The Columbia herald. [volume], February 25, 1921, Page PAGE FOUR, Image 4

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THE COLUMBIA HERALD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 35, 1921
PTTT""r?TT!"'M'TT!"TTrr7. . .' . , . ' -,- ,;- i , :- - , - 1 : "
THE COLUMBIA HERALD.
Hblihsd Weekly by The Columbia
vBersld Company, Inc., J. I. Fin
' M7, President, W. D. Hastings,
'i i Becretary and Treasurer.
Catered ia the Poatoffice at Columbia,
,j Tn as lecond-clasi mall matter.
I. I. FINNEY President
ftiCHARD H. WYATT Editor
' H, D. HA8TING8. .Business Manager
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Dae Tear IU5
tlx Months 75
PROTECTIVE TARIFF.
V la 'a speech opposing the Fordney
emergency tariff measure Senator
John Sharp Williams, of Mississippi,
one of the brilliant minds of the sen
ate, made some observations that
caused even the "grave and reverend
lenatora" alt up and take notice. Ordi
narily about a half dozen senators lis
ten to the speeches of one of their
number, but the dispatches record the
presence of about seventy senatorial
listeners 'to Senator Williams and a
reading of his remarks In the Congres
sional Record Is sufficient explana
tion for the unusual tribute paid this
distinguished Southerner.
Senator Williams' In the brief time
t.iat he occupied the floor utterly put
to rout the protective tariff advocates
and he did so in the most effective and
scholarly manner too. They withered
under his sanasm. He declared that
for governmental purposes all that he
was and all that he had belonged to
the ' eOTeruroent of his country, but
that for the enrichment of any class
or Individual the government had no
right to take a cent from him. And
Senator Williams is entirely right.
The. prptective tariff is violative of
this sound principle of government,
which is supposed to be based on
equal and exact justice to all men.
I Following in the wake of the pro
tective Jarlff seekers, every Interest
now that through bad guesses, or be
cause of the war of for any other un
toward, and unexpected incident, is
threatened, with loss of money,, is
, rushing to the government for help
and aid. ,Tbere was a time when bus
iness was gwhampered and when men
who made .bad deals or unfortunate
'investments took their losses and
bravely went to work to repair them,
but .that ia all changed now,-and in
cases of this kind they rush to Wash
ington for" aid.
; ;t:
COTTON ACREAGE.
JCvery : possible encouragement
Should be given by the business inter
ests of the nation to' the movement
having for Its object a material reduc
tion of the cotton acreage of the
'.fo'utik .The only hope for a cotton
price that will be commensurate with
the- cost of production must come
through a reducution of the cotton
acreage. " For years the 'South has
been urged to diversify its crops and
measurable progress has been made
along that line, but with the coming of
undreamed of prices for cotton, due
to the war, the admonitions were for
gotten and the cotton acreage again
increased. Now the world is so im
poverished that It cannot buy and
'consume the cotton grown and as a
' result the prices have declined far be
low the cost of growing.
The South is practically without a
serious competitor in the growing of
cotton and H only a reasonable acre
age were planted and modern meth
ods were invoked it Bhould be the
most prosperous portion of the globe.
Unfortunately the unprecedented pros
t perity that the Southern states en-
. joyed as he result of high prices for
cotton did little lasting good. The
surplus revenues were spent largely in
.riotous living. Now the situation is
truly alarming and can be remedied
only by a substantial reduction in the
acreage of the crop. This, invokes the
familiar law of supply and demand
and must mean a higher price for the
staple.
It is not only a sectional but a na
tional problem. The prosperity of the
cotton states means greater prosperity
for every section of the United States.
For when the people of the cotton
-states have money to spend they are
free buyers of the wares and products
: of 'every section of the nation. The
purchasing power of the people is in
creased and the factories and shops
of the East and North enjoy larger
sales and better profits. Likewise the
wheat and stock farmers of the West
have better markets when the cotton
grow ers have money to spend.
still deluded with the idqa that the
curest road to politician fortune Is
to fawn and flatter the farmers. " "
Theso observations are given' point
by the recent enactment of a law in
the Tennessee legislature to defer the
collection of taxes from March 1 to
May -, "for the relief of the farmers."
Every intelligent farmer knows that
his crops are seasonal and that in this
state tnere will be vory little t6 mar
ket from the farm between March
and May, loss perhaps thau In any
other two months of : the ' year. Ex
cept the poultry and dairy products lit
tle money will be paid to farmers for
their products. Not a bushel of wheat
or of oats or single lamb will go to
market before May li.The great major
ity of the farmers are just as well
prepared to pay "their taxes today as
they will be sixty days hence.- Com
paratively few 'of the small farmers
will take -advantage of the extension.
As a matter of face it will innure"very
largely if not wholly to the advantage
of the large taxpayers, those best able
to meet the burden without delay.
'. Now what is the result of this ex
ension? It has embarrassed the treas
ury of this and nearly every other
county in the state. The school fund
of this county is already ' overdrawn
with two more months salaries yet to
be paid. If arrangements were not
made by the officials with the banks
to carry these overdrafts the schools
would either be closed or the under
paid teachers would be forced to ac
cept discounts on their warrants. The
highway fund, is exhausted and much
work on tne roaus snouia De -done at
this time. In some counties the threat
is already made that the school term
is U be shortened because of . the lack
.1 . , .
of funds. i Ti-i ''' '' '
If there are any departments of
government in which the farmer has a
Vital interest they are the roads and
the schools. If they suffer the farm
ers suffer most. The "poor farmers"
must' depend altogether upon the pub
lic schools for the education of their
children, the large and rich taxpay
ers can send elsewhere. The "poor
farmer" more than any one else needs
good roads over which to market his
products and get ' his children j4to
school. ,.... .... ,
If the' counties, are forced to borrow
money" as they will .be the taxpayers
must pay the interest, adding still
further to the burdens of government.
The whole proposition analyzed is
just further proof of the poor opinion
which the average politician has of
the ability of the farmers to know the
"fake remedy" from real disinterested
friendship. .'' , .
All of these contributions must be
paid by the people of Tennessee' and
the other states, : '
Tennessee has been running behind
Its revenue for. several years and in
ordor to "make both ends meet."-And
extinguish this deficit taxes have been
Increased. The county tax rate in this
and nearly every other county of the
state has .been largely Increased In
recent years. There has been a per
fect orgy of bond issues by counties
and municipalities in the state and
Tennessee only a tew days ago in
3reased its bonded debt by a million
lollars. The proposed $50,000,000
would be almost equal to another mil
lion dollar debt on Maury county. It
would require at least seven per cent
to pay principal and Interest or
ibout $70,000 more that this -county
would have to conrtibute annually. To
raise this sum would require a tax
levy of more than twenty cents 'on the
present assessed valuation and it is
certain that this valuation will not
Hand another year,
j , ARRANT DEMOGOGUERY.
It W always a favorite past time
"with the politicians to try to deceive
and delude the farmers with the idea
that they are the especial objects of
the love and disinterested service of
the "country saviors." The politi
cians never tire of telling the farmers
'of their. deep seated affection for
them. -Whenever ny measure or Is
sue arises that in the slightest degree
may relate to the agricultural inter
ests thesa sturdy champions of the
tillers of the soil may be depended
npon to sally forth full armed fo:
desperate encounter with all the en
emies of the farmers. Not that the
farmers are easily deceived, for they
are not,' usually they are good judges
of human nature and can easily de
tect the false from the true; they
'''know a hawk from a handsaw" as
well as did Hamlet, but the politicians
cava not yrt discoTmvd this and are
BACK TAX INVESTIGATION.
If the statement made by the mem
bers of the legislative committee in
vestigating the administration of the
back tax laws are true it is better to
bo a revelue agent than president of
the. United States so far as compensa
tion is concerned. The revenue asent
of Middle Tennessee is' charged with
Having , received in compensation' a
sum many times than paid to the gov
ernor and equal to the combined sal
aries of the five justices of the su
preme court. It is, however, probably
no larger than the compensation of
certain county officials of the state.
But unquestionably it is altogether
too much and any law that allows
such unreasonable compensation
should be amanded or repealed.
This is not a time for extravagant
salaries or fees to officials. Public
officials should be generously compen
sated, but not paid more than similar
services would be paid by private cor
porations. The public is getting some
interesting facts as a result of the
investigation of the back tax machine,
but there is no prospect for any rem
edy from these conditions.1 The comp
troller is responsible for the admin
istration of the back tax laws. His
course has been approved, his admin
istration endorsed and he was unan
icuiusly elected for a term of two
years. It looks farcical to do all of
this investigating after the very men
who are doing it have placed their
seal of approval on the official being
investigated. The Herald said at the
outset that under all the circum
stances it doubted the wisdom of the
large expenditure that is being in
curred. . ,
STATE BOND ISSUE.
Former .Senator C. Y. - Clarke very
properly protests against the. bill in
traduced in the legislature to author
ize a bond issue of fifty millions of
dollars for road construction. This
same bill was defeated two years ago
and Senator Clarke contributed large
ly to that happy result. 'The Herald
was the leader in tht fight on it at
that time and it has not had any occa
Bion to reverse its position. On the
contrary this paper is more than ever
convinced that it would be height of
tolly to incur so stupendous a debt at
this time for road construction.
The nation, like all the other partici
pants in the recent war, is staggering
under a load of debt. The annual in
terest charge on the public debt of
the United States is today more than
the aggregate expenditures of the na
tion twenty years ago. , It takes a bil
lion dollars per annum to pay inter
est and besides a sinking fund must be
provided. Expenditures of the govern
ment, despite enormously increased
taxes, are exceeding the revenues.
Everything in night is already taxd.
DANGEROUS TENDENCY.
Are the constant encroachments of
the federal government upon the pow
ers of the states, its assumption of
control over highways, public health
and education, to ultimately destroy
our form of government and make it
pure paternalism, or bureaucracy
rather than that union of sovereign
states designed bv the founders of the
-epublic? It would seem that this is to
be the fate of our great structure of
free government. ' instead of a con
federacy of Independent states, reserv
ing to themselves all 'powers not ex
pressly granted to the general govern
ment, each competing with the other
n the arts of civilization and the ways
f progress, the state lines are to be
bliterated and everything is to be
lone according to orders from Wash-
'ugton. .
Already the federal government is
striving for uniformity and absolute
control of the federal highways, brlb
ing the states Into acquiescence by lib
eral subsidies conditioned on the sur
-ender of all authority to the central
power. As a result we have witnessed
in this and other counties a wild, mad
scramble, to get a share of the bounty
of the federal government and a Slav
ish willingness to submit to any terms
that favored ones might be assured a
share in the prodigal liberality of the
federal bureau. Formerly we did
these things through private and com
munity Initiative and enterprise, now
our whole reliance Is on the central
authority at Washington. No matter
what we may desire we rush to Wash
'ngton to get it.
Only recently the senato passed a
bill that will ultimately mean-ti stand
ard health policy and the centraliz
ing in the powers at Washington of all
control over the private habits of free
citizens. Now iE is proposed through
m education bill to have standards
ind uniformity of thought and speech
and education. EveYy ono believes ir
public education, certaiilly po one
more than The Herald, but it is un
alterably opposed to the German sys
tern, which up to the great war was
the admiration of scholars all over the
world, but which In the end proved to
be a genuine hell's broth.'
Senator King, of Utah, a democrat
of the old school, recently made these
very striking and forceful observa
tions on the socalled Smith-Towner
bill which must find hearty approval
in the mind of every democrat who be
lieves in the fundamental principles
upon which our republic was founded
and without which it cannot survive.
Said Senator King:
"The senator from North Carolina
knows that if wo establish this federal
agency to aid in eduueation, . those
safeguards in time will be thrown
off and there will be established in
Waashlngton an autocratic power that
will standardize and bureancratlze and
reduce to a dead-level unifomity ' the
educational .system of the slates of
the union. Not only that; it will not
be content with standardizing educa
tion, of securing uniformity in edu
cational activities, but it will stand
ardize the thoughts in people, and if
the people in the senator's state are
not in harmony with the federal sys
tem of thought, then they will be de
nied appropriations, or pressure will
be brought by the federal government
to compel Aie people of the state to
renounce views which are regarded
Ss heretical. We are to have an or
thodox educational system and a cel
lular uniformity in the social and po
pitical structure. Germany standard
ized everything her philosophy final
ly produced uniformity and pernicious
policies. , -
"A paternalistic government cannot
survive when individuality and free
dom abound. A bureaucratic govern
ment is imposible without unnformity
in administrative as well as in the
substantive matters. We standardize
our public buildings, our ships, our
federal policies, and shall we do as
Prussia did The German conferation
destroyed the. power and vitality of
the German, states; but it built up a
military autocracy that sought to
crush the world. -,
"The progres of the world comes
from heterogeneity, rather than from
homogeneity. What is needed is not
protoplasmic masses, but active con
testing units. The civilizing force of
Christianity is found in the doctrine
that each inriividanl holds his destiny
in his own hands. He la saved not in
groups but individually, as a'resnlt of
his own efforts and the purity and right
eousness of his awn life. Uniformity,
like consistency, is the vital thing to
little minds. It is likewise a stumb
ling block to progress. " -
"Mr.' President, we need variety in
life, differences in the thoughts and
activities of different sections. I want
the senator's state to engage in rivalry
with my state, and I. want to see my
state struggling for primacy in the in
tellectual and edcational fields of our
couutry. But the senator by his poli
cy, and that is the policy of so many
men in the country, wants the power
of federal government exerted Ju the
states to control and influence their
domestic affairs. The crusade is now
on to have the federal government
control the Btates, build their . high
ways, care for the public health, edu
cate the people, and take over the po
lice powers reserved by the peoplo to
the states. This will secure uniformi
ty; but it will likewise destroy this re
public. '
"I have not time and it was not my
intention when I rose, to examine the
bill in Its .details' and differentiate it
from other legislation which I regard
as destructive of the rights of the
states and the rights of communities,
and destructive of that individualism,
that spirit of personal independence,
which ilea at the basis of free institu
tions and which must persist if the
government endures. The bill is more
dangerous than some of "those that
bear more strikingly upon their coun
tenances the determination to destroy
state lines, because it is bo seductive
and alluring. , It burglarizes while it
professes friendship and to be the
bearer of beneficent gifts. It steals
Into the states under the guise of an
angel of mercy and of light for the
purpose of striking down the individ
uality and pesronal : independence of
the inhabitants of the states and ulti
mately strangling the spirit of commu
nity life and of state rights.
"I am not contending for the asser
tion of state rights that would dismem
ber the republic, but I am contending
for the preservation of the states so
that the republic may be preserved.
The supreme court of the union has
said over and over again that the
union cannot be preserved unless we
preserve 'the states. Anyone who is
familiar with, the legislation of con
gress during the past 15 or 20 years
must have reached the conclusion that
there is a persistent effort to minimize
the states and aggrandize the federal
government, to debauch the people, to
enervate them , to destroy their love
of local self government, their pride
in their own states and their achieve
ments. . ;, I r: ': ' ' . .
."It must-be a parent to all that. the
movements tor federal participation in
the domestic affairs of the states can
have but one end, the submergence of
the states, and the current carrying
them will consolidate all authority in
a centralized government functioning
In Washington."
LIBERAL RESPONSE
TO APPEAL FOB HELP
MAURY COUNTIANS OPEN PURSES
TO SUFFERING FAMILY DESCRIB
ED BY C. D. SARGENT.
(From Saturday's Daily Herald.)
Maury county never turns a deaf ear
to the cry of distress. .
Never was this fact more . clearly
demonstrated than on Friday when
Columbians and Maury coutians bus
ied themselves to relieve the suffer
ings of a family of nine, described in a
letter to The Herald by C. D. Sargcaut,
Primm, Te,nn. ; ;. ,
As the result of the publication of
Mr. Sargeant's letter in The Kera'.d,
not less than $250 in money and an
abundance of clothing and food will be
given the family, whose pitiable condi
tion was so tuchingly described by Mr.
Sergeant. ... - '
The committee of the Junior Order
Of Unjted American Mechanics, com
posed of T. L. Cunniugham, J. L. Sil
van and C. M.' Edwards secured yes
terday in money $142.70 which has
been deposited in the Columbia Bank
& Trust Company, and will be checked
out by this committee as bills for food
anJ other necessaries for this family
are received properly O. K'd. Others
who may wish to contribute may sec
any member of the committee.
Sirs. T. J. Hardison, of the Carter's
Creek section, will within the next day
or two forward clothing collected in
that community; ; Mesdames W. J.
Dale, Sr.. Lem Thomas and Walter
Green, of Columbia, are also collect
ing articles "of clothuig to be forward
ed the unfortunate family. In addi
tion to these donations listed. R. E.
Nichols has already forwarded nearly
$30 in money to ' Mr. Sargeant to be
used in relief work, and the Kiwanis
Club has subscribed a neat sum also.
It is readily apparent that the family
will be well provided for when the
contribution 8 arri ve.
2d
I,-
n ! " - " - .
Spring's Loveliest
" New Dnsses of Silk!
Women will find easy
choosing among our very
attractive displays of new
Dresses of
Taffeta and
Canton Crepe Millinery
AH the newest models are"
here in a varied assortment
of new fresh Spring Shades.
You'll find the prices
very reasonable.
The styles were never lovelier
Our display of new Easter
.Millinery is ready all the
newest creations from some
of the foremost designers
America. p
2nd Floor
Spring's Newest Footwear Fashions!
Easter comes early this yearbetter plan for your .Footwear now and
we know of no better place to come than here. All the newest lasts antf
leathers represented jn fthis collection the greatest, most varied and
reasonably priced that we have ever shown. Experienced fitters which
means "comfort" is guaranteed.
New
Silks
Beautiful Silks!
There's a great many
new things to select
from this Spring. Our
big Silk Department as
usual show all the
newest things first.
Hundreds of yards of
new Silks now on dis
playpriced on the
new low market. ;
New Hosiery!
The new styles calls
for pretty stockings.
Our; hosiery depart
ment is showing all
the new things in plain
Silks and ,Lace in
colors to match the
new footwear.
1
Beautiful
New
Blouse
For
Spring!
Plenty of the newest . styles now in stock others
arriving almost daily. You'll have no. trouble far
selecting from such an assortments as you V
always find at this stored ",V
--Second
Plooi:-
. iJfo
VI '
Thousands of Yards of New Cottons!
AH Priced on the New Low Market
FIRST FL06R
' A pearl-fisher in Torres straits once
found a cluster of pearls in the shape
of a perf,.ji cross. This cluster, after
passing through the hands of several
dealers, was eventually sold to some
wealthy Roman Catholics for presen
tation to the Pope, the sum paid being
1.10,000.
These New Easter Garments
. Come Just At The Right Time
Everybody is tired of old
winter things
We Have Assembled a
Wonderful Assortment
' Pf
Suits and Coats
lll Every new model is. here, in all the
newest weaves and the much want'
ed shades for Spring. All priced
on the new low market.
mm Comes ;
JtmX This
.: Year!
IF, YOU SEE IT IN OUR AD, IT'S SO
E WILL
MEET ITS QUOTA
HERALD THANKED FOR ITS SER
VICE IN BEHALF OF STARVING
CHILDREN OF EUROPE.
'
(From Saturday's Daily Herald.)
The Herald is in receipt of the fol
lowing letter from the state European
relief committee:
Editor Herald, Columbia, Tenn.
Dea. Sir: , . .
"In behalf of the European Relief
Council and the three- and a half mi'-i
lion starring children in Europe, I de
sire to thank you sincerely for the
editorial rapport and for your kindly
and generous co-operation in helping
to make the campaign in Tennessee a
success
'"Tennessee's quota of 1250.000 we
feel almost certain will be fully sub
scribed wllu the 1150,000 of the quota
in cash.
"The response to this appeal from
the good people of the dear old
Volunteer State has been most grati
fying and Tennessee has been hon
ored in having the privilege of help
ing save the lives of 23,000 of these
three and a half million starving chil
dren. ''Again thanking you, I remain, cor
dially yours, - . -
"E. E. GEORGE,
State Director."
ASKS FOR CLOTHING .
FOR POOR FAMILY
(From Friday s Daily Herald.)
Mrs. V. J. Dalo. Sr., was touched
by Mr. Sergeant's appeal for help for
a family in 'the Western section of
this county and she will accept any
donations of money or old clothing
or shoes. There are nine in this
family so that most any good cloth
ing would come in useful. Mrs. Dale
lives on Sixth street and she will see
that every donation made through
her is sent to the family without cost.
Mrs -Tom Friel has returned from
Pensacola and other points of inter
est in Florida.
HIGH SCHOOL BAND
SHOWS IMPROVEMENT
FURrlSHES MOST EXCELLENT
MUSIC AT BASKETBALL GAMES
FRIDAY EVENING. ,
(Fi'om Saturday's Daily Herald.)
Students of Central High School have
just cause to be proud of the brass
band, which has been organized by
Miss O'Callagban, director of music,
since the - first of the present
term the band has shown wonderful
improvement
Fefore the games and during the in
termissions last night the band fur
nished splendid music, snapping out
some of the season's peppiest music
like a bunch of old timers.
The band also betters the morale of
the rooting corps, which is famous for
the way it supports the .'epresenta-
tives of the school when in action.
r
Mr. aud Mrs. W. D. Hastings and
W. D.. Jr.. Misses Genie Holland, Mary
lArr.b and Mittie Elam motored to
Nashville Friday and beard Cluck
7imblist nt th Rymsn auditorinm.