The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1906-05-03
RequiesCat in Peace.

1ne legislature which convened on
the End day of January, and adjourn
ed on the 21st day of April, 1906, has
been in session just 10 days, they get
$5 per day which amounts to $500 or
more, each with an additional mileage
allowance for members of both house
and senate. This is right neat sum
for pocket change to tide them through
the summer months.
There are 134 members Of the house
and SO senator's. The per diem charge
alone therefore, being the sum of
$95, 900, or thereabout.
The legislature has been an extra
ordinary one in many respects. 1t it
the longest session ever held excep-
perhaps during NEGRO rule'' when
the white people had 10 voice in their
domestic affairs.
1t is the first legislature that ever
voted to refuse to allow the people
from whom they derive their author
lty-to vote on constitutional
amendment to make the judges cleo
tive by vote Of the people. 1t has ap.
propriated more money than any
legislature that ever met in the history
of the state, it is believed.
1t increased appropriations over the
regular session of 1904 about so, 900, 900
according to press reports and added to
the permanent state debt about a
: million and half dollars. It has
talked more, and done less than any
body of law makers that ever met in
Mississippi. It has torn into shreds
the code prepared by three of the most
eminent jurists in the state, Chief
Justice Whitfield, T. O. Catchings
and Judge W. FL. Hardy, and even re.
fused to allow them to appear before
the committees to explain their work.
1t has done more bogus investiga-
ting into the penitentiary and state
institutions-at an expense Of many
thousand dollars to the tax payers of
the state-which always resulted in a
fiasco of charges and counter charges
by the partisans of fractional roli-
tics to the detriment and disgrace
of the state.
The following resume of their work
by the Clarion Ledger will be read
with interest by the people who pay
the taxes and who will want to know
how their servants voted Oh all these
propositions:
In many respects this has been an
extraordinary session, and is one of
the longest on record, having exceed
ed the length of the regular session by
many, many days.
1t started out by showing DISPOSE
ton to curtail expenses, remembering
the enormous appropriations of last
session. 1t refused to increase the
salaries OF judges or state officers,
though urgently importuned to do SO.
1t cut down the amounts asked by the
state colleges some $500, ZOO, and made
reductions in various directions, and
for long time held tight reign on
appropriations
1t declined to consider an amend
ment to the constitution providing for
an increase in the number of supreme
court judges.
1t cut the dummy code into shreds
and tatters. and placed it beyond the
recognition of it's fathers, declining to
allow the commissioners to appear up
on the floor of either house to explain
its chapters and sections.
1t ignored the suggestions Of the
governor to submit a proposition to
the people to amend the constitution
SO as to give the legislature full power
to deal with the public school ques-
tion, SO that there might be q divis-
ion of the school funds.
1t discussed many bills providing
for the sale of the states property
the damp and dangerous old state
house, which stands as a menace to
life and health, the grounds upon
which the old pile stands, and the
rickety and Anticipated old executive
mansion; but declined to pass any
bill looking to their sale at time
when this property wonld net the
state half million dollars.
1t started out with the avowed
purpose to establish no new offices,
and finally created a large number,
thereby adding thousands upon thou
sands of dollars of additional expenee
to the state.
1t was urged to Investigate peni-
tentiary affairs and abolish the board
of controls and yielding to what this
paper regards as an unreasonable and
senseless clamor, in which politics
played no unimportant or inoonsider-
able part, it condemned, repudiated and
abolished the board, and erected in its
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