The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1922-10-27
HON. AUSTIN PEAY
MAKES fine SPEECH
Mr.. Austin Peay, Addresses People of
0bion County.

One of the most sensible, candid
and convincing speeches heard here
in many day was delivered at Rey-
nolds Theatre last Saturday by Mr.
Austin Peay, Democratic candidate
for Governor of Tennessee. 1t was
not gingery speech, as the Tennes-
sean undertook to leave the impress
sion in its news columns, but the
candidate laid aside all that fustian
and TRADE usual in a political cam
paign, and confined himself to 9 dis
cussion of the vital issues. He was
very courteous to his opponent, Mr..
Taylor, who had preceded him the
day before, and in fact measures and
not men were taken up as they con-
cerned the welfare of the people of
the State Of Tennessee.
The audience was large one, fill
ing the theatre auditorium, and quite
number of ladies were present.
The speaker was introduced by At
torney G. N. Lannom, who declared
that the Democratic nominee is not
suffering either from the adolescence
of youth or the senility of age, but
is man of character and ability who
desires to serve the people of TeEnes-
see as the Governor Of a great State
and as that service belongs to the
best interests of the people as a
whole and not to any special interest
OF class.
Mr.. Morris MileC, Mr. Lannom, and
a number of the Confederate veterans
of Obion County occupied the stage
with Mr.. Peay.
Mr.. Peay opened his address with |
the statement that Mr.. Taylors ad-
had been one of mega
ton and broken promises He had
promised lower taxes, but taxes are
higher. He promised tie repeal of
the sliding scale and then failed to
ask the Legislature to repeal it. He
opposed the payment of poll taxes by
he women and then signed a bill
making them pay.
These things and the fact that s
Governor Taylor made no recommen- i
lations to the Legislature are evil
lences of the fact that he is neither t
erving the interests of the people of s
Tennessee as, Governor nor making |
my apparent effort to do so. Mr. c
'eay proceeded to make the point G
hat Governor Taylor, in the cam /
aign two years ago, condemned the
liding scale of taxation, and as Gov e
rnor made no effort to change the O
ystem. Instead of changing the sys- Ii
EN- he made tax commissioner of
he statistician. +,
The sliding scale is wrong in the =,
ry and practice. For, the balancing n
the rate with the assessment, while h
admits of political abuses, is not +,
of adjustment which is Fl
eeded either for an increase or de- h
ease in expenditures, and therefore f.
nder that system there is no pro- nj
sion at all made for reduction in q,
xation. G,
Mr.. Peay said that he opposed the is
iding scale and would favor the fr
,olition of the tax commission alto
'ther if there is no other way to -.
'olish the system. -
Proceeding along general lines, -
r. Peay made the statement that -,
ere are too many worthless laws -.
our statute books; so many that -
lawyer could have any adequate
"a of the nature or merits of all of ~
EN-.
We have, says the speaker, too
my laws and too much govern g.,
mt. Official government is grow
: too rapidly. 1t is stated by re-
BILE euthcrity that one person out
cry six in the United States is paid
his or her services from the public 49,.
asury. Government and State ex-
lses have increased from three to
per cent in ten years or less. The
'ense Of administration of govern "
mt in Tennessee in twenty years
increased from approximately
f million dollars to five millions.
at does net include education
charitable and penal institu- clu
rs. The total expense of the State clai
ernment in Tennessee has in 4
ased in twenty years from two and you
alf millions of dollars to thirteen (
a half millions. Land tax has 4