Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-07-17
STATEMENT or GOV. LoNonso


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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 . 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 a. follows:
'0ur acquaintance with Mr.. Rush
has been scant and wholly void Of
pleasing impressions His only
claim on this paper is that of man
unjustly singled out of his gang for
prosecution This entities him to
publication Of the following, request
ed and authorized BY him through q
friend:
when the transaction was dis
covered Longino sent Raiford to me
at nv home In Senatobia, Miss, with
. proposition from Longino that if I
would resign the position Of capitol
commissioner and the presidency Of
the Mississippi Fire Insurance Asso-
ciation that would be . 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
themore, 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
SThe Herald does not, of course,
vouch for the veracity of this story.
1t would be deemed improbable but
for the absolutely unaceountable
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
500, 900 Of Jackson loans, but not
for the Memphis s107, 900; his fail
ure In instituting prosecution
against Showers and Raiford when
the embezlement 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 4
vide range of belief and disbelief
After reading the foregoing Gov
ernor Longino replied that the state
ment was utterly untrue; that he
never lntrusted Mr.. Raiford with
any such message to Rush, nor was
any person ever authorized by him
10 communicate any such message !;
that he did demand, unconditionally.
Rushs resignation from the capitol
commission after learning of his
connection with the treasury short
age, and that the said resignation
vas handed to the governor by
kush's attorney without conditions.
The governor says that when he
counted the money In July, as re-
quired BY section 137 of the eonstitu-
tion, and found $40, 900 less in the
treasury than the books called for,
which the treasurer stated was a spe-
cial silver deposit in hank made nee
essary BY reason Of want of room In
the vault to contain the silver, in
stead of being silent on the subject,
ne certified the fact - required by
Law, and the said certificate vas
printed in the daily newspapers In
Jackson. New Orleans, the CONNER
cal Appeal, and, be thinks. in the
'ieksburg Herald, about July 10.
Ascertaining BY observation at the
time the money vas counted In JULY
aforesaid that the vauls vas 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
= copy of the letter to Treasurer
Showers, to-vit:
Jackson, Miss, July 10, 1901
Hon Robert Showers, State Treas
urer, Jackson, Miss:
Dear Sir-In nv opinion the
reasonsdo not novexist which seemed
10 make it proper some time ago to
remove from the vault of the treas
ury portion of the silver money Of
The State to special depositories for
better safety / therefore have the
honor to request that you viii nov
Iefurn said money to the treasury.
trusting this request viii meet with
your approval, l am sincerely,
A. H. LONGING, Governor
Shortly thereafter, the governor
sa,d, the treasurer informed me that
all the money had been returned.
ine governor states that be testified
substantially to these facts and to
the further fact that he never had
any knowledge or information that
any portion Of the money of the
state vas being loaned or had been
,osned to any person whatever until
ne got information about the trans
acton Of Rush, Raiford and Armis-