The Brandon news., 1906-01-04

cost In rOund NUMBERS $1,1UU,uUU OF In
crease the tax levy.
I call your attention to the fact
that Ave hundred thousand dollars Of
series H. Of the state bonds issued
March 9th, 1896, bearing per cent
interest, will mature January LIST,
1907. I submit to you the wisdom OF
meeting this obligation by the sale OF
long time, low interest bearing bonds.
The condition of the states finances
calls for prudence. wise economy,
deep concern for the honor of the
state, and invokes the higher order Of
craftsmanship, to handle the situation
properly.
The Penitentiary.
In my inaugural address delivered
before the joint session of tire legis-
lature OF Mississippi on January l9,
1904, discussing the penitentiary man
agement, recommended the 'aboli-
ltlon of the board of control and sub
stituting therefore department of
the state government to be under the
direction and control Of one capable
man, selected as the legislature may
provide, whose it shall be to direct
and supervise the working Of the con-
vlcts as the law may prescribe. The
reasons urged then for the proposed
change in the penitentiary manage
ment, are equally cogent new, and
applicable to present conditions.
1t all the convicts had been con-
centrated and worked upon the state
land IN 1908 and capable officer had
been placed in charge of the peniten-
tlary every acre of the states land,
susceptible to cultivation, would now
be cleared and capable of yielding six
or eight thousand bales of cotton, and
ample corn and food products to main
tain the convicts and live stock.
In all essential respects, TIE prime
purpose of the penitentiary has been
overlooked by the board Of control
Instead of being conducted for the
benefit Of the criminals-a kind Of
moral hospital, where the moral Grip
pies could be treated-the question
of money making for the state and the
favored few, has been the end sought
to be attained. The state of Missis-
sippi cannot afford to profit by crime
Public Education.
Public education is a matter Of pro-
found and abiding interest to the peo-
pie Of Mississippi and the mainte-
nance of system of free public
schools, has become a fundamental
tenet In our political creed. But people
have fads about education, as they do
about everything, and are liable to
go to improbable extremes. The en-
thuslast weaves most allurlng ia
brio of glittering theories-in his
hands he holds the panacea for all
the social ills-and to carry out his
world-saving plan he would spend all
the money In Christendom and mort
gage the future. Where the supply
Of money is limited, it is we'll for those
charged with the disbursement of the
states revenues to be careful that
the money appropriated for school
purposes shall be invested so as to
bring the largest educational returns.
| believe a dollar invested In the de-
velopment of the mind Of the white
child and the cultivation Of the white
man and woman, is the best invest
ment the state ever made. On the
other hand, believe every dollar in
vested for negro education under our
present free school system, is an in
defensible and unwarranted prodigal-
ity Of cash. It is a crime against the
white man who furnishes the dollar
and disadvantage to the negro upon
whom it is spent. Discussing the
question of education in my inaugu-
raj address delivered to the joint ses-
sion of the senate and house January
10Th, 1904, [ said:
Zone of the most rational and pro-
ftable duties Of free government it
seems to me, is to educate its children.
Education means only the develop
ment of the good there is in man, the
vitalizing of those dormant forces
which build and complete that poten-
tial moral entity called character. It
is wise economy in this, that if a
man or a citizen be made better by
education, the government will share
his improvement, and the enlightened
moral sentiment will write the laws
of the land, But when [ speak Of the
government educating its children,
wish it understood that I do not mean
it is to be the duty or the hope Of the
state to give every boy and girl a
technical education or a course at col
lege. That is practically impossible.
We have colleges and universities
urb;oh tho cfoto nouct M maintain ord