The age-herald., 1898-02-11
OVER THE LINE,
 IN MISSISSIPPI

Wdlh-ONtIs put uO iS diWdyS dl AedSl d neck ahead when the race Is finished.
 
 It is believed that John NJ Aliens sen- atorial aspirations will be gratified when a successor to Senator Walthall is chosen by the next legislature. Mir. Walthalfs health is not good enough to admit of present it looks as if the race would be between MT. Allen and Gov. McLaurin. The chances run in favor of MT. Allen.
 
 The legislature is still in session, and the legislators are said to be great church. goers. Some of them go to church twice on Sundays, and to Sunday school and prayer meetings also. Some do not go at all, but a majority of the members are regular attendants of their respective churches.
 Jackson Is anxiously awaiting the com ing of its first trolley cars. Five miles of track are being laid, and the power house is going up. "Hissng wires and changing bells," says the exultant Clar- ion-Ledger twill soon be reality in the streets of the Capital City Let the croak- CTS hold their peaee.'
 School questions receive considerable at- tention in every part of the state. In Hattiesburg a contract for a new school building to cost $15 900 was made a few days ago. The building will be built of pressed brick, two stories in height, with drainage and ventilation of the most ap- proved nature. A constitutional amend ment is pending to change the school age of educable children from to 21 years to and IS years. The proposed change will not, it is thought, lessen the efficiency of the schools, of which the people of Mis- issippi are becoming very proud. The general appropriation for the public school system was increased this year from s923, 900 to $950 000.
 Northern people are coming to Missis- sippi. "In the next five years" says a recent writer, much vacant land will be occupied by thrifty northerners. They think anything be grown in Mssis- sippi." But State Senator McLaurin re- gently said in the legislature that immi- grafton from the north and west is not desirable. "We have so many people now engaged in agriculture, he said, 'that prices are below the cost of production" The Brandon News says that ninety-nine people out of every hundred in the state think otherwise.
 Mississippi considers itself in pretty good shape for trouble with Spain. In the national guard of the state there are 2OOO men, armed and equipped. This force includes two companies of cavalry, six companies of artillery and twenty-four ;,,fa Tfrry,f on,af of this force could be concentrated at Jackson in twenty-four hours, and the re- maining 20 per cent in forty-eght hours If war should arise over Cuba, Mississippi can be depended upon to furnish her pro- portion of fighting men.
 Amendments of the constitution are to be submitted to the people, providing for the election of judges of the supreme aad circuit courts and of chancellors by the people. At present they are elected by the legislature. The matter will not be decided until the election of November, 1SS9 If the amendments be adopted, even the district judges will be elected by the state at large, instead of by districts. The fate of the amendments is somewhat un- certain. although legislative selections have become unpopular.
 Chert is an issue in several Mississippi towns notably in Meridian and Jackson In long continued wet weather chert be- comes very pasty, and the Mississippi towns are urging the adoption instead of vitrifed brick. Brick in the central parts of a town, and chert in the suburbs, seems to be the winning ticket.
 Mississippi is very proud of her convict farm system. She will clear in this way during the resent fiscal year nearly $l5O- O00 The treasurer of the penitentary paid into the general treasury recently $S5 .OOO-all clear profits from the states farming operations-and the penitentary treasurer holds in reserve enough money to carry on the planting of the coming season.
 The state recently had on hand 4,oO0 bales of cotton and 2,O00 tons of seed. These products brought nearly $130,O0O. The state of Mississippi is lordly and independent farmer She has, in fact, not only lead the way in settling the suffrage problem, but she has shown how convicts can become a source of revenue.
 The 1nVeStlSatlOnS pTopoSeu III tHe Sdiiy days of the legislative sessions have all evaporated. The book scandals could not be proven, and the legislature does not care to investigate the occasional lapses of the executive of the state under the effects of strong drink. The governor has a brother on the bench in Vfcksburg who, it seems, sometimes consults John Barleycorn but the legislature decided by a vote of 62 to 52 not to investigate the charges against him. So there are to be no investigations this year.
 The states expenses in connection with the yellow fever epidemic were $2S,591.55 Only one man voted against the item in the appropriation bill to cover the ex- penses of the state board of health. A joint committee of the legislature has investigated the outbreak of last year. The belief is universal throughout the state that the fever came from Ship Island and that the quarantine station should