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

tween the people and the railroads
thatit was Gov. McLaulin who tool
him Off. These are the facts per
tanning TO the retirement of Judge
Cooper from the supreme bench and
VIII be verified on inquiry from him
and Gov. Lowry
If the governors remarks were
not inetnded to apply to Judge
Cooper then | must beg pardon fo1
alluding to this part of his speech.
If they do apply to the retirement
OF Judge Cooper from the supreme
bench it is due to the people that the
misstatement of Gov. McLaurin
should be corrected.
THE GOVERNORS ASPERSES
REPUTATION.
The radical weakness of the GOV
ernor's defense of his inpefensible
record is betrayed in his efforts to
make believe that his assailants have
been animated by prejudice and inn
purity of motive. To establish such
impression he does not hesitate at
inuendos and aspersions; as wit
messed this reference to eX-Justice
Cooper. In the same way, to gloss
over his utter disregard of the pop
ular will in the appointment of levee
commissioners, he took occasion to
reflect upon the Hon. Chas. Scott, of
Bolivar county, and in his Halle
hurts speech he says
Another cause of offense | have
given. When l was inaugurated |
had to appoint two levee boards. In
one of these boards | found a de
faulting treasurer, an absconding
treasurer Isfound that the levee
tax collector had three obligations
of prominent influential man of
his county for 80, 500 payable the
goth Of February, March and Arpil
1896, aggreagting $96, 800, that
ought to have been in the treasury
of the board. appointed other men
than those then in control of the
board and incurred the enmity of
those who had controlled the board
when its treasurer edfulted. -
This charge was first made in "a
delta paper nearly two years ago.
1t was refuted by the record and
most severely denounced as a false
hood by Mr.. Scott, in a card in the
Herald in which he taxed the COVER
nor with its authorship. Would any
man repeat charge under such cir
unless his case was bad
and his sensibilities callous! The
facts of this issue I will re-state
At the time that Gov McLaurin
was inaugurated and at the time he
llludes to Mr.. W. A. Everman was
treasurer of the Mississippi Levee
Board, Gen. Ferguson, the default
ng treasurer of the levee board hav-
ng absconded sometime during the
year 1894 and Mr.. Everman was the
from July 1894 to July |
1896; Mr.. Everman having succeeded |
len. Ferguson. Mr.. Eyerman S ac-
counts were as correct as fgurse |
,ould make them and every dollar
If the levee monies were accounted |
or by him. The paper alluded to
IS held by the levee tax collector
vas the paper of Mr.. Chas. Scott,
Who pays taxes not only on a large
mount of property of his own but
or large number of clients. The |
heriff of Bolivar county had indul-
red him, as sheriffs frequently do
eliable attorneys, and when the
he1iff made his settlement with the
of the levee board he
urned over to Mr.. Everman, the
reasurer, three notes or time checks
# Mr.. Scott. Mr.. Everman declined
o credit the sheriff Of Bolivar coun-
V for the amounts but stated that
When paid he would be credited.
Zach one of these notes or time
hecks was paid promtlpy at ma
ul'ity. The governor had long prior
0 that time and for an entirely diff
erent reason made up his mind not
0 appoint Mr.. Geo. B. Shelby as
9vee commissioner from Bolivar
ounty, who was urged not only by
II. Scott but majority of demo
ratio voters of Bolivar county for
his place, but did not appoint at
he suggestion of some lawyers and
itizensof Bolivar county politically
opposed to Mr.. Scott another man
nd | am reliably informed that
early every prominent man that
recommended the appointment of
II. Boyd to the levee board instead
f Mr. Geo. B. Shelby had been in
ulged by the sheriff in exactly the
anne way that Mr., Scott was in
ulged; whom he now maligns or
ndeavors to impute unworthy and
conduct to. .
III have madea ny misstatements
{ facts in regard to this transaction
hope the Hon. Chas, Scott, of Boil j
yar county, a chevalier above re {
roach, whose word is his bond, who '
ever told an untIruth in his life,
-ho is man of as keen sense of {
onor as ever breathed the breath I
life, will take occasion to correct {
le. Possibly l should not take up
me as this of local interest only, ,
ut as the governor brought the {
wee matter into the arena of state
0litics, it might be well to pursue {
le subject for the purpose of stat $
lg certain RECENT matters which q
3 failed to attend to. The levee !
oard which he appointed elected a |
an treasurer who defaulted during \
is first term of office and who was c
,-elceted by this board appointed |
Y Gov. McLaurin, although they
new that at the time he was re- v
ected he was a defaulter to the C
mount of 81, 703.19. The grand I
Il L : Ill.