The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1888-07-05
a COMPLETE CASE"

anu iuEftAeiuN tue Tux 10 NAUNsVV
per mile. The enacting clause
provided that Il should take effect
sixty days after its passage, The
Governor held the bill until the
4th day Of April before be signed
it, and hence Il does not become a
law until the 4th day of June,
which is Just four days after the
time fixed by the code for asses
sors to complete their work, and
as q matter Of course the act is in
operative.
/ As the Governor had from the
9th Of March-the date Of adjourn
ment--to examine the bin il is
mngularly unfortunate for the pub
lie that he did not approve 1t lit
tie earlier-ChickasPw Messenger.
This is a "singularly" remarka-
BILE error to originate with one so
we'll informed as editor Burkitt.
He has made a complete case
against the Governor, but at the
expense of law and fact.
The bill referred TO was never
approved, It having met with a
notorious and most unfortunate
and fatal mischance before reach
ing the Governor; not discovered
until the Legislature had adjourn
ed. Had the facts bOen as stated,
the date Of signing would not have
operated against the Auditor (the
''assessors" having nothing TO do
with the railroad mileage tax col
letting by the increased rate OF
1888; no more than in the case7ei
other privileges increased. .-Green-
vile Times. ~
DEAR FRANK:-See the Ahove,
you did get things mixed.
The act which was murdered by
the Gov. was the act to assess and
collect taxes from certain railroads
which had escaped taxation for
which they we're liable. Only the
title of the act, or purport of it,
you got wsag- Il appears that
the Illinois CentraPs branch from
Jackson to YazoO City & miles,
was liable to taxation for several
years, but has paid no taxes. The
Attsrney-General called attention
to the fact, and the act was passed.
You will see the act approved
April 4th.-it shows for itself and
it is certainly grave question,
whether it can be effectually exc
cuted or not. The Legislature ad-
/ iourned March sth,-if this act
had been approved ,ohile the Legis-
lature Cas in session, as it ought to
have been, il could have been exc
cuted. It is now questionable.
The strange part is thatthe pub
lie printer, (who publishes the
laws in his paper, and in pamphlet
form, at the expense Of the tax
payers should by publishing the
above try to make a point against
you by publishing it 'oithom conf
ment. Personal journalism apart,
would It not have had a better look
if the subsidized paper had cor
rected your error, by saying that
your facts Were true as to one act
but not the one you referred to.
That would have had a candid look.
The Clarion-Ledger however lends
its columns to make a point Per-
sonal against you, 70 deceive the
people who pay taxes TO run It,
Any uninformed person would say
on eading the above articles from
the official journal of the State,
that your article was a fgment
of your brain and lie on the Gov
ernor. On the contrary the case
is worse than the one your article
supposes. fit had been the act
YOU referred to, that was only TO
increase railroad taxes from 1925
to $3.50. They will, notwithstand-
ing the failure ofthe act you
referred to, pay some taxos--sl25
per mile-while as to the act YOU
no doubt intended to speak Of, the
railroad which has for several
years failed to pay any taxes, will
continue to pay none. All this be-
cause tho Governor failed to ap.
prove The act, when he ought to
have done so, while the Legisla-
ture was in session. Even if he
approved the act by the slst day
! Of March it would have done; but