The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-08-11
LETTERS on PUBLIC AFFAIRs
The Financial Condition of the
State-The Chlckasaw School
Fund.

To the People Of Holmes County.
i Since the adjournment OF the Legs
latnre have felt it 10 he duty owed
to those who selected me to represent
/ them to make something of report as
TO the condition of their affairs, and
| what seemed best to be done TO promote
the happiness and prosperity OF the peo-
pie. This duty has been postponed by
me, on account of continued bad health
and accumulation of private business.
| But so far as | can | will now under. axe
to discharge this duty. 1t is Impossible
TOR free people to wisely govern them
selves unless they are always fully IN
! formed as to their needs, or the evils
which Is is necessary to meet or over
come, and these reeds cal never be
known except through their representa-
lives and through the press Much has
| been communicated to you through the
press, SO that 1t will of en- only be nee
essary for me TO speak generally OF facts
which you already know.
| The first question which arises Is,
CHOW much do we owe, to whom, and
| for what do we owe it? The State Of
| Mississippi owed on January lst 1886,
SO l78, 693 81. She owed on January 1st,
| 1885. 81, 063. 837 %, thus showing an in
crease of her deot, of about Sll0 600
| during the year 1885. This debt has
| been steadily increasing during the
wears 1882, 'S3, '84 and 50. and the az
gregate increase during these years has
been about $492, S26,68, or at an aver
age annual increase of $4,000 If you
will think of the condition of affairs
this foreshadows some years hence, you
faal ha nnFfQnPA of
averting the burdens which We are
leaving our children in the shape of
burdensome debts and exorbitant taxa
tion. The necessity of reduction of
expenditures was felt most sensibly by
your representatives from this county.
and every effort made by them, aud
Others TO accomplish this end, but there
were many others who were so eager to
appropriate large sums of the peoples
f1oney that the principles of retrench
ment we're not so effectual as its friends
desired it to be.
The question naturally arises, to whom
do we owe these debts?
cHIcKAsAw SCHOOL FUND.
We owe to the Chickasaw School Fund
1916 SOS %, upon which we pay per
cent. interest annually. 1t is generally
thought that this money is distributed
throughout the State for school pur
poses This is not true, but it is dis
tributed to the following counties and
parts of counties To wit: Parts OF Iu
MICA, Pamela, Yalobusha, Calhoun, Chloe
taw, Colfax and Lowndes; and all OF
Cnickasaw, Monroe, Itawamba, 1isho
mingo, Alcorn, Prentlss, Lee, Pontotoc,
Union, Tippah, Benton, Lafayette, Mar
shalt and DeSoto. TO these counties
the State annually pays as interest ON
this debt sos 1913 81, an amount which,
when added To their dIstrlbutlye share
Of the common school fund, is enough
with but lutte and from these counties.
10 run their public schools tor four
mouths each year. 1t will be readily
seen that the people of the entire state
are paying a high rate OF interest
for the benefit of a few counties
and while this debt is treated as debt
that is never 10 De paid it is really one
that should either be speedily paid or
the rate vi interest should be reduced. |
Ii it could be discharged by issuing
bonds at four per cent, there would be
d net saving To the people OF So2,66o to
per annum; an amount sufficient To sup
port one of our Universities. The nat
ural inquiry Is, how did the State make
this deuL? IL occurred as follows: Con |
gress, by an act OF Mach 3D., 1893, re |
served from sale section sixteen IN each |
township, TOR the support OF schools Ia |
each township. by The treaty OF Pom |
totoc Greek, on 3Oth of October, 1882, |
the ChIckasaw Indians coded to the
United States all their lands In Mis- |
sIsslppi, amounting TO 6,2S3, SO4 acres,
aud Congress vested In the State Tor |
school purposes, IN lieu OF the sixteenth |
section, one thirty-sixth part OF these
lands, TO be used tor school purposes |
only, amounting to ia, $50 acres.
BY an Act oil the Legislature of 1913 !
the State authorized the Secretary oil |
State To lease these lands for ninety nine |
years and the proceeds were to be |
cnarge ON the state for the Use OF schools |
Ia the Chickasaw Session. This action |
OF the State was approved by Congress
by an Act approved Nay 18th, 1902, and |
authorized the State thereafter 10 sell |
and convey such lands In fee simple, or |
lease for Il term OF years as the LegIsla |
ture may deem best, ETC., and To invest |
the money arising from such sales as the |
Legislature may direct Tor the use and |
support OF schools IN the respective |
townships and tor no other purposes.
BY an Act vi the Legislature approved |
March 7th, 1856, IL was provided that
the ChIckasaw School Fund which AROSE
from sales under The act OF 1913 shall |
become charge on the State OF Mlssls
sIppi and shall remain and be subject TO |
general appropriation, by law, etc.
IT, will Unus be seen that the State can
either continue to be a debtor to the |
Cnlckasaw School Fund, and can ad |
minister The fund as she has done, or |
can pay it or reduce the interest as she |
may deem fair and equitable. This IS,
| believe, a brief history of fund
which is little understood by our people,
but is a subject which should command
public attention. The space allowed me
precludes my pursuing this subject fur
Their at this time. but | will endeavoi
to make such further report hereafter |
as may be demanded.
Respectfully,
l. GWIN