars. Moreover, their opposition in
November 1922 may be just as farcical
as it was in November of last year
and probably will be.