The Adair County news. [volume], October 15, 1913, Image 4

About The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987

Image provided by: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

                
THE. ADAIR COUNTS. MEWS
wiir- in tin nniiuTV uriuo Road Engineer on the striDS of
JB IIBIW I IIIIHI W HMB'.1-' T.Z
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Published Every Wednesday -
-"- BYtTHE - Xr
hiw County News Company.
( Incorporated.)
SHAS. S. HARRIS EDITOR.
Democratic newspaper devoted to the In
tntt oJ the City of Columbia and the people
Adair and adjacent counties.
.
Entered at the Columbia Post-office as sec
XCL class mall matter.
road which.woufd not otherwise
j -, ...
receive attention, and automobile
.owners might not only assist
themselves, but carry tools and
men from the cities to country
places wher'riitd work can be
performed?' October the 24th
and 25th are the days set apart
by Gov. McCreary for all the
men folks in the State to get out
and work the roads.
if
WED. OCTOBER 15, 1913
Democratic Ticket.
For State Senator
J. 0. EWING
County Judge
TANNFR OTTLEY
County Attorney
GORDON MONTGOMERY
County Court Clerk
WALKER BRYANT
Sheriff
S. H. MITCHELL
Jailer
C. G. JEFFRIES
School Superintendent
E. A. STRANGE
Assessor
RALPH WAGGENER
Magistrate
1st. District.
WELBY ELLIS.
2nd. District.
L. C. CABBELL.
3rd. District.
F. H. BRYANT.
4th. District.
CHARLIE REECE.
7tb. District.
MELVIN CONOVER
Announcements.
Independent Candidate for Surveyor
v General James Garnett, who
has been mingling business with
pleasure in!CWashington this
week, is very much interested,
as many others are in getting
the State of Kentucky out from
under its3present burdensome
debt. He talked to the writer at
length upon the proposition and
he advanced ideas which show
that he is thoroughly familiar
with the subject, and, if follow
ed, will bring about the desired
end without!raisincr the tax rate !
one penny. Besides being one of
the very best and.most brilliant;
lawyers in Kentucky, General
Garnett is a deep thinker and his
hard study on the taxation prop- j
osition has made him a master
of the intricateSsubject. He re
turned to Frankort" Saturday.
Washington Correspondent to the
Danville Advocate."
I. M. GRIMSIiEY.
For Superintendent.
We are authorized toj announce
PKOF. TOBIAS HUFFAKER a can
didate forSuperintendent rof Public
Schools of Adair county,at the No
xember election.
Robert C. Terrill, commission
er of Public Roads, is taking a
great deal of interest in better
ing the conditions of our public
highways. He has addressed a
letter to the engineers of the va
rious counties, giving pointers as
to how to work to bring about
fiood results. We take a few ex
tracts fromthis letter: "At this
season of the year it is not ad
visable to attempt placing loose
dirt upon the earth roads unless
arrangements can be made x to
have the split log drag used dur
ing the fall and winter, but a
great deal of good can be accom
plished by opening the ditches
and cleaning the shoulders of all
rubbish and surplus dirt that re
tard the flow of water toward the
ditches. The earth from the
ditches and shoulders shoulders
should be thrown on the opposite
side of the ditches from the road,
or hauled and dumped oyer the
edge of the fills, with the view
of widening them. All weeds
and undergrowth of every de
scription should be cleared from
the ground between the fences
and the ditches, and all- rubbish
piled and burned or removed en
tirely from the right of way.
Those living in the towns or cit
ies can help in the good roads
movement, by either furnishing
personal assistance, or donating
funds to be used by the County
Hon. J, O.IEwing is a gentle
man whoj knows'how to do
tings, and should he be sent to
Senate the people of the district
would know that they had a rep
resenative at Frankford who
would watch their interest.
He is a lawyer of ability, a
eentleman ofi most excellent
character and no man would
make a mistake in voting for
him.
by this Constitution shall be as
sessed for taxation at y& fair
cash value estimated at the price
it would bring at a fair volunta
ry sale."
The property referred to as ex
empted by the Constitution is
$250 of personal property of a
housekeeper with a family "and
church and school property and
purely charitable institutions.
Under these provisions taxes
may be too high, as they are now,
or they may be lowered, but if
these provisions are carried out,
whether high or low every body
.must fare alike. My opinion as
to what we need most ' is to get
rid of graft. There are several
hundred useless officers and com
missions in the State with sal
aries at the expense of the tax
payers, but the proposed amend
ment will have nothing- to do
with these things unless the ten
dency will be to increase them.
Under the present Constitution
whatever taxes are levied have
to be levied alike on all charac
ters of property according to its
value whether for State pur
poses, county purposes, district
or town purposes, its purpose
is perfect equality on the subject
oi taxation. This is the princi
ple. Can any amendment im
prove upon it? Under it if the
legislature were to enact a law
4
that levied one rate on one class
of property, and another rate on
enother class, the courts would
be bound to decide it
To the Voters of Adair and Cumberland Counties.
Europe is stirred over the burn
ing of steamer, Volturno, which
occurred in mid Atlantic last Sat
urday. Onehundred and twenty
five lives were lostjand five hun
dred and twenty-one rescued.
The passengers were bound east
ward and westward. No Amer
icans amongcthe dead or missing.
Bear in mind that the business
interests of the sixteenth district
are interested, in having a man
of Mr. Ewing's qualifications
and stading in State Senate.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE
CONSTITUTION.
Editor News:
The people who are opposed to
paying taxes themselves, but
want other people taxed, have
succeeded in getting the legis
lature to pass a resolution to sub
mit to the people of the State a
proposed amendment to the
present Constitution on the sub
ject of taxation. The statutes
of the State need some amend
ments on the subject of taxation,
so as to carry out the provisions
of the. Constitution as it is now,
but according to my way of think
ing the Constitution now embod
ies the right principle of tax
ation, and under its provisions
as they are, all needed reforms
can be made. I quote the prin
c.ple as provided in the present
Constitution.
"Taxes shall be levied and col
lected for public purposes only,
They shall be uniform upon all
property subject to taxation
within the territorial limits of the
authority levying the tax, and
all taxes shall be levied and col
lected by general laws. All prop
erty not exempted from taxation
stitutional and not enforcible.
Under its provisions the Legis
lature can enact any law on the
subject of taxation so it does
not violate the principle of equal
ity. If a law should be passed
that would levy a tax of 50 cents
on the hundred on lands and 25
cents on bank stock or mort
gages and money, it would be
bound to be held unconstitution
al. If they should pass a law
that lands, horses and cattle
should be taxed for county pur
poses, and bank stock, bonds and
money exempt from taxation for
county purposes it would be held
to be unconstitutional and not
enforcible. Before this princi
ple was incorporated in the pres
ent Constitution, it was claimed
that there were ten millions of
dollars worth of property in Ken
tucky that was exempted from
taxation, belonging to rich cor
porations. When the present
Constitution was submitted to
the people for ratification, the
same interests that are now back
of the proposed amendment
hired speakers, and flooded the
country with literature, in an
effort to defeat it. Failing be
fore the people, they have re
sisted in the courts until they can
go no further, and now they have
managed to get an amendment
submitted, by resolution of the
last Legislature. I quote the vi
tal part of this proposed amend
ment. "Taxes shall be uniform upon
all property of the same class
subject to taxation, within the
territorial limits of the authority
levying the tax and all taxes
shall be levied and collected by
general laws. The General As
sembly shall have power to di
vide property into classes, and to
determine what class or classes of
property shall be subject to local
taxation."
Now, it will ibe observed'that,
under this proposed'ameridment,
that while tlietaxes are to be
uniform upon all property of the
Bame class;'' that the--Legislature
I am a candidate on the Progressive Ticket to represent Adair and Cumberland
counties in the next Legislature. My only opponent is Dr. A. W. Sharp, of Cumber
land county, who is a candidate on the old .Republican ticket. Either Dr. Sharp or
myself will represent you and it is for you to say which can best do so. Regardless of
politics it is your duty as a citizen to' vote for the one you think will
best represent the district. It is not a matter of tariff or politics but purely a matter
of business. Our Statute books are burdened with imperfect, uncertain and vicious
laws, made usually by men who never saw inside a law book, or by men seeking their
own selfish interest, without knowledge of, or regard for the needs and rights of the
people. I have been a practicing lawyer for more than 12 years, and for 4 years was
County Attorney of Adair county. As a lawyer I am presumed to know the Constitu
tion and understand the fundamental principles of law, and my experience has made
me familiar more or less with every law on the State Book, and has given me opportu
nity to observe their defects. My experience as County Attorney has made me to see
and feel the injustice of our system of assessment and taxation, which places most of
the burden of taxation on the farmer and the man of limited means. I favor amend
ing these laws so as to make taxation equal and uniform, that no man may bear more
that his just part of the burden. Our road and school laws were made to suit wealthy
and thickly populated Counties, and are not applicable to rural counties like Cumber
land and Adair. The Dog Law should be repealed or radically amended. Our Game
and Fish Laws were made for the benefit of the City Sports and Blue Grass Gentlemen.
The use of Seins, Traps and Nets should be permitted with reasonable restrictions.
Our farmers can't even protect their crops from squirrels. The Vital Statistics Law
was made merely as a source of revenue to the Doctors and without benefit to the peo
ple. It is a source of worry and trouble in the hour of bereavement and a useless ex
pense to taxpayers.
The State is badly in debt as is many of our Counties. Our roads are bad and
Schools indifferent. Kentucky's natural resources are great, but undeveloped. Political
Demagoguery has driven business and capital from the Stae. Politics has done for
Kentucky what revolution is doing for Mexico. We pay higher taxes and get less in re
turn than do the people of most any State in the Union., No one political party is re
sponsible for these conditions, but the partisan spirit in all parties, which has been stir
red up by the office-seeking politicians.
Your only hope of relief from these bad laws and high taxes, is through the Leg-
uncon-1 islature. You must elect men qualified to care for your interests. Men who can
not be managed by political bosses, the State Board of health, the Whiskey or the Rail
Road Lobby. Elect men whom you would be willing to employ to look after your most
important private business, where questions of law are involved.
Investigate my record and find that as an officer and a citzen my attitude on
temperance and all moral questions has been certain and emphatic. I favor legislation
that will protect and safe-guard the sanctity of the ballot against corruption and fraud
of every form. If elected, I promise to lay aside all political ambitions and selfish in
terests, and use my best efforts to correct the faults above referred to and many others
I haven't space here to mention, and I will advocate your cause before the Legislature
with all the earnestness, zeal and ability at my command.
Yours truly,
G. PAUL SMYTHE.
Columbia, Ky., October 10, 1913.
is authorized to divide it into
classes, and to say which of
these classes shall be subject to
local taxation. So- they' can
place bank stocks, notes and
mortgages, bonds and corpora
tion stocks and cash in one class,
and lands, cattle, horses and
farm products and merchandise,
I into another class, and impose
different rates of taxation on the
different classes, and exempt any
classes that they may desire
from county and town taxes.
What would be the probable and
logical result of such a system?
The farmer, merchant and labor
ing man stays at home and has
all he can do to see after his
home affairs. The big corpora
tions and other owners of large
monied interest will have its lobby
as it always has had at Frank
fort, looking after its interest
with the Legislature. When the
classification is made, whose in
terest is it likely to be made in?
When it comes to saying what
property shall be subject to local
taxation and what property shall
not, whose interest is that likely
to be in? It needs no argument
to show how that would be. Let
me suggest what could be done,
and what is the probable purpose
of the people making this prop
osition? Have the property di
vided into two classes for tax
ation. In the one class place
bank stocks, bonds and all secu
rities for money corporations,
stocks and bonds." In the' other
class place farming lands,
horses, cattle,- hogs, sheep and
etc., and town lots, and all such
property as is usually owned by
the farming people. The first
class would comprise a great por
tion of the wealth of the State.
It would include the wonderful
wealth of the coal lands of Ken
uucky because they are all own
ed and controlled by corpora
tions, so are most of the large
mercantile establishments, man
ufactories and distilleries. They
will then say that this first class
shall be taxed for State purposes
My excuse for writing this arti
cle is, that I find that there is
not one man out of ten that
knows there is such a proposition
pending. The fact that the at
tention of the people has not
been called to it as it should have
been, ought to be sufficient ev
idence that there is a nigger in
the wood pile. The present
Constitution provides, that be
fore an amendment shall be sub
mitted to a vote, the Secretary
of State shall cause such pro-
only, and that the other class be ; posed amendment, and the time
taxed for county and town pur
poses. Then how costly would
it be for this same lobby to get
such laws enacted that would
shift from the State to the coun
ties and towns a great portion of
the burdens now being borne by
the State such as the support of
paupers," idiots and lunatics, the
payment of all the expenses of
the court's assessment of prop
erty, juries and witnesses, and
such other things as are now be
ing paid out of the State treas
ury. By this process the State
would need but tittle revenue,
but k the counties would need
more. There would then be no
call for uuch tax on the first
class, as the State would need
but little revenue, but the bur
den would fall heavy on tjie oth
er class. In my opinion this pro
posed amendment is not desired
to lighten the burdens of tax
ation, but to. shift them from one
class of persons . and property
that is most able to pay, to that
cl ass that isleast able to - pay.
the same is tb be voted upon to
be published at least 90 days be
fore the vote is to be taken there
on, in such manner as may be
prescribed by law. Remember
the publication must be at least
ninety days before the vote is
taken. It is now claimed that
the secretary forgot to make any
publication until after the time
expired, and since that time it
has been only published in two
newspepers, and in that way the
people are not posted, and the
danger is that' they will, for that
reason, not vote, and at the
same time, the parties who are
pushing the matter, will vote for
it, and thus adopt it a3 part of
the Constitution and destroy
that principle of equality of tax
ation embodied in the present
Constitution. It is my honest
judgment that it is to the inter
est of every voter in Adair coun
ty, and his duty beside, to vote
against it.
J. F. Montgomery.
.
A
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