The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1888-03-29

a homestead TO MANNED Confeder-
ate soldiers, while the miserable
policy adopted and pursued since
1881, was transferring millions Of
acres Of our public domain 10 rich
corporations, foreign syndioates
and lordly spectators, at a price
ranging from 2 TO Z cents per acre.
To-day, the State holds only 26l,-
029 acres Of the 100000 she own
ed in 1850, and we have nothing
in the treasury to show for this
reckless waste Of the States great
resources, set apar. by our Con-
stitution for the education Of our
children, unless perhaps the Val
ley Railroad Company has paid
the taxes for 1928 and 1857 on
their lands, which taxes they have
heretoiore illegally with b cid,
doubtless with the hope Of effect
ing the one-sided "compromise"
made by the quieting tax title act.
But the point TO which 1 desired
to call special attention, is con-
tained in the statement made by
the Appeal, that "the elsemOsy-
nary institutions have been put on
half rations."
1 imagine, Mr.. Editor, your i'm
pressiOns were formed on this sub
jeot by hearing the howl Of the ap-
preparation wolves, domiciled at
these institutions, or by listening
to the eroakings Of the Capital
cormorants, who constantly hover
around our depleted State Treasu-
ry. You certainly did not take
the pains 10 consult the Official re-
cords, else you could not have fal-
len into so gravean error. speak
that ] do know and which the fig
ures win verify, when l say that
the appropriations for the sup
port ofthe inmates in our two Insane
Asylums, and the pupils IN the Deaf
and Damb and the Blind Institutes
A,sUe been Increased rather than d.
mihished.
To demonstrate the absolute cor
roctness ofthis assertion, II will be
necessary to 90 back to 1886, when
certain watchful members of the
Legislature were impressed with
the idea, that in defiance of law,
cxtrsvagant practices we're indulg-
ed in by some Of the officers and
employees at these institutions, and
a committee was charged to look
into the matter. A searching in.
vestigation was made and a ring
ing report followed. which may be
found in House Journal for 1896
on page All. In this report, the
Committee say, "they find upon
Investigation, that 1t has been the
practice, sanctioned by a custom
OF long standing, for the Superin-
tendents of the various Asylums at
Jackson to subsist themselves and
their families out ofthe apPropria-
tions made for the support Of these
institutions" They say further,
that at the Asylum for the Insane,
(and I take this institution as
fair basis for this argument, for it
is better managed than some of the
Others the families of the Superin-
tendent and his Assistant average
thirteen persons "and at the cost
per capita of maintaining said insti-
tuition in 1885, VIZ: s184,7O, the
support OF these persons cost the
State the sum ofs1751.1O for sup.
plies" They tell US too that there
are FIVE servants employed main
ly if not entirely in the center
building in the service of the Su-
and his assistant"
and that the monthly pay of these
servants is S5l per month or s6l2
per year" They express the opin-
ion "that the cost per capita of
said families is some
what greater than that Of maintain
ing the patients and employees"
They declare chat for this practice
there is no authority Of law" and
thev denounoe it "as reprehensi-
bic" and recommend the passage
Of q bill for its correction. Be
causa af thu v;oorous oo,os;t;o, 81