Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1890-03-27

AaC GACC4 HA CIVIL ht IL WIS
sissippi to pay bis poll tax and
thus secure his right to voter
| Will it not be the policy of the
black race TO sacrifice every
thing for the sake of this right !
will they not be encouraged in
this by their allies of the Rspub
licsn party in the North Will
not campaign moneys and cor
ruptiou funds be freely used for
this pu-posei Will not the rich
and powerful at home pay freely
for the vote of a black contin-
gent and the help of vicious
whites on election day! VIII
not the laborer in many cases
strike the employer for the
amount of the poll, and thus
levy an unwilling contribution
from the employer And will
net q requirement Of this sort
be felt by many poor and wor
thy white men 80 a species OF
oppression And NAV il not
prove to be a two edged swsrd
cutting both vsysf These are
considerations mott to be Ignsred,
and while this may De the best
thing TO be done, and I would he
siIling to defer to pubIie senti-
ment on the subject, still l do
not look for the beneficial re-
suits to grow out of its adoption
that some do. If the conyen-
ton approves this plan the pow
er ought TO be granted TO the
Legislature to repeal il at dis
erection on q two thirds vote, be-
cause If the plan works badly
and the results do not justify
its continuance, the change
could be made TO something else
without the slow process of
amending the Constitution
what changes would you
make in the Constitution as il 10
nowr
Il cannot enumerate all the
changes here But among those
would suggest | would
Il. Devise some means to
check Improvident and hasty
IL legislation The present eonsti
tutIonsl requirements on this
point amounts tn nothing. Sec.
% Of Article 4 provides that
every bill shall be read on three
different days in each house IN
less thirds of the house
where the same is pending shall
dIspense With the rules IL is
such a common thing TO sus-
pend the rules on an irrespsnsi-
BILE viva voce vote macy bills
are railrOsded through not only
without the peoples knowledge.
but without the actual kuovl
edge in many cases OF the nem
bsrs themselves.
Protect the tax payers and
property owners against eompa-
MES and corporations seeking
subscriptions in aid of railroads
and other public improvements
The present constitutional re
~quirement does not do this suffi
GENTLY Section Ii, Article Il,
of our present Constitution au-
thorizes the Legislature to per
init any county, citp oil town, to
become a stakeholder in, or lend
its credit TO, any company or
corporation on two thirds vote
of the qualified votels of such
city or town oil county. The Su-
prene Court of Mississippi de-
cides this TO mean the two-thirds
OF the registered votes. while
the Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States decides the meaning
TO be two thirds of those setu-
ally voting. This ought to be
changed so as TO afford greater
protection TO the tax payers
Provide for three fourths of the
registered vote and that no sub
scription shall be valid unless
the Improvements are actually
made.
3. Establish separate crimi
nal court with power TO hear all
equity cases. There are some
objections TO this, but as the
courts are nov constituted the
civil business is subordinAtsd TO
the trial ofthe criminal business
and much delay, Inconvenience
and expense ID sustained By sui
tors and Witnesses
Make the school age for chill
dren from 5 TO Is years The
proposition TO make the school
age from 5 to 81 years is open
to the objection that when chill
drsn attain the age of s years
their services are needed in the
fields. Ii is true a child under
5 does not learn much, but eve
rything he does learn 10 clear
gain
- Exempt no property from
taxation except the property OF
eleemosynary and charitable in
stltutions and meet the decision
of the Supreme Court Of Missis-
sippi IN the ease of Mississippi
Mills against Cook; 56-Niss. Re
ports
&c. Require the appointment
by the Governor, from time to
time. ola commission of experts
TO Investigate the books of eve
~ public officer in the State