The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-06-23
Executive Department,
Jackson, Miss, June Is, 1898.
To tie Poopleuf Mississippi

~e"@"f F@f NN ~ 49,
To tie PoHsaf W~l~tppn
On the es OF my going to oxford to attend the meeting Of
the beard Of trustees Of the University, my attention was called to a pubi'
cation o. the matter Of the funeral expenses OF Senator George while his
body lay TO Jackson As te publication seems 70 have been made on the
superstition that % would UnfaYorlbe reflect on me, / respectfully ask that
you permit mo 60 state the facts so fr as I WAS connected with the matter.
On the receipt of tue news Of Senator Georges death it was suggested to
me By SOME citizens u Jackson, that iuasmuoha she had FOR along eived
10 Jackson, ID would be very appropriate for his body TO lie in state here,
and that ash it Es on The route from the coast to CaHOnton, l telegraph a
request 20 his family to that end. Joined In this opinion and sent the
telegram
The people of jackson, or rather, people Of Jackson spontaneously, and
very properly, took charge or the affair, aud made arrangements through a
.Ht the time Informed under the impression OF the committee that all eIpen.
SEES from te death 20 The burial would be paid by the United States senate.
Some enc or ooes asked me to permit the Capitol Light Guards 70 attend the
procession 90 Carolton as an organization, which permission 1 gave but
stated that ] left it optional with the company as / had 20 funds 70 pay
their expenses After it was ascertained by the committee Of arrangements
that the senate would not pay these expenses, a short time before the iegis-
atuu met last winter / was requested 70 pay the bill out OF the executive
contingent faHd. stated that I was busny engaged on my message to the
legislature which. With routine work, occupied all my time, and that my
time woal1 ai ba engaged while the legislature was In session, but that as
sgn as COULD ad time / would Investigate and consider the matter, and
Ml sAaad fad aat I had lawful authority for so doing, and considered that
it vas 'Ehti ia principle I would pay the account out Of the contingent
tu91 40 ts saDe tune casually scanned the accounts and at glance 1
rrEEat .by wrc g~vaTbltant
o. us aaraug Of The 18th Of February, the day after the legislature
a3aavae5 ] uas stricken down with neuralgia Of the heart, which almost
u0eaag5 =e fHE wuEk for two months So 1 did not wlnuny or negl.
ss-tE aF Investigation and consideration.
Ea1 Investigation and consideration, I concluded that / had no legal
rual rs1t Csc gay these bins QUITO the executive contingent fund. This
s1 g .r oz 9ze service to be determined By the governor, and not for
7r1se 7-2aaa@ AS great as regarded Senator George as . statesman and
luEa- q ta aaat there is no more warrant In Law and right for paying his
'--a-a5 zE-raas #a - aa contingent fund than for paying out Of the fund
1as taz-aa expenses f any other man tn the state. Whatever Others think
r sT- f .@ t4at 1 te administration Of the Law, the man who works in
lhs saE nc e aa railroad, or on the farm, or at any other labor, manual
GO @@ta2 1-sat Il be treated with the same consideration as the man Of
5as highest position, political or financial, In the land. Therefore, while /
-a zz0e Faa these bills out Of the contingent fund, and anticipated that
I HCaad Be aragnsd By those who maHgned Senator George in his lifetime,
but hare beiaa5oi him with their hypocrltcal cant since his death, III did
not Fy these felt that. while # was a small sum TO the state, 10 was a
dangerous precedent to set and I declined to pay them out Of the contingent
The money belonging to this fund Is not mine. 1t is the money Of
the people Of the state. That its use Is left TO the unrestricted discretion
Of the governor, is an exceedingly strong reason why he should be exceed.
careful in its application,
Being entirely occupied with omclal business, / have not time to answer
or even read unkind newspaper references, trusting, as l do, public Justice
to divine The motives that prompt them, but In this instance hope will
be INDUCED for taking a fewmoments from an over-crowded business desk to
put the facts before the impartial people Of the state, that they may Judge
whether or not 4 should be blamed for declining to dlrburse ther money
without Iawiulo moral right. Most respectfully,
A. J. MCLAuRfE.