The commercial., April 07, 1922, Image 4

About The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?

Image provided by: University of Tennessee

                
THE COMMERCIAL
Marshall & Baird, Union City, Tenn.
Entered at the post office, Union City. Tennes
see, as secoau-class mull matter.
FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1922.
Democratic Ticket.
For Sheriff J. W. (Watt) Cherry
Kor Trustee Armour Katlift
For County Court Clerk K. H. Bond
For Circuit Court Clerk J. N. Ruddle
For Register W. J. Kdwnrds, Jr.
For Representative.
BRATTON We are authorized to an
flounce S. R. Bratton as a candidate (or
re-election an Representative from Obion
County in the General Assembly of Ten.
nessee, .ubject to the action of the Demo
cratic party.
Indicting the Government.
Referring to the strictures on the
mode of administering- government
in the United States made by Samuel
BIythe and United States Senator
Stanley, stressing the evils of pater
nalism and socialism, and the delin
quencies of the two great political
parties, it is indeed discouraging to
watch the course of political events,
On the one side Mr. Stanley views
with alarm the gradual overthrow
by the Republican party of State
sovereignty. On the . other hand
BIythe and others see a general state
of sociaism in the promotion of Fed
eral aid to schools and highways and
other Federal enterprises which
smack more or less of Marxism. Even
Senator Shields snaps his finger at
public opinion when he assails the
Volstead Act and its vicious med
dling with personal liberty. There
are only a few leaders who make a
specialty of "speaking out in court,'
and more's the pity.
All of these high-sounding doc
trines shoot a little over us. But
when it comes to making Congres
sional courtesy a matter of more im
portance than the spending of five
billions of American money, then
we are ready to call a spade a spade
That seems to be practically what
is now threatening to take place.
The President and Congress are at
cross purposes. The President says
we must have a sales tax with the
bonus bill. Congress says we shall
have the bonus without the sales tax
and the childishness of the squabble
on Capitol Hill makes a tax-ridden
people almost furious.
What in the name of Sam Hill do
the people care about who gets the
candy. What does concern us all is
the way our money is being spent,
and not whether Congress or the
President has his way. What con
cerns the American people is the
Tact that expenses continue to mul
tiply whether revenues do or not.
What concerns us is the fact that
government grows incontinently and
exorbitantly beyond all reasonable
bounds. What concerns us is the
way in which our representatives
disregard everything but the chances
of catching a vote. What puzzles us
is the question of swapping local
measures and filling the pork barrel, j
What disturbs us is the manner of
making a lump appropriation for ev
t'rything before there is ever any ef
fort to determine the exact cost of
the proposition.
One naturally thinks of the bur
lesque something like the American
follies. There is just about as much
plain business in one as there is in
Ihe other.
After the war we had the
most remarkable spendthrift gov
ernment probably ever recorded
In the lives o f men. W e
were appropriating billions for navy
and army extensions while the whole
of Europe was hungry and torn. Ev
erything Congress did was staged on
a large scale. Usually after a storm
of adversity business men begin to
make a readjustment to economize.
They wear old clothes and cut a lit
tle here and there use the old Ford
and have the socks darned. But not
so Congress. Oh, they remarked,
lut Japan and England are building
cajpital ships and we must build them
too. Same old pol parrot story. Ger
many had more sense than that.
WThen we were building ships before
the war Germany didn't undertake
the senseless task of outdoing us
they developed the submarine and
it took the combined forces of Eu
rope and America to overcome it.
American statecraft English
statecraft crafty Japan all dod
dering idiots. It is certainly dispir
iting to contemplate an acme of
idealism which is nohing more than
party power and political office.
President Harding's action in dis
missing twenty-seven division chiefs
the other day in the Bureau of En
graving and Printing might have
been taken for civil reform but for
the fact that he is fighting the House
in the plans for army and navy re
duction. No use discussing the old
story of militarism. The United
States is the greatest voluntary fight
ins nation in the world and we need
no big standing armies or navies
bosses need to be taken down a but
ton hole or two.
What we very much fear is that
reduction and readjustment of gov
eminent will not ,come without
peaceful or troublesome revolt. Men
are not given to impulses which in
volve relinquishing power and emol
ument, whether these be above re
proach or not.- Once in a- while a
man like Blanton, of Texas, faces the
majority, but he also faces a sea of
frown and scorn.
Government reform must come
and whether it be with or without
trouble it must nevertheless come
The man who thinks American man
hood will tolerate a continuation of
the present abuse of government
might as well revise his conclusions
Hon. Anstin Peay.
Hon. Austin Peay, of Clarksville
Tenn., candidate for the Democratic
nomination for Governor of Tennes
see, was in the city this week for i
day or two mingling with the peo
ple of Obion . County. From quite
a number of people we have had the
query "How did you like Mr.
Peay?" As much as to say we hope
you were favorably impressed with
the gentleman. Mr. Peay is without
doubt a man of fine qualifications
and personality. What recommends
him as much as anything else is the
esteem of his fellow-citizens of Mont
gomery County and the capital city
of Clarksville. Two years ago when
Mr. Peay was a candidate, his best
neighbors came to Union City in a
body, and escorted Mr. Peay to the
speaker's stand, all thoroly sincere
and enthusiastic in his behalf. Again
Mr. Peay comes to us with the un
qualified indorsement of his home
people. That much for the candi
date, but something more important
is his enunciation given to the press
a few weeks ago. That article dealt
with the important issues affecting
the people of the State. First, the fis
cal system, the subject of taxation
and other dependent and co-related
questions. No doubt every voter in
the county is interested in who is to
be the next Governor of Tennessee,
It is the duty of every Democrat in
the county to take an interest in his
or her candidates this year for Gov
ernor and representatives. It means
something more than usual. Mr,
Peay stands for a general reform in
State administration. First he wants
to introduce a system of economy,
but he also wants an equalization of
State taxes. The defect of the Rob
erts tax system, according to Mr.
Peay, is not so much the plan of
taxation but the fact that agricul
tural taxes have been increased out
of all proportion to corporation and
personalty taxes. Next he wants to
discard all useless and expensive du
plication in the educational, agricul-
ural and other State departments,
to that extent, if not more, that our
revenues may be sufficient for gen
eral purposes without increased tax
ation. Useless offices are also sug
gested in the general plans of reform.
All these things The Commercial
has heretofore referred to in its com
ments. But there is one point of Mr.
Peay's platform to which we cannot
agree. Might as well make it plain
now, and that is that we do not fa
vor the repeal of the eight per cent
contract rate of interest. To say that
we do not need cheap money is a
mistake, but one of the greatest
achievements of the Democratic par
ty is the Federal loan system, where
by the farming classes may obtain
long-term loans at a minimum rate
of interest. This system is one which
has been wisely provided by the Con
gress of the United States and now it
is in operation with the finest re
sults. Therefore if a farmer wants
a loan he is not at the mercy of the
usurer at all. On the other hand if
he has no collateral there is no source
whatever from which he can obtain
a loan.
Now the point is this, if the State
Assemblies are to make a point of at
tack on the banking system and al
low every other corporation a free
hand in mulcting the people with
any sort of profits in fine, if prof
iteering is to have the sanction of the
law and banking is to be penalized
then we are unalterably opposed to
the iron-bound six per cent law. If
money is to be confined to the strict
est regulations and consumers are to
be smashed with property profits,
then the laws have been unfairly and
unjustly administered. The farmer
does not stand in need of the six per
cent law. But the six per cent law,
,with provisions for a contract rate
of eight per cent, is not without justification.
Chautauqua Opens June 21.
Mr. Chas. Dietzel has been notified
of the fact that the Union City dates
of the Redpath summer Chautauqua
begin on Wednesday, June 21. The
program will follow later, and theL
prospects of a large array of fine
If j talent for the 1922 meeting are very
A Government of Interests,
For several ' years the Courier
Chronicle has insisted in season and
out hat the best-governed people are
the least governed people; that men
can't be made better by legal enact
ment; that the morals of the people
broadly speaking, should be left to
the churches and to a healthy moral
sentiment; that the province of gov
ernment is to protect the people in
their personal and property rights
in their material interests and the
safety of life and limb and the free
pursuit of happiness; that free com
petition' is essential under a demo
cratic form of government and that
it means prosperity as to material
things and the development of men
tal alertness and strong fibre in our
people; that a government cannot
exist half socialistic and half demo
cratic; that the shoving of socialistic
planks into a democratic machine
means ultimately the destruction of
that machine and the undoing of the
government for which it functions
Moreover, we have urged that the
deluge of laws with which we are
being inflicted and which cannot be
enforced fairly because of their mul
tiplicity are weakening all the good
and useful laws upon our statute
books and breeding a contempt for
authority and for patriotism.
Nor have we been alone in our
contention. Here and there from the
watch-towers of public opinion have
come cries of danger and warning,
More recently some of the great
minds of our country have been oc
cupied with the consideration of
these things and the cries of warn
ing have become stronger and more
pressing..
Recently Dr. Nicholas Murray But
ler, President of Columbia Univer
sity, said: "In the United States we
are, in flat defiance of all our pro
claimed principles, building a series
of bureaucracies that will put to
shame the best efforts of the govern
ment of the Czar of all the Russias
when in the heyday of its glory. We
are surrounded by agents, inspectors
and spies, and the people are called
upon to support, through their taxes,
in harmful and un-American activi
ties, whole armies of individuals who
should be engaged in productive in
dustry." -
Samuel G. BIythe, the greatest
probably, of the political reporters
and observers of the United States,
writing in the Saturday Evening
Post of March 25, says the American
people learned from the manipula
tions of Big Business that Congress
could "be controlled by organized ef
fort and began to organize, and that
now there are hundreds of organiza
tions engaged in pushing their pet
bills through Congress, and thus im
posing their' wills on the people, re
gardless of their effect as to the gen
eral good or the evil that will finally
result to the government itself.
BIythe points out that Congress is
no longer controlled by parties, but
bends an obedient ear to almost any
kind of organization of power and
unity. "Observing how easy it is to
influence Congress or any other legis
lative body and all Federal and State
executives and administrators by or
ganized pressure, that pressure has
been exerted for all sorts of fantastic
purposes. There is a certain section
of our public that holds the firm con
viction that all social, moral, govern
mental, political, economic and civ
il ills may be cured by legislation. It
is Section One of the Articles of be
lief of this great portion of the peo
ple that the way to reform us, re
generate us, replenish us, reimburse
us for losses due to our own inepti-
these principles and refuse to be op
portunists or obstructionists. Around
these we must build.
If the Democratic party is scrapped
along with the Republican party, it
will be because we refuso to take a
decided stand for principle and right
in defiance of all the organizations
that exist to the contrary. The or
ganizations are bluff pure and sim
ple. They have no strength in a
contest between right and wrong,
and there is nothing to fear from a
clear challenge to them.
Let Democracy make a mighty pro
nouncement at the next national con
vention, and it will sweep the coun
try. Humboldt Courier-Chronicle.
Clean Up Week.
I have designated the week of
April 10, 1922, as clean up week
and request that every one lend a
helping hand that we may commence
the summer months with our city in
a better sanitary condition, free from
tin cans and rubbish of all kinds
that have been allowed to accumulate
during the winter months, so if you
will collect together all the rubbish
and tin cans and place them near a
driveway so the wagons can load
them without driving over your
premises,, otherwise they may be
overlooked (as the teamster will
have instructions not to drive on the
premises of any one for such accumu
lations. This does not include ashes
and we would request that you have
the ashes hauled from your premises
at the same time, as it will be my
purpose to get the town in a sani
tary condition, and keep it in like
condition, and this can only b edone
by and with the help of the citizens.
March 27, J. C. BURDICK, SR.,
Chairman Sanitary Committee
IVIonoy to Loan
We are authorized to take applications for farm loans
in Obion County on improved farms of 40 acres or more.
The rate of interest is very reasonable and the loan made
with the least possible delay.
See us for information and details.
C. N. & H. H. LANNOM
Union City, Tennessee.
INSOLVENT NOTICE.
All pe'rsons holding claims against
the estate of Nelson Mitchell .de
ceased, are hereby requested to come
forward and file same with the Coun
ty Court Clerk, at his office in Union
City, Tennessee, duly authenticated
as prescribed by law, on or before
the 10th day of June, 1922, or the
same will be forever barred, bo'h in
law and equity, as the insolvency of
said estate has been duly suggested.
This March 10, 1922. 51-4t
L. F. BURKE, Administrator.
Our Grocery Store
Quality never lowered to make a price. We hold to
the standards of pure foods and products carefully
packed and handled and delivered to our custom at the
most reasonble and equitable prices.
OUR MOTTO:
A Clean Store A Clean Stock
Prompt Service A Square Deal
THAT'S US
So call for what you want
E. P. GRISSOM
tude, make us happy, moralhealthy,
prosperous and powerful is to pass
ve are to have democracy the plumed encouraging.
laws directing that these desirable
ends shall be attained forthwith and
providing strict penalties for remiss
ness in these various matters." And
again: "Apparently all that is needed
to get any sort of law passed is to
make an organization that shall fa
vor that law. Congress and the leg
islatures meekly and humbly and ob
sequiously do the rest."
Senator Stanley, of Kentucky,
talking about the flood of laws that
annoy and hamper and be-devil us,
recently said: "Every business man
finds an inspector at his elbow and a
Federal sleuth at his heels.... No
body escapes. Everything in the
moral, industrial and commercial
world is to be owned, operated, su
pervised or censored, from the birth
of a baby to the burial of a corpse;
and the worst is not yet."
The people are mighty tired of be
ing dogged and deviled and skinned
by the powers that be.
In our opinion, however, the germ
of life is still strong in the Demo
cratic party. The performance of
the party during the war convinces
us of this, but the Democratic party
must stand for something. It must
go back to first principles. It must
again be the party of Jefferson and
Jackson a party of progressive con
servatism. We have some leaders in
Congress who consistently stand for
NON-RESIDENT NOTICE.
Rice Brown, col., vs. Lucy Brown,
col. Circuit Court, Obion County,
Tennessee.
In the above styled cause, 'it ap
pearing from the bill of complaint,
which is sworn to, that the defend
ant, Lucy Brown, is a non-resident
of the State of Tennessee, and resi
dent unknown, so that ordinary
process of law cannot be served upon
her. It is hereby ordered that 'tne
said above named defendant appear
before the Circuit Court of Obion
County, Tennessee, on or before the
first Monday of May, 1922, that be
ing first day of said Circuit Court,
and make defense to the said bill,
or the same will be taken as con
fessed by her, and the said cause set
for hearing ex-parte as to her. It is
further ordered that publication of
this notice be made for four consec
utive weeks in The Commercial, a
weekly newspaper published in Obion
County, Tenn. l-4t
This 29th day of March, 1922.
J. N. RUDDLE, Clerk.
E. H. Lannoiu, Sol. for Complt. i
204
230
Farmers, Attention!
Never before was there such a need for the co-operation
between the Farmer, Packer, Manufacturer, Banker and all
kinds of legitimate business as to day. We all need to work
together. The farmer was the first to catch the decline in
prices and he must be the first to be pulled out.
Manufacturing and other business cannot prosper unless
the farmers prosper. The very existence of this Packing
Company depends upon the farmers of this community.
Thousands of dollars are lost every month in Obion County
by the farmers selling their grain instead of feeding hogs and
cattle. Go into the Stock Raising business to stay. Sell an
average number of stock yearly instead of by "spells." Keep
your stock until they are fat and ready for market, then they
will command the best price. Every farmer in this county
should raise both hogs and cattle, and every land-owner should
encourage their tenants to raise enough chickens and hogs for
their meat.
When you have live stock for sale call for Mr. J. G.
Saunders, our stock buyer. We are always in the market.
Reynolds Packing Co.
Ben Bra m ham
R. A. Alexander
JUST RECEIVED.
C&r of Aldb&nici
Washed Nut Coal
Same grade and quality as our celebrated
Red Ash Lump. "Nuff Sed."
Phone your orders and we will deliver
promptly.
Alexander Coal Company
XBoth phones 13.