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

contrast inns utllOu on luo part Ol
the governor with his declaration IN
one Of his subsequent messages 10
the legi stature in which he protests
his fidelity TO the constitution OF
Mississippi, to-wit. his message TO
the legislature at its extraordinary
session in 1897, in which he says
1T might have been cheaper 10
the state 20 have borrowed the mon
ey and paid interest on it, if there
had been any authority for il, but
there is no such authority; on the
contrary it is forbidden And if the
governor may impInge the Consti-
tuition in one instance, because Of
his opiuin of eXpediengY. he may
, disregard il in every case where hs
Judgment denies Its wisdom The
rich and powerful may not have
much % fear from Il light regard of
the restraints of law on the part Of
those in authority, but the poor and
humble and weak have no sure pro
lection except a stict adherence Of
these authorizes to the law Fine
words these,
TRAFFIC IN JUDGESHIPS.
During the caucus for senator, in
the session of 1896, the air was filled
with Iumors of deals on the part of
the governor with reference 10 the
appointment of judges and chancel-
orsaud promises We're made here and
there that this senator or that
repre-. tentative would abandon their
choice and vote for Gov. MCLaurin
that he should be a Judge or
chancellor. or should have the nam
ing of a Judge or chancellor 1t be-
came an open secret during the dead
lock that Gov. McLaurin and his
friends were endeavOring to have
his name sprung and let him be
elected as a dark horse In the
Money caucus. one senator stated in
the caucus I will give his name if
this statement is denied chat he had
been told by a brother of the COVER
nov that if he should leave the
Money caucus and 90 to Gov. Nc
LauIIn for senator that he could
name the circuit Judge in the 9th
Circuit court district of Mississippi.
One Of the members of the senate
whose name ] will give if this state
ment is challenged. tells me that
he told by one Of the governors
brothers during this period that if
he would leave the Money caucus
and 90 to Gov. McLau1iu that he
should have the naming of the
chancellor in the 9th chancery court
district of Mississippi
THE EXTRAORDINARY SESSION.
Early in the year 1897 there ap-
paared various statements in the
Jackson papers that the governor
was considering the necessity Of
calling an extraordinary session Of
the legislature, and stating as a
reason therefor that there was or
would be a deficit of something like
$4,000 in the state treasury when
the June distribution of the common
school fund had taken place and
that from the LIST of July, 1897, un-
til December following, when taxes
would have commenced to be paid
that there would be no money in
the treasury to pay the current ex-
penses of the state. An earnest pro
test went Up from various parts OF
the state against calling this extra
ordinary session. The press were
well nigh unanimous in their oppO-
sition to it. The various members
of the legislature through the public
prints announced their opposition to
it, notably the Hon f. 4. Critz, Of
Clay county. / was earnestly OPP
posed to this extraordinary session, I
and feeling that if the mere matter
of money was the only Considera-
ton that this could be remedied,
went to the Merchants National
Bank in Vicksburg and asked them
if they would loan the state $3.50,
600 at a rate of interest not exceed
ing 6 per cent. was promptly told
that the money would be loaned and
l thereupon wrote an open letter
stating that the money could be had
from the Merchants National Bank
at the rate of interest not exceeding
6 per cent. and that it would save
the state many thousands of dollars
to borrow the money to tide over fl
nancial difficulties of the state until
the session of 1898.
THE GOVERNORS PLAN FOR
CURING A DEFICIT.
In the meantime the papers were
full of some mysterious plan, which
the governor had devised, by which
a certain system of changing funds
was to be resorted to and as a result
of this change the state from having
a deficit on a mill levy would on
levy of 5! mills have a surplus. 1t
struck me that a marvellous system
Of bookkeeping had been devised by
the governor by which a deficit on a
6 mill rate of taxation on the same
amount of values and taxable prop
4rty could be on a 81 mill rate con-
verified into a surplus, l thought if
the governor could do such a thing
rs this that really he was the most
man that l had ever
The people waited eagerly
10 see this plan, but it was carefully
kept concealed and in the mean time
were issued to the Appro-
)riations Committee of the House to
meet the governor on a certain day
md to the Finance Committee of
he senate to meet the governor on
/ day thereafter which was named
n these respective invitations.
III i ,nln,, nf thn crnI-nr,r1n1,'s On tha