The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1888-04-05
OFFICIAL VIOLATION oFLAw.


free pass business, no matter
whether il was issued for himself
and family or for his family alone.
In either event he is beneficiary
Of the "liberalitY Of the Railroad"
(Which Of itself is an offense
against the law and a violator Of
q plain statute Of Mississippi APP
proved by him as Chief Aagis-
trate.
While we regard the deliberate
violation Of any law, however in
significant, by an Official charged
with its enforcement, sas a grave
offsnse, yetws have been surprised
to find such a general criticism Of
the free pass episode, which affects
directly only the Governor and
the corporation extending tn e
courtesy, when the records dis
close other violations Of law, which
tended to deplete the treasury and
increase the burden oftaxation up
on the people, that have been pass
ed by almost without comment.
For instance, the contract with the
Lessees of the Penitentiary from
lst or Jan'y 1881 TO lst of Jan'y
1887, provided that said lessees
should pay the State an annual
rental Of s39, 420 for the use of the
prison and conviots. Under an
act passed in 1877 the Lessees
might contract with the Superin
tendent for repairs and improve
ment upon the penitentiary, with
the approval Of the Governor, fol
any amount necessary not to ex
oeed the $50, ,420.
Gov. Lowry was inducted into
Office in January 1882, and from
his message to the Legislature il
January 1884, we extract the fol
lowing:
Under section 2 Of an Act an
proved Jnnugry 81, 1877, I bavea ap
proved during the past two yehr
contracts made by the Superinten
dent of the Penitiary for necessar,
repairs which aggregate s7,7l7,7S
This sum was credited en- the leas,
for 1882, and the balance Of sS3,
944,33 due on said lease was, unde
my direction, paid into the treas
ury where it now awaits your dis
position. Section 3of the act afore
said provides that "said amount
Of hire due the State shall not b
expended and appropriated 70
any purpose whatever, except a
herein described"-i. e., in the i'm
provement of the Penitentiary.
earnestly recommend that this Sectio
be immediately repealed. The authoi
tn conferred IS too great. 1t give
the Governor and Superintendent
of the Penitentiary the uncond
tional disposal, according to thei
discretion, of $50, $4,000 yearly
Under their contract the Lessee
claim the right, and the claim
sustained by the Attorney-Generi
to whom / submitted the question
> of working all convicts, withou
regard to the term Of their impri
oRment, outside the walls of tn
Penitentiary. # this be tr1e, hei
,0iU be no need Of any ertenSiUe IA
proUemeRts during the continuance
the present lease and another reaso
I is furnished for the repeal OF tn
section.
Complying with the Governor
suggestion the Legislature Of lsS
, did pass an act, repeating the a
thorty, which he asserted was tc
. great, and it was approved by Il
r Executive March, 18th of that yea
5 Section 4 of said act reads thus:
D SEC. 4. Be It further enacte
That sections two and three of {
act entitled aan act to improve Il
f State Penitentiary, and for 9th
. purposes" approved January 8
a 1877, be and the same is hereby 7
: pealed.
With the approval Of this az
there remaiAed no authority gre
or small to contract with the !,
sees for repairs or improvement
except in case of accident to t
penitentiary, and then only su
necessary repairs and improy
ments as were actually needed. @,
tainly no contract could be legal
entered into under the act of Jl