The clarion., 1886-04-28


make the following extracts:
There was very little OF general legisla-
tion comparatively. As State we are
cursed with local legislation / presume
this is the case elsewhere but it is to be de
plored.
THE LIEN LAW.
The first general legislation 10 which
| viii direct your attention is the repeal
OF what Is commonly known as the mer-
chants lien Law. | voted against It's repeal
for the following reasons
j had taken special pains before | left
for Jackson to ascertain the wishes OF nav
iellow-citizens upon this subject | had
conversed with Intelligent farmers from
different parts of the county and / found a
great diversity oil opinion among them. |
received many letters from which discoy-
cred the same difference OF opinion. and |
could not for the life of me arrive at
correct conclusion as to what YOU really
desired a. touching this subject. l was
then forced TO exercise NV best Judgment
on the subject, and after careful thought
concluded that il might be better to let
well enough alone" particularly when /
saw that the repeal Of this law would effect
| a very radical change in State Of affairs
| that had been in existence for a number Of
years, | feared that bad feeling might be
aroused between landlord and tenant. and
in view OF the great question of the possi-
BILE antagonism between capital and labor
which is now assuming such vast pronor-
tions decided to vote as | did against
the present repeal of this law | am glad
to find since my arrival that the action OF
the Legislature in repeating this law meets
with pretty general approval, and it i
possible that I erred in voting as | did.
| sincerely trust that it may be demon
strated that | did err.
LOCAL OPTION BILL.
The next law of general nature to
which | will call your attention is tn,
local option bill.
i / voted for this bill and did all | coulC
to effect its passaga. | found local pro
hibitory bills coming up from every
quarter of the State. | saw that thi
question was being agitated in almos
every neighborhood throughout the State
and that communities were divided, feel
ings of bitterness engendered, and
believed that ii was a question that on n
to be settled by the people of the severa
counties, by means of fairly conducted
election to be held at a time other than a
; a general election. l was and am opposed
to the sale OF spirituous liquors, and M,
views were not concealed but were wei
known when | was elected, and believing
, that this measure would result in favor o
the cause of temperance, believing that
majority OF the counties in this State woEl
: thus vote, | gave the measure, as befor
! stated, my hearty support.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
heartily favored the submission to lh
people the question Of a Constitutions
Convention The Constitution under whic
we live was not formed by Mississippian
1t il the handiwork of aliens and enemie
and the people Of Mississippi had no vote
e in its formation Ii imposes upon ia
, people a number Of useless and unnecessar
officers, all of whom have to be paid out
the State Treasury and by the toiin
: masses OF the people. | regard the expen-
/ of holding this Convention as insignifcar
- in comparison with the amount that coul
and would be saved by abolishing thes
unnecessary Offices In the matter of tn
: Chancellors alone there would be saved i
one year the full amount that the holdin
o of a Convention would cost. / believe th
. Chancery Courts ought to be abolishe,
Our excellent Circuit Judges can easil
perform the labors His Honor, Judg
Featherston, can, in addition to his presel
! duties, easily perform all the functions {
the Chancellor, and the State would saw
: annually large sum of money. For the;
and other reasons that | will rot enumerat
now, favored the calling of Constitl
= tional Convention.
The finances of the State, the Penitel
f tiary, Gulf and Ship Island Railroad
> the Simonton Amendment to the Kanss
, City Railroad Charter, and the Stat
: Normal School at Holly Springs, are a
e discussed in this excellent speech.