The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1905-12-02
LETTER TO THE
TAX PAYERS
Leroy Percy Discovers
John [. HebrOn's
Appointment
Mr.. Percy Uses a Great Deal of Old
Correspondence and Editorial Mat
ter, Quoting Both Vardaman and
McLaurin in Issues of Apparently
Like Procedure

70 the Tax Payers OF Washington
County
Several inquiries having oeen made
OF me in regard to the tate Of the
petition addressed to Governor Var
daman. asking for the appointment
of DR.. ]. T Atterbury as a member
from this county on the Board Of
Mississippi Levee Commissioners, |
take this method Of answering them.
On the day after The. circulation Of
this petition had begun, it being APP
parent that 1t was responsive TO he
wishes of a large number of tax pay
ers. andthat it would be signed by
many Of them, | sent the .olloWinb
message
"Greenville, Miss, NOV. 3. 1905.
Governor james X Nardaman,
Jackson, Miss,-A petition signed by
many tax payers will be presented to
YOU. asking for the appointment OF
]. T Auerbury on the Board OF Mis-
sissippi Levee Commissioners.
LEROY PERCY
ON the next morning. being advised
THAI Governor Vardaman had. the
evening before, authorized the state
lncnt that he would appoint aa Le-
wee Commissioner Mr. John l. He
bron. I sent him the following mes
sage.
"Greenvillc. Miss. Nov. "a, 1905.
Governor James X Nardaman,
Jackson. Miss understand that Nh
Walton Shields STATES that it IS un-
necessary to s3bmit to you any pc
fition in regard to the appointment
Of a member Of the Levee Board: that
you have authorized him TO say that
YOU have decided TO appoint Mr.. Jno
l.. Hebron to the position. Please
wire at my expense il this is correct
LEROY PERCY"
To which. | received the following
reply:
Jackson. Miss, Nov. a. 1905.
Hon Leroy Percy. Greenville,
Miss.-See my letter writxn yester-
day will appoint Hebron.
JAS. X. VARDAMAN"
Feeling that the tax paers would
not care to petition in regard TO an
appointment which had been settled
| notified those having the petition
that further circulation Of il was I'M.
necessary
Governor Vardam in the course
pursued. followed the example of one
OF his illustrious predecessors III of.
fee. Governor A. J. McLaurin, dur
ing whose term of office as Governor
the following telegraphic correspon-
dence occurred between him and the
Exec tive Committee OF Washington
County, relative to the appointment
OF a Commissioner for this District
''Greenville, Miss. Dec II, 1907
Governor a. J. McLaurin, Jackson
Miss-The Executive Committee o.
Washington County is now in session
called for the purpose OF determin-
ing whether. in accordance with tn,
recommendation of the tax payers
meeting. held in the District in 1904
it shall order a Democratic conven
tion or primary. for the purpose O
recommending to you person to bt
appointed on the Leyec Board from
this county, at the ensuing session .
/ vors acting OH the recommendation
/! o.. that convention, but is unwilling Il
harrass the people with an election
without assurance from you. VIII yot
appoint the person recommended b.
the Democratic convention or pri
!, mary: Wire al our expense. Commit
! tee will adjourn until tomorrow a
| four r. Nypl1r
LEROY PERCY, Chairman.
GEO. L. ALEXANDER, Sec.
Jackson, Miss. Dec. II. 1897.
| Leroy Percy. Chairman Execr
tive Committee. Greenyille, Miss
! Mr. Jayne's fidelity. as a Commission
er. to the levee interests. with h
known lcapability and efficiency, PR
vents my unadviSedly ard hurried
committing myself to anything tn:
uight contemplate his displacemc,
BY me.
: y. ]. MCLAURIN. :"
Fhe action OF Governor MeLaur
did not escape the condemnation |
the people and the press Of the Di
trict The Democratic Committee
the county. IN resolutions condemn
= ing it. said in part:
: "Bc il resolved that the answer
| Governor McI-aurin to this comrni
zee contains an unjust and wanton T
lection upon the intelligence OF t
Democratic voters OF the county: al
: II Mr. Iayne's services to the Lev
i BoaN have been as valuable as t
) Governor indicates. his claims mig
n well have been submitted to sa
voters. the chief beneficiaries Of !
assumed ability and fidelity. and )
regret the action of the Governor
refusing to- & limit To the tax payt
II the county. by whom the Lev
t Board is maintained. the capacity a
4 fitness of the members OF such Boa
) as being arbitrary and undemocrat
I and thereby the Governor arroga
e IL himself an infallibility in judgi
It the qualifications of appointees VIII
'e the acts Of his official career do ]
st warrant rs in conceding. The act
g af the Governor shows that in Z
{ future. as in the past, he will m:
appointments on the Levee BOARD.