The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-14
Hard Il tsatrsl Prsceedlaxs.

AuO OO0Au VI OOutIOi A66 0uu6C'
ed its distinct disapproval" Of the
acts Of the warden. as charged,
but iinds nothing 10 the charges
ITO justify his discharge" He
was acquitted but warned not Ia
do any more. Commissioner
Kincannon dissented to this dis
posal OF the case. He moved the
exclusion Of the warden's explana-
ton Of the questionable trans
actions as alleged, for the reason
that the warden was guilty of false
swearing while a Witness"
1t is needless to say that such
an outcome, with its attendant
incidents, is Notifying to the
public certainly, and the board,
probably. Joined with the un-
savory irregularities" shown
against Warden Parchman in the
costly Legislative Investigation, the
whole, an Improbable Investment
to the state. And the Herald can
but think that, after generating
him, it would be far better in the
board to invite his resignation,
than re-elect him for another term.
And this course, according to our
Jackson letter, has been adopted
by the board majority.
In the Clarion l4edger's account
of this meeting of the board OF
control we find the following:
Considerable spirit was injected
into the proceedings, which were
held behind closed doors, not even
the secretaries being permitted to
be present, and some of the re.
marks made, it is understood, were
quite salty.
The board may have good
reasons for proceeding behind
closed DOORS" but they are not
apparent. The Herald, certainly,
can conceive of no service to the
public interest in such secrecy in
the disposition OF q public matter.
Aud there are decided and ap-
parent objections to such n custom,
especially in the prevalent atmos-
phere of suspicion and criticism
that the board ha, become the
centre of. At the last previous
meeting of the board, when the
state form leasing for the ensuing
year was disposed of, open doors
would have been better. Then
the public would have known by
what rule of selection the three non-
political owners were dropped from
the list of l~essees, and the -four
with influential positions, or con-
nections, were retained. Only
behind closed doors could this
result haye been effected in man.
ner as talked of.
The decision of the board, The
Herald has been informed, as to
the choice of plantations to be re-
tanned, was reached thus: One of
the members moved to retain the
plantations with the best showing,
pecuniary, to their credit. This
was certainly a good way to best
serve the states interest, and at
the same time avoid any appear
ance OF favors and pulls. 1t was
objected to by one of the other
members. for the reason that he
had already pledged his support.
aud that he excepted to any play
of politics at his expense. After
some discussion the motion to
renew the leases that had been
most profitable was rejected, and
every member was left free to
play his own game of politics.
Two of the three farms that were
given up we're the most profitable,
and one of those chosen exhibited
an actual loss. This statement is
made on information believed to
be reliable. If, however, there is
any member Of the board who d.
sires to specifically deny, or affirm,
it's accuracy, the columns of The
Herald are at his service. But the
point is, that had the farm leasing
been disposed Of publicly, the