Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-05-08

| senled EeVn1 E,,, I as readily as they are ma.
W},h0 70 meet lts obligations when SfesenS,oS S"S ~
"h,nout "h,a lurther legislation have not ho,
SD,e 70 hnd any Jaw that authorizes nVs iha Us Ues
aniSar;,hv ~ uor,"w money. II borrowed wIthhon,
tion n, ,h, o., vi law, ! find In the eensti,S,
suage: Section %. The irS,sature sh, au aan-
.ue ezra SSinreHsaton, Zee, or allowance ~
NY Puwlc oiieer, agent, servant or contracio w
M service rendered or contract made nor am! W,
nnder TI.re payment or part payment, Of ahy claim
o anuel any contract not authorized Nv laS. hp,i
appropriations may be made fof e, nepa,i,,ho III
iiopo,,.ns lhvaSions, preventing Or subnresSina
nnsuIIccuonS" II any element al 'dnhin, !,
S09a be round IN the FIRST II is dissolved in th
i"w i.1' Siauae OF this section. 1t isa maxim of
nans No." nno" 10 oiiiers and when the constitution
,,a,i na,ies expenditures for repcllng inyasions
p,esentlhg or suppressing nsurTecton, :" !,
,nosoi ior wlich apprOpria ions NAV he h,ade IL
TTIulvaient TO saying "bnt for nothing else y ~
warre,', hme,e hw Authorizing the ISSUANCE Of
"m, ,"ins1a. wv u money could pe Borrowed with
N.Y.. wa. .nleiest ana used In the payment of these
warrants the lender Would be subropated tn tHe
!lRhts OF the holders OF the warrants and heinz
eons suDrogated he would have claim Under =
eohtfact authorized by law, but there is no law
ausnoriaing Inc payment OF interest on war.
rants and the contract TO pay the lender Interest
Wouiu DO unauthorized by law, and as there ia
no law Tor The payment OF interest on ina IA.
rants ne could not be subyosated i'd any rioht "A
interest, and therefore, under the section Gt1oted
NY ,"o ,sg,siaiu'e would be prohibited from paving
ny ,htereSt, ana II would be futile to atemDt io
borrow money for the State without Interest w
~ hlgnt nave been cheaper tO The State IN
naVo borrowed the money and paid interest m
~ u lhetc mad been authority for it, but there il
nu such aulhority, on the contrary, IL /. foy.
Dldden, and II a governor NAV implenc tne con.
stitution In one instance because of his nnininn
vi eNpeulency he may disregard IL in every case
MDere MS Judgment denotes its wisdom, The
Ilch ana powerful may not have much ia fe,r
from llght regard for the restraints of the law
oh we part Ol those In authority, but the moor
anu humble and weak have no sure proteetion
the law. '''e' vi
l was loath To convene the legislature in ex.
lracrdlnary session, and requested "A MEETING
AN Ia VIC ota.e ollcers WIN me, including the presl.
ucnt pro telnp0fe OF the senate and the SPEAKER
Vi the mouse OF representatives. to Obtain tnp,f
counsel and advice thcreup0n By reason of
,he lnSuiilciency Of tile notice as TO time the
lieutenant governor, the president pro tempore
Vi the senate and two OF the railroad comnis-
soners, Gov. Evans and Capt. McInns. we're
prevented from attending the meeting. but the
otners attended and II was their Unanimous
opinion that the legislature should be convened
MY own Judgment, oven against tile protests OF
ny preference approved the conclusion which
they reached The legislature when in regular
session last year exercised the best Judgment OF
lts members In the effort to provide revenue to
meet inc appropriations made for the years 1896
anu 1891 mat the means failed in 1896 by a
large sum, and would inevitably have failed by
large sum In 1891 Is no cause for last censure
OF the legislature, for NO mans Judgment is abso-
lutely infalible
NO power except tho legislature can remedy
thls denclt. The legislature can not do u ex.
cept when In session, N can not be in session in
tihie 10 provide tie remedy except upon the call
OF Inc governor. So that if the expectation OF
we legislature was not realized in the way
adopted at the last session to obtain the means
TO meet the appropriations made in 1890, aud it
IS lnialliDly certain that the same result would
follow IN 1897, and there is time yet to prevent
the evil The legislature was in session. 1t is the
uuty OF me oilicer who has the power to convene
that BODY and give the opportunity to apply the
corrective. The action OF the regular session OF
the legislature that resulted in failure OF reyc-
nue. surlclent TO meet the appropriations was
the result OF mistake as to the amount of bust
ness that would be done by taxed privileges the
acton OF tne executive refusing to allow The
legislature to convene In time and make the
correction would be 4 derclictiOn of duty, There
is oul one hypothesis upon which a failure to
convene the legislature could he justified, and
that is the assumption that the legislature vii
iully refused TO raise the means aud If In session
would do SO again, an assumption will not in
dulge.
BY section 1915 Of the code the State treasurer,
VINO Is ex-oilic0 treasurer of the two insane
asylums, the institutions for the blind, and the
deaf ana dumb and the State colleges and nor
nal school, shall make requistion on the aud
itor, "who shall draw his warrant from time to
time, as reqnlfed, payabl, to the state treasurer
as treasurer OF the institutions, seyerally, for
the money appropriated by law for their sup
port" II the treasurer should make requiSi-
tlOn Tor the expended balances of the approprla-
tons for the insane asylums there would not be
sufficient funds In the treasury &c make the
June distribution Of the common school fund
HOnp Qf HE rpuntiPg wuulu thprpfDrp lp With
out any school funds at all from the state, as
those counties which first reach the treasury
with their warrants would receive, until tile
treasury should become exhausted, theiriull pro
rata OF the distribution made upon the aSSump-
ton that the money Will be there for every
county's common school warrant. Besides
causing rush upon the treasury that ought not
TO be Invited. This state OF affairs would stop
the common schools in the counties that tailed
OF the receipt of any part of the distribution, as
by section iOiS of the code no pay certificates
can be issued to teacher unless The money mas
been received for its payment. The principle OF
common schools fot the education of the chill
dren Of the State has reached place In the sys-
TEN OF our laws, and the doctrine has taken
such root in the hearts OF the people, that the
intention to perpetuae these schools Is unques-
toned The principle il not based upon the
idea of charity, but OF public beneiacllon, In
the preparation of those upon whom devolyes
the duty, as citizens, OF perpetuatng free gov
charge OF such duty. For myself | can say
that, unless it be that which goes IN support OF
the eeemosynary institutions, there Is no lax
which pay more cheertully than that whlch
goes in support Of the common schools.
II the system of common schools Is to be con-
tinued, then ii ought not to receive any unneces-
sary backset or impairment. Its enclency
ought to be constantly improved. FROM ts
teachers should be required competency ana
faithful services, and In return for THIS money
to pay their salaries should be ready when the
services are performed.
Ii section l216 of the code Is modified by chap
ter 4 OF the acts Of 1896 so that the treasurer
can only draw the appropriations monthly, Us !
think IL is then in addition to the posslollly OF
there not being sufficient money In the treasury
to make the June distribution of the school
fund, there will be the certainty OF want OF
money 10 meet the appropriations Tor ,le sup,
port OF the two insane asylums from july unlli
January l. l refer especially to these TWO ID.
stittltlons not only because they are iilled WIN
the objects OF tender care and especial soci,
tude ON the part OF the State, but because lhese
bereft people require constant and careful az
tention. The attendants, as a rule, neea tnelr
monthly salaries as soon as earned Inc law
does not provide for their receiving state war
rants but they are put upon the pay roll and are
paid by the steward OF the asylum, ana tnere.
lore they cannot discount their warrants Dut
must wait until there Is money IN the treasury
before they can receive anything lor 'heir
services.
able to obtain the money, without interest," anu
without discounting State warrants, TO meet tno
expenses of these two institutions, even wnlio
the State treasury was empty, anu Wnen lunus
came into the treasury the warrants, lssueu ac.
cording to law and deposited as coia'er"'' "'''
paid.
l recommend for your consideration, that you
lew an nd yalOrem tax sufficient to defray lhe
general expenses of the State government; anu
that you levy separate tax ior schoois, vom
sIstng Of an ad yalorem and a tax on privileges
and that the entire amount, instead OF Wo-
thirds, OF this be distributed on tne consaa,u c,,
tIOnal basis, on the third Monday IN January
or as soon thereafter as practlcaole, WIN pro-
vision that any collections for thls lulu tneio,
after made shall be distributed on the lhlru
Monday Of April, July and OCTOBER. In my
desire for the provision OF ample FUNDS ior ,nc
common schools, l suggest to the ways an
means committee that fines ana loriel.uIes ns, W W
added to this fund, overlooking sectioh zci ooa VI
the constitution as dld tne isgis,aii" gasing deficit
on account OF schools were required 10 sappts
It. II supplied at all, out OF the net proceeuS u
fines and forfeltures. . o,,o,rt
The legislature In estimating tne n,hVuns oon
to be raised for distribution WI TAKE
Into consideration that each county VIII nave
poll tax to which this Distribution iLo y u 'ho ho
general fund OF the State treasury u So
added, BY operation OF the constitGnsnloIn nn II h tho
pol tax is levied and located. Section 2o6 Oh lne
Instrument reads: "There shall be common CON
school fund. which shall consist Oh tne pon ma ,~a
Ito be retained In the counties where tile SAME
Is cofected) and an additional sum ior tne gsn
pral fund In the State treasury, which smnn .Osovn
Schools for the term Of four months in each schol
astic year But any county or separate SCrGo,
district may levy an additional tax to ions
schools for longer time tnan 'eIi h al, u he ds