The Tupelo journal., 1906-01-12

Legislature today:
To the Senate and House of Represent
atives:
Profoundly grateful to the beneficent
Being whose SleepleSS eye and ~tireleSS
hand guides the bird in its painless
course. makes plain the proper ways OF
men, and shapes the destiny OF nations,
Tor the unprecedented material pros
perity enjoyed by the people of Missis-
Sippi for the two years just passed, l
congratulate you, my conference.-the
immediate representatives of the peo-
ple-upon the favorable auspices un-
der which you reassemble to perform
the functions of the important offices
which you hold. The people of Missis-
sippi have not only enjoyed most mar
yelous material prosperity, but in edu-
cation and thought there has been
marked progress, and in matters pouti-
cal great ethical growth. This latter
OF political power and authority from
the boss-dominated convention to the
patriotic white suffragist who rules the
State with his ballot, deposited at the
primary election.
A great deal is expected of this Leg
islature. The character OF the men
who compose it J~ustifies that expec-
tation, and the exigencies of the situa-
ton demand that hat expectation be
fulfilled; and also, hat every hope en-
~tertained or prediction made of your
wise action during this session shall be
realized. The work to be done Is both
remedial of existing conditions and an
~ticfpatory of future necessities. One is
just as important as the other. The
failure to provide for either would be
extremely unfortunate and mark a de-
gree of r~ecreancy. which q true MiSsis-
sippian is incapable of. The response
bflftieS devolvfng upon a legislator are
far-reaching in their consequences ana
varied in their character. affecting Vi
tally the veal or woe of the people
whose commission he holds.
Financial Condition.
ThA 500 n - &, - -. ,a,Na,t ltcn1ncac
an unsound condition ia the States
finances and emphasizes the necessity
for immediate remedial legislation. The
obligations of the State must be
credly preserved. Scientific financier-
ing and the broader craftsmanship con-
denim the policy of borrowing from the
fund collected to defray the expenses of
the State government for the year
1906. to pay the current expenses of the
government for the year 1905. That
policy has been in vogue for the past
three or four years. 1t was resorted
to for the purpose of overcoming a def
cit in the treasury brought about by
the failure of the last administration
to issue bonds, authorized by an act of
the Legislature, approved March 2,
1900, to raise money for the purpose
OF erecting a new State House" That
act authorized the issuance of one mill
ion dollars of th~irty-year 4 per cent.
bonds. Instead of issuing the million
dollars of bonds to pay for the new
oldle I1OuSe, TIE COSl VI erecting liz
building and furnishing it were paid
out of funds intended to be devoted to
the payment of the normal current eX-
penses of the State government. The
deficit, therefore, which confronts us is
not altogether ~chargeable to the pres
ent administration, but it comes to US
as a legacy from our predecessor. To
supply in part that deficit the LegiSla-
ture, by al act entitled IAN act to au-
thorize the issuance of State bonds for
the purpose of defraying the expenses
of the State government, approved
March IS, 1904" authorized the Gov
ernor to issue five hundred thousand
dollars of bonds. In pursuance of said
act, in the manner and form prescribed
therein. / sold at par to N. w. Harris Il
Co, of Chicago, Ill, five hundred thou
sand dollars of thirty-year bonds of the
State of Mississippi, payable in ten
years or any time thereafter at the OPP
ton of the State, bearing interest at
the rate of three and one<fnalf per cent.
per annum. interest payable semi-an-
nuslly." The proceeds from this bond
safe were covered into the Treasury. as
will be shown by the records of that
Office. Fearing that that amount would
not meet the demands upon the Treas
ury for the year 1906, the Legislature,
by an act entitled IAN act to raise
revenue to carry on the State govern
ment of Mississippi for the years 1901
05, approved March %, 1904" author
lied the Governor to borrow when
ever necessary during the year 1905,
three hundred thousand dollars at a
rate OF interest not 10 eXcteu I'VE pei
cent. per year. payable on or before
January Is, 1906" In pursuance of
that act, and by the authority thus con-
ferred upon me l borrowed three hun
bred thousand dollars from the Missis-
sippi Bank and Trust Company, OF
Jackson, Miss, for which amount | gave
eight notes for s25, 900 each, and two
notes FOR $4,000 each, dated July 1,
1905, payable January IS, 1906. and
bearing interest at the rate of five per
cent. pr annum. trust that you may
provide for the payment of these notes
at maturity, and thereby AVOID any
possible inconvenience to the bank
which handled the matter for me upon
exceedingly favorable terms to the
State. / might nave been able to have
borrowed this money at four and one
half per cent. interest, but in order 10
have done so would have been forced to
have taken it for a longer time than
with a deficit in the Treasury, let us
consider the remedies at hand. In my
Judgment there are but two ways out
of the trouble. Either issue bonds to
pay for building the Capitol and fur
nishing it. which cost in round num-
bers 81, 900, 900, or increase the tax levy.
7 think the former the wiser course to
pursue. There is no justice in. making
the present generation pay with money
worth ten per cent. for building me
Capitol and furnishing it. when the
state can borrow the money at three
per CEN. and thereby put a portion OF
the busden upon the Coming genera
tions w1o arst6 e1Soy the use ana pen
en The OF co omG HaR'' Of the States finances
calls for prudence. wise economy. deep
concern for the honor OF the state, ana
invokes the higher order of statesman
ship to handle the situation properly.
EVERYTHING that Savors of extravaganza
or prodigality should be avoided, as we
should also avoid everything that
smacks of the niggardly and p~arsfmonI-
Gus. The people of Mississippi are able
to bear any burden of taxation or do
anything that may be necessary for the
moral, educational and material pros
perity of the people of Mississippi. The
amount of money invested for the good
of the people is of no concern, if we arr
sure that the monev thus invested viii
yield profitable returns and that the
people will be mad better and richer
FOR the investment.
T submit the matter to your greater
wisdom. confident that you will do that
which is best.
The P~cnitentiary.
In my inaugural address, delivered
before the joint session of the Legisla-
ture of Mississippi, January 10, 1904,
discussing the penitentiary manage
ment, l recommended the abolition or
the Board of Control and substituting
therefore a department of the State
government to be under the direction
and control of one capable man, select
ed as the Legislature may provide.
whoes duty it shall be to direct n
supervise the working of the convicts
as the Law may prescribe" The rea-
sons then urged for the proposed
change in the penitent1ary management
are equally cogent now, n applica-
BILE to present conditions.
L said: The disadvantages of the
present system are that the responsible
tiles are divided among five men, whose
other official duties, if properly per-
formed, will consume all of their time.
responsible for the acts of five" An
other reason: THE duties of the office