The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-05-06
DOWN AT JACKSON.
"Peter" Tells OF the Way Things
Are Being Run by the Solous
JACKSON, Miss, MAY B. lsa

II JACKSON, Miss, May 3, 1897,
Peter" is in town again he Away
is when the Legislature meets, just lik,
Hon. Henry c. Myers, now of Mem
phis, but formerly secretary Of state o
Mississippi And then there are 9th
ers," who can't stay from jackson dur
ing a session of the legislature, Jus
what they are after ! don't know, and
don't believe they know what Im aftel
and SO here we go, each looking out fol
number one, and hoping the devil ma,
catch the other fellow-that is. if h,
must catch anyone,
The solons got in last Tuesday and
went right to work fixing up n bill fo,
the appropriation of s35, 600 to meet tn,
expenses of the extraordinary session
That was the first bill passed, and Will,
It looks to a man up a tree rs If the
boys Were rather in a hurry, we must
remember that self preservation is the
first law of nature, and that acting on
that principle. they acted on the con
tingency of not getting their s. per
diem. This legislature is a body of av
erage intelligence, and yet there are a
good many members in both houses to
whom 81 per day is a moustrous salary,
and to some few it may be s. too
much. However, their constituents
have promised to pay them that amount
for holding down an old leather bot
toned chair, and they should have
their money when due,
Everything's working along in an even
groove now, and unless the saw strikes
. knot in the matter Of the selection of
the new capitol site, 1t is very likely
the session may be a short one, The
senate wants to build a $50, 900 capitol
on the penitentiary site. the house wants
to build n on the site of the present
structure, no that the fight of the session
will most probably be on this subject,
The two houses have practically agreed
that a new Capitol bran new house
shall be erected, and the senate is very
positive that patch work will not pay.
Four years ago Mr.. Cleveland was
elected president on a tariff platform,
and the first thing he had his congress
to do was to tinker on finance; Mr.. Nc
Kinley was elected on a financial issue,
and the first move he made was on the
tariff, The governor of Mississippi
called his legislature together to adopt
measures of revenue relief, and the first
thing they do when they get here is to
work on a new capitol. II is probable,
however, they are going to do both.
The house has adopted a bill to borrow
the money and pay same back next
january by INCREASING the tax levy from
Q to ! l-2 mills, the senate would Issue |
goo, 900 of 20-year bonds and increase
the tax levy to 8 ~ mills, Either plan
will bring in the needful, but the senate
postpones pay day away over into the
next century, and is most cordially re-
ceived by all those who have had any
experience in borrowing money-the
longer time they can get the better,
A bill introduced by Senator Moore,
a very v el-headed representative from
Bolivar, should be hailed with delight
by the planters of Che overfowed por.
tons Of the state. 1t provides that the
boards of supervisors may adopt a stock
law without the usual formalities, thus
enabling farmers to make a crop with
out stopping to building fences.
Funny as 1t may seem, it IL a fact
nevertheless, that the governors sug-
gestion az to providing the state with
funds by pretermitting the June distri
button Of the school fund has been ig-
nored. No bill has been introduced in
house 30 far as ! have been able
to learn, and the probability is that
there will not be-. The fellow who
would venture on it would be set down
on like a thousand OF brick"
II will be remembered that about six
months ago State Revenue Agent Adams
raked up the old claim Of the state
the Gulf and Ship Island rail
road, and succeeded In forcing its rec
ognition on those who undertook the
organization Of the company.
There Is not q man in the state who
would have given 10 per cent. for the
claim Of 49, 900 which was for hire of
convicts back In the sos, yet the reve-
nue. agent succeeded in collecting the
amount, just by having his eyes
open. The law allows him 25 per
cent. commission on all collections, and
ont Of that he pays his own attorneys
fees. This was a ''fat shake" to be
true, but then no one expected the reve-
nue. agent to make the state a present of
portion Of his commission. There are
those in the legislature who think him
not entitled to it, and a house commit
tee has been authorized to investigate,
Jackson gave a grand concert last
night for the benefit Of the |