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

a certain heollon OF tle NV Ps'~"NN
the time the Institute was created
aud the Legislature were unanimous
in their belief that this act ought 10
be- amended and that the recommen-
dations of the committee ought TO
be carried out no member OF the
legislature ever dreamed, but that
the governor would send in mes
sage TO the legislature which would
authorize them 70 amend tins act OF
the legislature To their utter
ama2ement the governor persistent
ly and defantly refused 10 send IN
any such message.
Finally the legislature at the sug-
gestion of the senator from Kinds,
passed a bill appropriating sufficient
money to maintain the institution
in accordance with the report OF the
president, but to be available only
upon condition that the reforms Ill
the management of this institution
were first carried out by the trustees
of the Institution. The governor
again set himself in defiance of the
wishes of the Legislature and took
the unconstitutional stand as subse-
quently decided by the supreme
court that the legislature had no
right to attach such conditions TO
the appropriation, although the con.
stitution Of the state of Mississippi
plainly says in section 60 that the
legi stature "may prescribe the con
ditions on which the money may be
drawn
This veto was not acted upon by
the house of representatives in
which this appropriation bill origi-
mated, and as the result of this ac
ton ON the part of the governor,
unconstitutional as decided by the
supreme court unwarranted by the
facts, and characteristic of the emf
nently personal administration
which had been conducted by the
governor, the college was left in
state such as seriously imperiled its
existence.
The auditor of the state, than
whom Mississippi has never had
truer son, q more upright, court
eous and efficient officer, having
regard to the liberality of himself
and his sureties on his bond, under
the advice Of counsel, refused to is
sue warrant under this law claim
ing that it was not law because
it had not received the approval of
both of the governor and of both
houses of the legislature. As a re-
suit of this suit decision was rem
dered holding that the governor had
no right to veto the conditions at
tached to this appropriation bill and
that his act had therefore never be
come a law and there WAS no money
appropriated by the legislature TO
support the institution
Again, in this emergency the gov
ernor had to recede from the posi-
ti6n assumed by him when he de
clined to borrow money to bridge
over the expenses Of the state, and
called the extraordinary session of
1897; and finally through the liber-
atty of Mr.. Millsaps, a sufficient
sum of money was loaned to the
state to enable the institute to con-
tinue its work, but before this was
done, the governor proceeded to do
an act confessedly Illegal He at
tempted to apply the funds belong
ing to the board of control which
cannot be issued for any purpose ex-
cept for the purpose Of conducting
thel operations of that institution,
to the support of the industrial Insti-
tute and College. When an injunc-
ton was filed in the chancery court
of Kinds county, Miss, enjoining
this wrongful diversion of funds,
the board of control, of which body
he governor is the head, at once
confessed the illegality of the pro
posed loan, have never pleaded to
this bill, have never sought to
show that their action was not lille
gal, but Immediately went to work
to negotiate the loan with Mr.. Mill
saps.
If the precedent was sought to be
established by Gov. McLaurin in
defense of the settled principles of
legislative government had been
permitted to go through a precedent
| would have been established dan
gerous and detrimental to the inter
ests of the people. 1t is known that
this is a government of presidents.
Acquiesence in a wrong ripens into
precedent until an act wrong in its
| inception becomes a fixed principle.
The people should ever be jealous of
any breach of their rights and most
of all by the chief executive of their
state, whose sworn duty is to main
tain and support the constitution
and laws of the state.
AN ADMINISTRATION OF EX-
PLANTATIONS.
l feel it incumbent upon me to
show how the governor in his va
rious speeches, through the state of
Mississippi, has misrepresented facts,
not only with reference to those al
ready alluded to by me, but in other
particulars nearly as fragrant.
call it worthyof comment just
here to call attention to the fact
that we have since 1875 had no chief
executive who felt that there was
any necessity to enter into any elab-
crate and repeated explanation of
his conduct The legislature of 1897
had scarcely adjourned before the
governor, smarting under the criti
cisms of the press, felt it incumbent
upon him to enter into a canvass of
explanation. So urgent did the gov
ernor feel the need of this, that he
absolutely disregarded what might
well be termed the ordinary proprie-
ties of his Office.
THE GEORGE FUNERAL SCAN
/ DIAL.
On the 14th day Of August, 1897