The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1890-04-26
many instances as thirty, forty and

Ia St NOolo huutQ.
"The manifest injustice of this pro-
cedure needs no argument to empha-
size II. 1t would be crime, If there
be a remedy, to impose such wrongs
and burdens upon innocent and honest
holders. The equity which demands
that such injustice shall not be done is
recognized and admitted. The equity
was recognized by the Legislature
when, by the act referred to, it with
drew the land enormously entered
from sale and declared that bona fide
claimants Of it should have a prefer
ence in repurchases. If the equity was
strong and clear enough to demand
this partial recognition and preference
it should be strong and clear enough
to require that full justice should be
done. The State has received large
revenue in taxes paid on these lands
by the claimants. If the State was
and has, through all the years, owned
the lands and the individual has pos
sessed no right in them then the State
owes 10 the taxpayers the money paid
in taxes. No technical defense should
be interposed. Ii 1t be true that there
was good faith throughout, and this is
made the basis even for preference,
there should be full and adequate
relief | do not urge that the State
should reimburse claimants to the full
extent of the taxes paid from the time
of the original entries until now, but
these payments should be considered
fairly and honestly, in the adjustment
of accounts between the State and the
claimant, and for what this is worth
the claimant should receive credit.
1t would not have been an improp.
er thing, indeed it would have been 6
just and righteous act had the Legis.
lature quie;ed and confirmed these
titles in the first instance. The State
is not without a precedent for action
quieting titles. The Legislature in
1883, by an act approved March 2, en-.
titled AN act to quiet and settle the
titles to certain lands in the Yazoc
Delta etc, quieted and confirmed the
titles TO thousands of acres of the rich
est lands Of the Delta on the ground
that hundreds of innocent purchaser,
had established homesteads upon them
they in good faith believing they
owned and upon which they had con
tinuously paid taxes for many years
There is no practical difference in the
cases. What was right then would bt
right, now.
Taking as basis for estimate, my
own county, and figures furnished by
Mr.. W. M. Dubard, a most Intelligent
citizen of IL, who l. familiar with th,
territory of the erroneous entries (ant
to whom Gm indebted for many o
the suggestions [ give you) | woulC
not be far wrong In the assertion tina
perhaps quarter of u million acres II
the delta sections are affected by thes,
errors. This, however, is but conjec
ture, as | have neither seen repor
of the number of acres nor had oppor
tunity to examine the official records
There may be largely more. 1t Is I'm
portant, whatever the number, tha
the State do justice, quiet aud confirm
these titles, and remove the discourag
Ing and depressing doubts over th
titles to much of her best territory
The State would, In fact, receive
large revenue from the redo npt'on
and purchases, but the State needs n,
revenue demanded in injustice an,
which would be paid in discomfort
The cost of the purchases, too, ar
onerous. The original price per acr
, aud the abstract fees alone will amour
to tens of thousands of dollars.
What is the remedy?'
In the first place, it is for the peopl
to demand that so great wrong sha
not be done; another, for their repre-
sentatives to etiectuate their wishe
Every man should ascertain whethe
or not his land is involved, and the
hold himself In readiness to take &C
vantage of the law IL no relief be afIort
ed in the near future. Owners shoul,
, however, be on their guard againi
, tax titles claimed to any of the lane
owned by them. The people who's
interests are most vitality concerne
, should not be precipitate in re-pu
+ chasing aud incurring great expens
2 The fair and conservative people ,
! the State viii support them in NOR
resistance to the injustice. If no reli
| be afforded them, then they may &C
! not before.
, If the trouble is really of the magn
, tude and seriousness it now appear
then 1t would warrant action upon
, at the earliest possible moment. If Il
, trouble be SO grave as to demand Il
most heroic treatment, the Constit
tional Convention should correct
, The new Constitution will have som
, thing to say on the subject of publ
! lands-it would be well TO have it ref
to these enormously entered lands
terms to the credit of the State aud
the benefit Of her people, 1t is GO
orally agreed, too, that it will be ne
!. essary for the Legislature to meet
| special Session shortly after the a
iournment Of the convention. In q
meantime let the people wait the
y time, and the Legislature should al
: probably will grant the reliet they ask
: Taking cognizance of the conditi,
). Mr.. Longstreet recites. the citizens
Q Grenada county In public meetil
l. adopted the following resolution.
Is Resolved, First, that we, citizens
g Grenada County in mass meeting ,
Is sembled, do earnestly protest agair
o such injustice, Second, that while o
If own county is not largely affected ,
h are unwilling that our fellow-citize
IS elsewhere should suffer such wrol
d and have unjustly extorted the
h money to which the State has
y right aud have imposed OH them 1
Ie years the expensive litigation that W
rs result II this great injustice is not ST
A. cessfully resisted. Third, that we su
of gest to those whose titles arc declar
to invalid, inasmuch as they have t'
D. years in which to redeem, that tn
70 refuse to redeem nntil we can go
v, the Legislature or Constitutional Cc
10 yention if necessary, and demand Il
rs Justice be done in this matter by g
10 ing proper titles to these lands wi
out additional expense. Fourth, Il
ly we renuesf tho nreas of tho State a