The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1888-03-29
okoIoNA. Mss, Mar. 20. 'ss


speak to our people, though pub
lished in another State, has long
been Justly recognized as a worthy
exponent Of public sentiment in
Mississippi, and its utterances are
entitled to great respect. II is
I possible, however, that you may
sometimes be IN error, notwith-
standing your facilities for obtain
ing correct information, and as ]
have reason to believe you would
not Intentionally do injustice, even
to "the late unlamented" Mississip.
piLegislaturs, I venture to call your
attention and that Of the numerous
readers Of the Appeal to the fol-
lowing extract from an editorial
headeds "The State Of Mississippi, "
published in your issue ofthe 2Srd
inst
"The debt Of the State has been
increased and taxes have been IN
creased, and 1000, 900 acres ofland
have been almost given away that
might to-day be eapermanentsohool
fund, making for Mississippi an
advantage above every other State
in the South except Texas. The
taxes have been increased, and yet
the eleemosynary institutions have
been put on half rations, and a
most deplorable and doleful moan
Of hard times has gone out to the
country with Legislative sanction
to justify a measure that makes
every thoughtful porsOn hang his
head with shame"
To the casual reader, this Lam
guage would imply, that the State
debt was increased by the last Leg
islature, which is not the case. II
is a lamentable fact, that during
the past six years, the State debt
has been increased from s95, ,265,-
II, the amount Of our payable debt
over and above cash in Treasury
January lst, 1882, to s1,s45, ,246.67
GU January lst, 1888, as shown by
the State Treasurer's report ofthat
date, but the last Legislature is in
no wise responsible FOR the reck-
less extravaganza and financial
mismanagement, which brought
about this sad state of affairs. In
stead of increasing the State debt,
the expenses Of the State govern
ment has been reduced for 1889,
nearly, if not quite 100000, as
compared with the Disbursements
for 1867. II is a fact that taxes
have been increased from 3 l-2 to
4 mills on al Ualorem assessments,
and privilege taxes have been en-
larged and extended to cover al
most every avocation in life, but
the enormous debt, unwisely con-
tracted between '82 and 'ss, with
its accumulating interest, amount
ing in 1887 to S156, ,44O,2s, render
ed this necessary, after a failure to
repeal the numerous exemption
clauses in charters ofrieh corpora
tions, which violate the letter and
spirit of our State constitution and
disgrace our statute books.
agree fully with your CORES
pondent "Mississippian" IN all be
has said in criticism of the act TO
quiet tax titles TO lands in the Del
ia. In my juds ment q more vii
lainous scheme to swindle former
owners, or to rob the State Of its
public lands was never concocted
by land sharks anywhere, and /
was astonished to find that so large
number of honest and intelligent
Representatives were deceived by
their specious arguments. Even
the outrageous transactions +
Lord O Byron Evers and his as
sociates with the Swamp Land
Commissioners Office in 1881, at
which time this nefarious business
began, and the subsequent manip-
ulations Of Gordon & Co., Marian
and the L. N. o. & 7. Railroad
Company pale into insignifcance
when compared with this crown
ing iniquity, eliminating in this
infamous act.
Be It said to the shame Of Mss
issippi and Mississippians, forever,
that the Legislatures Of 's6 and 'ss
refused 70 give SO acres Of land as