The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-07


revenue law another is In force.
All of our Institutions of learning are
well patronized, and public sentiment
stands ready 20 sustain all legitimate ef-
forts for their further and broader use
fulness.
What is known as the Indian trust fund
of the United States, holds $4,000 Of
our bonds. These bonds were issued by
the state authorities to raise funds for
the suppression of Indian hostilities grow
ing out of the Seminole war of 1S55-1S57
and were bought by the United States for
the Indian trust fund.
The department at Washington holds
that as the state has not paid the amount
borrowed from the Indian trust fund, (al-
though she holds a much larger acknowl-
edged claim against the general govern
menO the money arising from the per
cent on sales of land cannot be paid. This
is an educa tiOnal fund, agreed to be paid
to the state lin considerations made by
the state of Florida in respect to the pub
lie lands" and should not be withheld.
have not the exact data as TO the amount,
but from information received, there are
about $4,000 due the state from this
source-being the accumulation since the
states admission into the union.
Again, whenever the state can prove
that any of the land disposed of by the
United States government for money, BE-
longed to the state, under the conditions
of the act of Sept. %, 1850, commonly
known as the swamp act the state claims,
and the government allows, the money to
go to the state as indemnity. There are
about $4,000 due the state from this
source, now held on account of this claim.
1t will thus readily be seen that the SET
Element of this Indian war claim is mat
ter of importance to the state.
Why congress should persist in being so
ungenerous to one of the states of the
inc al7ar cfh ~
admitted claim, amounting now to over
100000, our efforts should not slacken. but
the question should be agitated and press
ed to a successful termination.
If we go back to the method of the saw
age in taking human life, where is 1t to
end? Where are we to draw the line?
First lynchings were for assaults upon
females; now it occurs for murder, and in
some sections of the union. we hear of it
being resorted to even in cases of arson
or theft If it goes unchecked, it will
spread to every cause, and the founda-
tons of our social fabric be undermined.
and mob law enthroned as the governing
power.
A few men band together, outrage JUS
tice, trample upon society. destroy conf
dence in the ability of officials to do their
duty, familiarze the people with brutal
ity, commit murder and fail Of any bene-
fetal results. To check such lawlessness
is our highest duty; and to that end, the
following recommendations are made with
the hope that the combined wisdom of
the legislature may suggest others:
In my judgment, section 1896 r. S.,
should be so amended as to make not only
a successful assault but even an "as-
sault with intent" punishable with death;
leaving it to the discretion of the jury
in the latter event to recommend to mercy
or to infiict another punishment deemed
by many, even more potent than all 9TH
ers, and fbest suited to the crime"
Our constitution should be so amended
as to have a circuit judge appointed for
the state, who could be directed to hold
court in any county where a necessity
existed, whether that necessity was pro-
duced by unusual crime or by disability
of the judge of the circuit.
Until such an amendment could be rati-
fed | would recommend that section 1874,
r. s., be so amended as to authorize the
governor to appoint and assign any of the
judges of the circuit courts to hold spe-
clal terms of the court in any county, at
such time or times as the governor may
direct, to try any criminal case that he
may call to the attention of the Judge
and such other cases as the judge may
deem proper to take up.
The law should require the sheriff who
allowed a prisoner to be taken from the
jail or his personal custody or the custody
of his deputy, to be removed and disquaIi-
fed from ever again holding any similar
position.
The disposition of convicts is one of those
ever recurring problems of our social sys-
tenn that has never yet received a salts
factory solution.
The question is one of great magnitude,
and unless the legislature can find some
well-dehned system that will secure GER
tain Improvement without too great an
expense, it would be better to select
commission to take the whole question
into consideration and report to the next
legislature.
The water resources within the borders
and along the shores of the state will al
ways be the chief reliance of large por-
ton of our population. 1 have no data
as to the number dependent upon the fish
supply from inland or fresh waters. 1t
is estimated that there are now al least
1000 persons actually engaged in salt
water fishing, which, with the usual esti-
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