The leader., 1898-11-30
THE BOGUE CHITTO HIGH SCHOOL
CONTEST.

THE BOGUE CHITTO HIGH SCHOOL
CONTEST.
In giving a review of the contention
between the two school factions at
Bogue Chitto last week, THE LEADER
unwittingly made misleading state
melt by saying, in substance, that as
the docket for this district will not be
reached by the Supreme Court until
midwinter or spring, that therefore any
decision that tribunal might render on
the appeal by the High School faction
from Acting Chancellor Miller's de-
cision, would be too late to give
relief on Dec. 18th, to voters who
had been disfranchised for the nom
payment of the school tax. We have
since learned that under the statute,
cases involving questions of taxation
belong to preferred class and may be
taken up and disposed of by the court
out of the regular order; therefore the
court may take up and decide this
case before Dec. 18th. If it does this,
reverses the judgm ent of the lower
court and decides that the entire
school levy of 1897 for the separate
school district of Bogue Chitto is void,
then those delinquent for the payment
of said tax will be entitled to register
and vote at the municipal election;
provided, of course, that they are regis
tered voters of the county and quail
fed otherwise.
In this connection The LEADER
wishes to distinctly disclaim all
thought or intention of rejecting eth
er professionally or otherwise on Law
yer Thos. Brady who has acted as legal
counsel for the High School people
throughout this controversy. Our ref
erence to him was altogether in vein
of friendly pleasantly. No young
lawyer of our acquaintance has
achieved greater success in his profess
sion than Mr.. Brady, or stands higher
in the esteem of the public and his
brethren of the bar No attorney not
gifted with omniscience could have
seen from the beginning all the diff
culties which have hitherto prevented
final adjudication of this controver-
sy-the inconclusive nature of the Su-
preme Courts decision on the first ap-
peal, the fever epidemic which caused
the regular fall term of the court to be
pretermitted, etc. 1t was such COM
bination of circumstances as this
which gave the situation the amusing
features pointed out by The LEADER
last week, and not any blunder or lack
of energy by counsel. Counsel on both
sides have represented their clients
with consummate skill and ability and
it is "heads or tails" yet as to which
will come out winner on the last ap-
peal to the Supreme Court.
After the above was written, an d be-
fore the Circuit Court had adjourned
on Friday, the franchise feature of the
controversy assumed another phase.
Counsel for the High School faction
amended the declaration petitioning
for writ of mandamus to compel the
registrar of Bogue Chitto to register
w. L. Lewis, j. w. Garner ct al, and,
on an agreed state of facts, Judge
Powell granted the petition as to Lewis
and Garner, but no others, and order
ed writ of mandamus to issue to S. L..
Jackson, registrar, commanding him
to register them. This writ was served
on Jackson late Saturday and he re-
fused to comply until he could consult
his counsel. When he did so, he was
advised to file notice of an appeal to
the Supreme Court from Judge Pow
ellis decision, which was done. Mean
while the High School people had no.
titled Judge Powell of Jackson's re-
fusal, and Judge Powell at once or
dered an attachment issued for Jack
son to appear at Canton to answer for
contempt of court.
The parties and their counsel went
up to Canton Monday night and yes
terday the proceedings against Jack
son for contempt we're compromised
on the basis of his agreeing to register
Lewis and Garner.