The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1897-08-25
From Supervisor bryant.

The LEADER in its issue of Aug. 10.
In defining my position i'm reference to
working the public roads by contract,
failed to state in plain language my
position. | did and do yet favor
working by contract; provided, they
can all be worked with the commuta-
tlon money and levy of one mill tax /;
it also stated that voted against the
contracting of the two first class roads
which were awarded to Williamson &
Smith. which is true, but failed to give
my reasons for so doing. | did not
vote for that measure because did not
think we could pay 1880 per mile for
the first class roads and be able to
work the second class roads. Then
did not vote for levy of one mill tax
because thought it unjust to tax the
laborers of second class roads to pay
for working the first class roads by
contract, and not the second class
The LEADER stating that did not vote
at all on that question, which is mis-
take, and by reference to the records
of the seventh days proceedings any
one can see that | voted against the
one mill levy for reasons above stated.
THE LEADER states how absolutely
impractical my position is. My posi-
tion is this | am opposed to taxing
the laborers of one road for the work
ing of another, which is certainly the
case as the contracts and plan of levy
now stands. J. G.. BRYANT.
THE LEADER unwittingly misrepre-
sented Mr.. Bryant's action regarding
the one mill road tax. We knew he
was on record in the official proceed
ings as having voted in the negative on
one motion, but not having copy of
the proceedings before us at the time
of writing, we thought he was recorded
in the negative on another motion, and
that he didn't vote at all on the motion
for the one mill levy.
Though honestly held, we still main
tain that Mr.. Bryant's position on the
road question was impractical. 1t was
perfectly manifest from the bids be-
fore the board for the working of the
first and second class roads, that they
all could not be worked by contract
for the communication money and a one
mill tax, all the law allows the board
to levy. Nobody was willing to take
all the roads (both first and second
class for the proceeds of the one mill
levy and the Communication money; the
season for road working was getting
far advanced, and the board was com
PEELED to let ont as many roads as it
could on this plan or let the whole
scheme fall through or be postponed
indefinitely. Instead of doing the lat
| ter, the majority, wisely, as we think,
accepted bid to have all the first
class roads worked for the commuta
tion money and the one mill tax, and
still left the way open to contract
for the working of the second class
roads hereafter for the commutation
money, the specifications on them not
being as hard to comply with as on the
first class roads. Supervisor Montgom-
cry says he has already contracted to
let out some of the second class roads
in his district for the Communication
money and labor on said roads.
It is almost impossible for the law
making power to frame any law for the
general good that will not operate
more or less unequally in individual
cases; but it is perfectly safe to assume
that there is not citizen Of this coun-
ty who will not be benefited either di-
rectly or indirectly by having the first
class roads we'll worked; while at the
same time the one mill tax is not suffi-
cient to hurt any one.