The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1902-07-19
STATEMENT OF GOV. LONGING
In Regard to Treasury Loan Matter-His
Course In Case Reviewed.

Jackson, Miss, July ia sem
sational statement, credited to Phil
A. Rush, recently appeared in the
Vicksburg Herald, which charges
Governor Longino, in effect, with
having attempted to make a COM
pact with Rush whereby the State
treasury loan scandal was to be
hushed up in the interest of all par
ties. Before leaving yesterday after
noon for Water Valley the governor
gave out an interview fatty denying
the charge. The Herald article re-
ferred to was as follows:
@Our acquaintance with Mr.. Rush
has been scant and wholly void of
pleasing impressions. His only
claim on this paper is that of a man
unjustly singled out of his gang for
prosecution. This entities him to
publication of the following, request
ed and authorized by him through a
friend:
"When the transaction was dis
covered Longino sent Raiford to me
at my home in Senatobia, Miss, with
proposition from Longino that if [
would resign the position of capitol
commissioner and the presidency of
the Mississippi Fire Insurance Asso-
citation that would be a solution of
the whole matter; that A. G. Wilson
would not then compel him to report
the shortage; that Showers and Raj
ford could continue in Office. Fur
thermore, that my resignation of the
two positions had no relation what
ever to my connection, supposed or
actual, with the treasury matter, but
was solely for the benefit of Showers
and Raiford, who were guilty techni-
cally of violating the law
'The Herald does not, of course,
youch for the yeracity of this story.
1t would be deemed improbable but
for the absolutely unaccountable
courseof Governor Longino through
out the whole affair; his discovery
and silence as to the shortage in
July; the delay in the August count
sufficient for the replacement of the
100000 of Jackson loans, but not
for the Memphis $107, 900; his fail
ure in instituting prosecution
against Showers and Raiford when
the embezzlement was discovered as
directed by law; and his apparent
favor of the policy of exempting
them from punishment; his zeal in
pursuing Armistead, the Memphis
borrower, when the Jackson borrow
ers could be had without going into
another State for them. These
things, with the trial proceedings,
have prepared the public mind for
wide range of belief and disbelief"
After reading the foregoing Gov
ernor Longino replied that the state
ment was utterly untrue; that he
never intrusted Mr.. Raiford with
any such message to Rush, nor was
any person ever authorised by him
to communicate any such message;
that he did demand, Internationally,
Rush's resignation from the capitol
commission after learning of his
connection with the treasury short
age, and that the said resignation
was handed to the governor by
Rush's attorney without conditions.
The governor says that when he
counted the money in July, as re-
quired by section 1877 of the constitu-
ton, and found $4,000 less in the
treasury than the books called for,
which the treasurer stated was a spe-
cial silver deposit in bank made nee
essary by reason of want of room in
the vault to contain the silver, in
stead of being silent on the subject,
he certified the fact as required by
law, and the said certificate was
printed in the daily newspapers in
Jackson, New Orleans, the CONNER
cial Appeal, and, he thinks, in the
Vicksburg Herald, about July 10.
Ascertaining by observation at the
time the money was counted in July
aforesaid that the vault was not un-
duly crowded, he then and there
urged the treasurer to return to the
vault the said silver, which the treas
urer promised to do. To insure its
return to the vault the governor on
the next day after the count made
request on the treasurer in writing
for its said return and the following
is copy of the letter to Treasurer
Showers, to-wit:
jackson, Miss, July 10, 1901.
Hon. Robert Showers, State Treas
urer, Jackson, Miss:
Dear Sir-In my opinion the
reasonsdo not now exist which seemed
TO make 1t proper some time ago to
remove from the vault of the treas
ury a portion of the silver money of
the State to special repositories for
better safety. | therefore have the
honor to request that you will now
return said money to the treasury.
trusting this request win meet with
your approval, lam sincerely,
"A. H. LONGING, Governor"
Shortly thereafter, the governor