Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-01-14
The Governer's Message.


inc upon line and prccept upon pre-
,ept, and would recommend its
thoughtful perusal to our readers.
We were struck with the fullness
VI the document, AMI with the many |
lefects Of our present system Of
laws pointed out ny II. We were
also struck with the lack Of practi'
cal legislative remedies suggested
by II. For instance, the Governor
points out the evils, attendant upon
the want Of u uniform assessment
law, which he shows very clearly
should bc changed. but win'is M
by saying: "IfyOu can devise some
means Of securing uniformity OF val.
uation, and an impartial exhibit OF
all taxable wealth Of the State 1t
will meet nv hearty concurrence"
Again he shows very clearly that
the judiciary expenses which
constit ate the heaviest tax on the
counties arc unnecessarily enhan.
ced by tho circuit court taking orig.
inal cognizance Of certain ::mis,le.
peapop and says, "lfyou eau pass
any measure to remedy this mis-:
chief ! earnestly recommend you to
do SOC" and suggests that, In orler
te:kesptl,ese cases out Of the CIR.
cult court that the district attorney
lie allowed no fee aud witnesses no
cost in such cases, hut that Justices
OF the Peace I've allowed u fee OF say
one fourth the present fee paid to
district attorneys In such cases -
The manifest object Of this sugges.
ton is to increase the jurisdiction
OF Justices Of the Peace and 10 stim.
ulate them to enforce the law. This
occurs to US to DC the most imprac.
teal way to enforce the law that
could he suggested. IL Is already
proyerhialy true that mo innocent
man can escape q Justice OF the
Peace" AMI, II to his present fees an
additional fee OF two dollars and a
half bc allowed for conviction, and
their jurisdiction bc enlarged there
will not Ike enough men out Of the
county Jail IN any ordinary county
to run a circuit court. In NIL .seri.
BUSINESS, it is perfectly impossible
for any man who is thoroughly un-
trained in the Law to administer il,
aud instead Of charging the 'Juris-
dic,Ion OF the Justice court We
should have a county criminal
court in each county and it should
lie presided over by men Of some
attainncnts in the law, and these
courts should have jurisdiction OF
all such cases rs should be kept out
Of the circuit cont. Again, the
failure TO allow witness fees, in
tGese cases in the circuit court, wO.ld
be an invitation To States witnesses
Ia stay away irom the court aud
thus crime would so unpublished.
Again the message set up tho def
cheney Of the present Penitcntiary
lease system. and says sit is not
satisfactory in its results and is not
approved by the people, and fails
TO suggest any course that would
DO approved by the people. There
are ST. convicts in the penitentiary,
Of whom 10S are negroes. IL is safe
to sap that ut least 500 OF these nc.
goes were sent to the penitentiary
on account or their weakness for
pork and that halfof them are there
for stealing q "pig Of the value Ct
one dollar Now We think that it
is perfectly absurd, to Increase the
Judiciary expenses OF tue county to
send negro or any Que else to the
penitcntiary to be leased out for
stealing a pig worth one dollar
Let such cases be fined and taxed
With the cost and sent to the cOun-
ty contractor and be made to work
out the expenses, and serve q rea.
sonable term Of imprisonment, un-
der the contractor, which would bo
just Us much punishment to the Of:
fender, AMI save the cost Of convic,
ton to the county. The county con.
tractor would then control q conSid.
cradle number of these laborers aud
he could afford to provide work for
them, and then their would DO good
bids made for the contract, AMI it 4
would yield a revenue to the coun-
ty, or, at least, save the county the
rossof such prosecution.
The message is only another evi.
denee of the wcll-knowr principle
that it IN easier to criticise them
correct. AL told, it is q states
document Of which no Mis-
sissippian need ieel ashamed and
which should be carefully pondered
by all.
W. ..o,.a., "a, a, tol,Ia S,f ttu N rar