Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1907-06-17
A. J. McLAURIN'S
REPLY TO VICkSBURG F4ELRAD
Says the Charges Preferred Are the Same Were Made During
the Campaign Which Resulted in His Election to
the High Office He Holds.

railroad property on the tax rolls for
future taxes, / was in favor Of accept
ing it, rather than risk the. decision
of the Supreme Court Of the United
States, our Supreme Court having
been divided, although was sure the
State was entitled to the million and
half. |, therefore, as soon as my
health was sufficiently recovered to
allow me to get out, went to the Reeve
nue. Agent and advised him to accept
the compromise, and that was the
extent of my interference in the pro-
posed compromise, and did it be-
cause | thought it was best for the
State. The Revenue Agent after
wards fought it out in the Supreme
Court of the United States and recov-
cred the entire amount. 1t turned out
better for the State than if he had
compromised, but could not foresee
that when | advised him to comprom-
Use, but | did not know that if the
million dollars was paid by comprom-
Use and the railroad property put on
the assessment roll for taxes, that
one million dollars paid and the mil
lions that have been paid since that
time for taxes would be sure to the
State and counties, although half
million would have been lost in the
compromise, while of the Supreme
Court of the United States were to
reverse the case the State would not
only lose that which was involved in
litigation, but would lose the taxes
from the railroad thereafter.
Speaking of the time when l spoke
to the Revenue Agent the Herald uses
this language in reference to the
United States Supreme Court deci-
sion: "As the decision had been rem
dered unanimously this shifty state
: ment met with the belief and rejec
ton it invited" This statement of the
Herald is contradicted by the Jour
mails of the Legislature and the United
States Supreme Court Reports. The
Journals of the Legislature will show
that the session of the Legislature
was in January, February, and March
: 1900. The United States Supreme
Court Reports show that the decision
a was not rendered until the October
: term, 1900, the term which raj
r through the winter of 1900 and 1901
= This is the 1S0th u. S. Suprem,
: Court Reports, reported in 45th Law
Edition, page 1896. So it is impossible
o that at the time was talking to tn
d Revenue Agent the decision had beef
e rendered by the Supreme Court of tn
t United States.
The Herald charges me with "sinis
:, ter championship" of the Weathers
= capitol plan. | never champione
: that plan or any other. The Legisls
ture of 1896 requested the late Col !
y l.. Power, Attorney General Nash an
myself to act as a committee to e,
. anime and present plans for the ne'
Cdpitoi puiiuui5 W tucuS dt Inc ucA
- session of the Legislature We di
- this, and after examining all the plans
we were unanimously of the opinio
that the Weathers plan was the bes
and we unanimously recommended
= !. to the Legislature. This was the e,
~ tent of my championing it. TIL
u IIo,,oayof Qonroconto tixroc odnntad ~,
" Weathers' plan but the Senate SUI
% stituted therefor a plan and specii
- cations that had been used in ii
building of court house in San Al
= tonic, Texas, and l vetoed the BIZ
~ There was an effort made to pass Il
= bill through the House over my vet
% which did not get even a majof,i
~ of the House This veto was mad
. ammunition against me by the Hera
- in 1899 and ! was sustained. Tin
- has proved the wisdom of the Veto
p The Herald says it never heard b
:, fore of my advocating pririary ele
= ton law. never said i'd. sa
40 advocated primary elections.
u great many people in this State W
~ remember that advocated prima
~ election for Governor IA 1895. and p
=. =, mary election for the United Stat
:, Senate in 1899. In both these years
~ appealed to the executive commit
~ fol primary election But that viii
nc proyoked the most bitter feeling