The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1888-04-12
Tho RaIIroad A.ss.sment BIN Again

A fflend writing as concerning
the railroad assessment bill, which
was defeated by the sharp practice
ofsome villiahous agent Of the cor
porations, says: "You remember
the absurd remarks Of the CT. /
about it, in the article headed "A [
great oversight" l was greatly /
provoked to see a matter OF down
right rascality treated so lightly by |
the Organ. Just an oversight in
deedl You recollect the bill had a
checkered career. 1t was introdu- |
ced by Mr.. billiard, in the Senate,
passed that body and was sent TO
the House. The bill was stolen.
Col. Jones Of Wilkinson, and 9TH
ers went to work and taking a
printed copy of the Senate bill, in
sci ted the amendments and restor.
Cd it just as it passed the Senate,
and then mot before) carried it
10 Senator billiard and asked what
should be done. They were advis.
ed to introduce and pass it as
Honse bill, which was done, and
the bill was sent to the Senate and
passed on the 9th of March, two
days before adjournment" The
facts of record concerning this
!, bill are Just as we have heretofore
stated in the MESSENGER. There
were tloO bills securely fastened fas-
tened together making eight sheets
Of sixteen pages Ofenrolling paper
which had all the appearance of be-
ing one blu. The first bill was the
Railroad assessment act, and the
last was ian act to amend the char
ter of the city ofStarkville." The
presiding officers of tho two houses
signed this last bill naturally sup
posing it was all one bill.
: 1t is hinted that the Clerk who
enrolled the bill in the House is
responsible for the fraud, If so the
I fellow can be found out and ex-
+. posed. Yet we doubt ifhe did the
!, dirty job. II was a cute device OF
= the r. r. lobby, and was done by
e an expert. Np blame can be Justly
j. 'at(ached to tIb President oi thJ
! Senate, or the Speaker ofthe House
# If the Governor had not adopted
the unheard Of habit of waiting tc
act on bills in vacation, he would
s. have discovered the error in time
!, to save the State 100000 a year
Suppose he had read the bill be
fore adjournment, he would have
Is found that it was not signed by
s. the Speaker and Presideat and th,
e omission would have been correct
N ed. This shows the viciousness o
d the inexcusable habit into whicl
It our Governor has fallen, and shoul,
E. direct the attention of the peopl,
% to a constitution which allows sucl
m outrageous practices, and thoy
l. should remember this instrumen
10 is the especial pet Of the Executiv
and the ofice-holding oligarchy
and at the next election remed,
y this crying evil.
IN The assessment bill was special
II ly Objectionable to the lobby, no
! only because it raised the take
from Sl25 to $3.50 per mile, bu
" because it provided for an assess
al ment Of r. r. property as iudivid
ee uals are assured. The assessmeu
would have shown how grossly un
equal was the tax on property o
ST this kind, as compared with tha
of of the average citizen OF the State
Is The n. j. 4 e. narrow guag
~ is valued by its officers at s12,OU
per mile, then if the broad guag
u Dads wero valued at $4,000 pc
Of mile for road bed franchise r3l
ic ing stock, etc, a levy Of Is mills 70
Ii. State and county taxes inst what tn
~ farmer, merchant and mechanic ar
required to pay, the railroad "a
III would amount TO 1925 per mile, o
n S75 more than the amount at whic
te the Revenue bill fixed the priv
he lege tax. Thus the State has bee
II the loser aud the corporations th
gamers by this rascalIy job abou
u $50 000, and it is due the tax pay
st ers, that they should know, II po,
ce sible who did'it.N We hope no en-
he ploye of the Legislature could hav
!. been guilty Of SO vile an act, bu
- the insinuation mooted abroa
- from an official source, that blam
can alone be attached to the Cler
who enrolled the bill, makes it
to duty incumbent upon him, if inn'
be cent, to explain all he knows Will
N. out unnecessary delay. The Me
sENGER is at his service.
to In.the recent election in Rhod
a T,T,.I T.a D. 80 l.,4.