The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-07-18
Senator McLaurin
Answers Herald
concluded from page I

and put the railroad property on the
tax rolls for future taxes, was in
favor of accepting 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 re-
covered to allow me to get out, went
to the revenue agent and advised him
to accept the compromise, and that
was the extent of my interference in
the proposed compromise, and did it
because / thought it was best for the
state. The revenue agent afterwards
fought 1t out In the supreme court Of
the United States and recovered the
entire amount. It turned out better
for the state than if he had compro-
missed, but could not foresee that
when advised him to compromise,
but did know that if the million
dollars was paid by compromise and
the railroad property put on the as
sessment roll for taxes, that one mill
ion dollars paid and the millions that
have been paid since that time for
taxes would be sure to the state and
counties, although a half million
would have been lost in the compro-
mise, while If 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 / spoke
to the Revenue Agent the Herald uses
this language in reference to the
United States Supreme Court decision:
AS the decision had been rendered
unanimously this shifty statement
met with the disbelief and rejection
it invited. This statement of the
Herald is contradicted by the Journals
of the legislature and the United
States Supreme Court Reports. The
Journals of the Legislature will
show that the session of the Legisla-
ture was in January, February, and
March, 1900. The United States
Supreme Court Reports show that the
decision was not rendered until the
October term, 1900, the term which
ran through the winter of 1900 and
1901. This is in the 180th u. S.
Supreme Court Reports, reported in
10th Law Edition, rage 1876. So it is
impossible that at the time was
talking to the Revenue Agent the
decision had been rendered by the
Supreme Court of the United States.
The Herald charges me with s'sin-
lister championship of the Weathers'
capitol plan. I never championed
that plan or any other. The Legisla-
ture of 1896 requested the late Col.
j. L. Power, Attorney General Nash
and myself to act as a committee to
examine and present plans for the
new capitol building to them at the
next session of the Legislature. We
did this, and after examining all the
plans, we were unanimously of the
opinion that the WeatheIs' plan was
best, and we unanimously recommend
ed it to the Legislature. This was
the extent of my championing 1t.
The House of Representative adopted
the Weathers' plan, but the Senate
substituted therefor plan and speci-
fications that had been used in the
building of a court house in San
Antonio, Texas, and vetoed the bill.
There was an effort made to pass the
bill through the House over my veto,
which did not get even a majority of
the House. This veto was made
ammunition against me by the Her.
aid in 1870 and I was sustained.
Time has proved the wisdom of the
veto.
The Herald says it never heard
before of my advocating primary
election law. I never said I did.
/ said advocated primary elections.
A great many people in this state
will remember that / advocated
primary elections for Governor in
1895, and primary elections for the
United States Senate in 1899 In
both these years / appealed to the
executive committee for the primary
election. But that which provoked
the most bitter feeling Of the Herald
was the Order Of the executive COM
mittee for primary election in 1900,
which was said all over the State to
have been influenced by me. I, in
an interview, stated that favored it,
and that primary elections had come
to stay.
AS to the $3.50. 90 check, the Herald
doesn't say TO which one Of my
brothers it was given. OF course
cannot know all that was written on
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