The Columbus weekly dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1902-1905, 1903-06-04
M;SSlssIPPI'S NEW CAPITOL.
How 1t Was Built Without Costing the
Tax Payers of Mississippi. An OBJ
iect Lesson in FinancIerIng.

t@Sk -SoS ott III . tttN~ttSf@t
cBy the Aberdeen Group Assoeiation)
Recent dispatches say the Il
linois Central Railroad had de
clared an extra dividend. Last
week 5 kilograms gave to the
public the information that the
Frisco was about to build a line
to New Orleans on the east side
of the river but that the Gould
System, Illinois Central and
Southern had granted it traffic
arrangements into New Orleans
and the deal had been declared
off. And yet there are those
who contend there is no ghost"
no octopus.
So the completion of the New
Capitol is to be celebrated to-
day with great eclat, speeches
and the laying of the corner
stone. We have been led to be-
lieve that this beautiful Capitol
has cost the people of Mississippi
very little money; in fact, that
it was paid for out of the pro
ceeds of the back tax" suits
against the Illinois Central Rail
road. Some go so far as to name
it the Illinois Central Capitol
There are others who deny the
proposition. AS history is best
writ not by those who made it
btu by those who live after it
/ the suggestion is made that in
the archives of the state and also
in the corner stone there be
placed the following precious
documents, tO-wit: The charters
of the several railroads on which
/ the Illinois Central paid back
taxes. 2" The several opinions of
/ the courts. The tariff of rates
of the Illinois Central, together
with it's freight classification eX-
listing before the beginning of
/ these suits. The tariff and classi-
| fcatiOn Of the Illinois Central and
all other railroads in Mississippi
now in effect, Finally the an
nual statements Of the Illinois
Central showing its earnings be
fore and after beginning and
ending of the back tax suits.
These documents ought to en-
able the future intelligent his
tOrian to write it down who paid
for MIssissippi's Capitol of 1901
1903, It will be remembered by
those who paid the freight
that soon after M1ssissippi's
Supreme Court ruled that her
old timed" legislators know
nothing of constitutional law
it so happened there was another
court that met-the honorable
General Freight Agents of the
Railroads, who have in the last
several years raised the classifi-
cation of freight and in so doing
advanced to a higher rate over
five hundred articles. 1t does
look like the railroads have given
the court a Roland for its Oil,
YER" AS to who furnished the
money to build the Capitol prima
facia, it looks as if the patrons
of the Illinois Central did it. But
with them the balance of the
State has been penalized.
This penalty can be withheld
if the Mississippi Railroad Com
mission would only make rates
to the Mississippi River across
the State. They know they can
do it and thus relieve the people,
but they wont.
1t is stated that jackson ex-
poets $4,000 people today. The
great majority will go over the
Illinois Central. This is to re
mind them that Jones, he pays
the freight. " Governor Van
Sandt will be there from Mime
sofa, the guest of Governor Lon
gino. We suggest the following
over their before dinner" cock
tail: Gov. Van Sandt; Here S
to the Northern Securities which
hasn't merged in Minnesota
Gov. Longino: Here's to the
Southern and Mobile & Ohio,
which have in Mississippi. It's
dollars to dimes that EX-Perlees.
man McClurg would bust a but
ton or two laughing"