The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1899-01-14

cents cotton. II hall the money OF the
country is destroyed prices of cotton
aud labor msst fall one half 10 Ia the
crashing greed Of Lombard street aud
Nall street who wants 10 destroy all
the money except what they them
selves have that bias ruined values
Nh. smith selected as the representa-
uye pf the opposition 10 open the
rapraign, says that taxes are ga
mills now aud that is an evidence OF
maladministratiun OF the governors
office,
The legislature makes appropriations
and leyius taxes 10 meet them with
the governors approval Tue governor
having the veto power, which eau be
oyorruled Icy twu-thirds vote. l thlnH
the present legislature has been eco.
uumica IN its appropriations, anu II
has not levied greater taxes man neces'
snry 90 meet them | vetoed few ap.
preparation bills, and WAS sustained
In every instance. Indeed, neither
house 10 which have sent veto mes.
sage ever passed it over my veto, and
this is a record reiulatory Of Mr.
Smiths haseless assel tlgn that there
was an open rupture between me and
the legislature. But il anything was
wrong In the appropriations Mr. smith
has been a state senator during the
entire time have been governor and
he ought Co have called attention OF
thu senate TO any reckless or eNtraya'
CANT appropriation. Ii he ever OPP
posed by voice or vote any approprl'
| alton while he was 10 the senate II
nveer got out on him,
Mr., Smiths attack upon the admin
| istration Of the revenues Is direct
attack upon the legislature of which
| he was a member, and | will here give
a plain statement Of facts which VIII
| be the best refutation OF the attack Of
! him and his figure furnishor
By the constitution Of 1868, section 6,
| article s, provision was made Tor
common school fund, only the interest
/ Of which could be used.
THE SCHOOL FUND.
January Is, 1876, upon the vote oil
the year previous, this section wa
amended, so as to make the entire
| common school fund distributablt
every year pro rata among the edueabl'
! children Of the state, This fund waI
| composed OF all lands escheated or for
feited for taxes, and fines aud whisky
! licenses. See amendment ., constitu
tion of 1869
Section 72i Of the code of 1850 provid
ed that if these fines, whisky licenses
etc. did not amount to 500, 600 th'
amount should be made up from tht
| general fund and section l3O required
| a county levy for school purposes, no.
| to exceed three mills. This is the ac
of 1882, p. II, amended section l2l SO al
to make up what the fines, whisk!
licenses, tax and etc, lacked OF max
ing $500, 900, and required a count.
levy of mills for school purposes,
It would be too tedious, aud tire
some to you, to detain you with every
year of Gov. Lowry's term, ard l will
| therefore take only the last year, 1883.
The common school fund received
from fines whisky licenses, etc, was
s54, 376 Z See auditors report, Dec,
3, 1889, p. 70. Disbursements for com
mon school fund were SPA, go. See
same report p. 235l2.
This shows that out Of the privilege
and 4 mill state taxes of that year
$50, $50 04 went 10 common schools
Fines and fOrfeitures, except before
| Justices Of the Peace, are borne by the
counties, section 2G, constitution OF
1890. Expenses Of prosecutions we're
then borne by tine counties. Code
1880, section 1886
To 1883 only twenty one thousand
dollars was allowed for pensions to
disabled confederate soldiers. Acts
1888, p. 30. The amount now allowed
is seventy-fve thousand dollars. Acts
1898, .. A. Would Mr.. Smith and
bis co adjutors deny this small pittance
to these needy soldiers who sealed
their patriotism with their blood
often the blood cut out by frozen
ground from their bare feet, in order
TO reduce the tax? When | was in the
constitutional convention | urged that
by constitutional provisions every one
Of these soldiers and widows should
receive a pens on of seventy-tiye dol
lars wear. at least, and / am still of
the same opinion. In 1889 less than
ninety thousands dollars was paid out
of the general fund for public schools.
In 1898 nine hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars was paid out of the gen
eral state fund for common schools,
Do Mr.. Smith aud his co-daiutors
want to stop the common schoolsl In
1889 the boards of supervisors were
required to levy school tax of mills
or mere See Acts, 1889, p, II, sec
ton IS. In 1898 tie boards of super
visors did not levy school tax. AND
the 4 mills state tax Of 1889 to the
mills or more county school taxes and
you had a 7 mills or more tax of 1885
against 615 mills tax Of 1898. A page
"a of the report of state superintendent