The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-06-06
Senator MClaurin'S Interview.

authorized interview in which he vigor-
ously denounces his ancient enemy, the
editor of the Vicksburg Herald.
In view of some of the articles that
have recently appeared in the Herald
having direct bearing on the guberna-
torial campaign, the interview of Sena-
tor McLaurln is of exceptional interest,
and will be read with interest throughout
the state. 1t is as follows:
The Vicksburg Herald has INDUCED in
a considerable amount of unprovoked
abuse of me; sometimes on its own re-
SponSibillty, and some times copying,
after having abusive articles published in
some subServent paper. have let them
pass unnoticed, and do not expect to
notice them all in the future, but as a
sample of them notice one published in
the Sentinel of Ripley, of April 25th,
and approvingly copied into the Herald of
April 18th. would not notice it if it af-
feeted me only.
In the article this language is found:
prior to 1900 the state treasurer was ex-
offlcio treasurer of the penitentiary, and
up to that time not dollar Of profit had
been turned in the treasury" 1t was in
tended by this to charge that the state
treasurer never received dollar from the
board Of control prior to 1900. The fact
is that the state treasurer, making his re-
port, November "a, 1897, for the years
1896 and 1897 up to October Ist, shows
that he, as ex-officio treasurer of the peni-
tertiary, received of the warden of the
penitentiary from January 20, LOCO, to
October I, 1906, $I3o,256.I8; from Oc-
tober 1, loo6, to September 80, 1907,
SI5o ,6oo.85. This is found on page y
and 81 of that report. On page 6 of the
treasurer's report, made December S, 1890,
for the years of 1893 and 1890, up to Oc-
tober 1, 1899, shows that he received
from the warden of the penitentiary from
October 1, 1897, to September 80, 1893,
I28,738.24; and from October I, 1893, to
September 80, 1899, $86,7oI.64. The
state treasurer's report for the years of
1899 and 1901 shows that the state treas
urer as ex-officio treasurer of the peni-
tertiary received from the board of control
from October I, 1899, to September 80,
1900, $I84, $1,000.
The foregoing amount received up to
October 1, 1896, was principally the pro-
ceeds of the crop of 1895, made the year
before was governor. The amount re-
ceived from October I, 1900 to September
90, 1900, was principally the proceeds of
the crop of 1900, made the last year was
governor. The crop was practically all
on hand on the first day of October, 1900.
up to which time the report for 1893 and
1890 speaks.
At the time the board of which was
chairman was indicted into Office in 1890,
the crop made by the board in 1895 was
practically all on hand, out of which there
was to be paid about S48, 10000 then due.
This amount was paid out of the proceeds
of the crop of 1895, and the balance of the
proceeds were used to make the crop of
1896.
On the first day of October, 1899, there
was in the hands of the state treasurer,
ex-officio treasurer of the penitentiary,
$35 10000 and, besides, there was on
hand the crop produced in 1899, which
sold for about $3.50, 900 90, the proceeds
of which went into the hands of the state
treasurer, ex-officio treasurer of the peni-
tertiary, as fast as the crop was sold,
making something over $2oo,ooo.oo, in
money and crop, to the credit of the peni-
tertiary on the Ist of Oetobe, 1900. More
than 500, 900. 90 in actual cash, went into
the vaults of the treasury after the 10th
day Of January, 1896, and "prior to 1900.
All the money received by the board of
control was turned into the hands of the
state treasurer, ex-officio treasurer of the
penitentiary, and out of it the expenses of
the penitentiary, were paid, as the law re-
quired. During my administration the
penitentiary was not only Self-Supporting,
but in addition to Improvements of the
penitentiary property there was about
$500 900. 90 in money and cotton as profits.
THERE'S this extract in the Herald'S
article: Everybody knows the Nc.
Laurin brothers ihad feast as long as
they kept KEYS, and when the business
was turned over to Longino and Edgar
Wilson the situation showed no improve
ment for the state" This vile and Shiny
accusation is its own refutation. No
honest man who knows me can be made
to believe that during the time was
governor ever misappropriated dollar
of the states money. never handled
any Of the public money except when |
counted itln the state treasury as was
required by law to do.
No brother Of mine handled any OF the
public money except Walter Mel aurln the
year he was warden, and every dollar ne
received as warden was faithfully ac-
counted for and turned into the hands OF
the state treasurer, ex-officio treasurer Of
the penitentiary. No honest man believes
that he ever Incorporated dollar Of
the states funds, and no truthful man
will ever make any such insinuatlon.
The Herald further says: In the leas-
ing Of convictS, men who were friendly TO
the administration were the ones VINO got