Carthage courier. (Carthage, Tenn.) 1913-current, 1921-03-24

ana LnSS0 same real estate men came
back. said to them, 81 suppose you
gentlemen have come back to say that
since you can now collect 8 per cent
, interest on your notes you are ready
/ to withdraw your objections to this
bill and agree to its passage" They
said, mo, if you pass this bill, we will
pass the tax on to the borrower and it
will stop home building in Tennessee"
1t was really pathetic, the solicitude
they manifested for the man who was
trying to acquire home. You would
have thought from their statements
they were engaged in some sort of
philanthropic enterprise. But let me
give you straight tip" Any time
you are looking for a charitable in
stitution, don't make the mistake of
stumbling into real estate office
4 Whenever one of these home build
ers defaults in the payment of a note,
what do these real estate men do :?
They rush it into courthouse built
and maintained at the expense of the
taxpayers; they invoke the services of
a judge and jury whose compensa-
ton is paid by the taxpayers; and yet
they have the temerity and the au-
dacity to say that they should pay to
the State no tax on these very notes
in the collection of which they use the
machinery of the State Government.
That proposition is an insult to the
common sense of every member of
this body and shocks the sense of
justice of every right thinking man.
say, Mr.. Speaker, that it is out
rageous and monstrous to permit the
continuation of a condition which re-
quires citizen of Nashville, say, who
has no property except little home
worth probably three or four thouS-
and dollars, from which he derives no
income, save that it affords a shelter
for himself and family, to pay tax on
the full value of this home, while his
neighbor around the corner with a
quarter of million of securities lock-
ed up in safety deposit box goes
taXfree. ] say that it is unworthy cd
US as Americans and Tennesseans, tC
, longer tolerate system that levies
and collects taxes upon the full value
. of the poor little farm of the widow
! up in the head of some hollow, sur
) rounded by her i'll fed and scantily
, clad children, eking out miserable
existence, barely able to keep soul anC
body together, and at the same time
: the money shark at the county seat g
few miles away, with his thousands in
= eight and ten percent mortgages, per
} haps including one on the little farm
> of this selfsame widow, goes tax free
In my rather brief experience as Z
= Iawyer have undertaken the defense
of some bad cases. But l say to you
, Senators, that l don't want the jot
: of defending myself against the
: charge of voting to perpetuate this
outra geouS condition.
, And now, Mr.. Speaker, in conclu.
! sion, may l submit few observations
I with reference to the situation No1
) those who represent farming constit
! uencies, as most of US do.
When we were candidates for the
> Offices we now hold we proclaimed
from the hcusetops" our interest IL
and solicitude for the farmer. We
promised him to see to it that he got
square deal in matters of taxation
= we promised him that we would un-
, kdertake to relieve him of any and al
unjust burdens now imposed upon him
in this connection. 1t was upon the
strength and faith of these promises
that we were elected. How many of
; US, do you imagine, would be here
today, had we gone out among the
/; farmers of our districts and announc-
ed that, if sent to the Senate, we
would oppose a law requiring the
money lender and mortgage holder to
Not one of us would be here, and you
know it.
Some smart fellow, few years ago,
Mr.. Speaker, when prohibition was a
a live issue, said that whiskey had
made more public enemies and more
private friends that any commodity
on the face of the earth. | some
times think the converse of this is
true as to the farnler-that he has
more public friends and more private
enemies than any other class of peo-
pie. Not only when we were candi-
dates, but here On the floor of the
Senate we stand up day after day and
protest our friendship and affection
for the farmer. Let's begin to show
our faith by our votes, or else have
the decency to "cut out" this hypo-
critical prattle, this "hofseplay,"
about our friendship for the farmer
+ This Legislative session is drawing
to a close. We are soon going. back
home to meet face to face the farmer
friends of ours. In my Judgment this
is our last chance to render them any
real service. Which shall it be, two
per cent additional interest and con-
tinued exemption from taxation for
the money lender, or shall we by the
passage of this Act require him to
pay taxes along with the farmers and
other real estate owners of the State.
Mr.. Speaker, | have presented the
case of the taxpayer as best / could.
/ thank the Senate for its patient
hearing and earnestly hope you will
pass this bill.