The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-10-19
WILLIAMS MAKES REPLY
TO TREASURER EDWARDS
Continued from Page Three)

that none believe that either the Gov
ernor or Attorney General would be
a party to it. if | would. Pray tell me
why they should? Neither of these
gentlemen are under the slightest OBJ
legations to me. either personally or
politically. What motive could impel
them to forget their oaths of office,
as they would do if what you declare
to be true? I hold any citizen who
would knowingly offer worthless Sc
curity to the State to be an unworthy
citizen, and any officer aiding him TO
wrong the State ought to be impeach-
ed.
II "surety bonds" are worthless Sc.
curity" then every member of the
Legislature who voted for the law
authorizing it to be taken deserves
condemnation; every Governor who
signed the bill auothorizing such Sc
curity to be given by the State, county
and municipal treasurers and officers
deserves condemnation, every treas
urer of the State, county or city. who
has given such security for public
money has been recreant to his trust
the people reposed in him.
THE STATES PROTECTION.
Is it possible that when the people
elected men to the Legislature, be-
cause of confidence in them, that they
would be willing to authorize worth
less security" for their money, and
yet (iust as it has made it mandatory
on the Depository Board to accept it,
they made it mandatory on the State
Treasurer to give surety company
bond for the safe keeping of the peo-
pies money, made by one of these
surety companies POSSIBLY the very
one offered by this bank, for the safe
keeping of about one-fourteenth as
much as was held by YOU, and you
only refrained from giving this worth
less security" because the surety com
panies would not make the bond; and
even now. you have not put up bonds
or collateral with "a known value the
world over" but you have secured
the State by the same character OF
security this bank offers under the
| law. and which you characterize as
mere Fright of action" l. e., by bond
guaranteeing your faithful accounting
| for money of the State, the only differ.
ence being that you have bond Tor
| 100000. signed by sureties who quail
| fed under the law, when you would
have in hand nearly million and
half dollars. and this bank offers
bond for $4,000, signed by a surety
who has qualified under the law, when
il can not have over 100000, in mana
as a maximum, and will not have over
an average of $4,000. I submit to
Won that "the money of@the people
is as well protected in the one case
as the other, as, presume, we are
both equally honest to say nothing OF
! tbe fact that this bank has back of 1t
a canital of 100000 and a surplus of
$4,000 more.
wish so many of our pubic men
would not act on the assumption that
the people of this State are lools'
when, in truth and fact, they are as a
whole, about as intelligent and quick
as the average public man.
have done nothing to have had the
name of this bank, and my own. con-
tinuallv brought before the public IN
newsnaners articles and interviews by
Won with a covert reflection upon my
motives. I have merely tracked the
law in applying for this bank to be
DESIGNATED as a State depository, ana
in complying with the law, when so
DESIGNATED and have asked nothing OF
Won hit that YOU should obey the law
as YOU have sworn to DO.
Now. nv good friend, I have written
Won probably at wearying length. pu'
in the utmost good humor ana WIN
ont the desire to wound or hurt, | SIN
cerelv trust that you may see that you
are in error. This bank is State DE
nositorv legally appointed and quan
fed and as it's president I am only
demanding its due. You have made
ro,r nrotest against the law, now com
nlv with it's terms; for you must reco5
nize that there none SO hlgh III llll S
state as to be authorized TO isholt
it's laws. and none so low as 10 iio'
receive the protection or them'
would be recreant to the trusI re
nosed in me not to maintain the cleal
TIGHTS of this bank and without 'ht
SLIGHTEST nersonal i'll to you, L lntehl
: RI do II lust as I would If you wer.
NV brother fagrantly defying ana Vi
olating the law.
You have seen fit to place me in
nosition where can not do otherwise
| than insist, for l do not, and will no
, even implicitly. acknowledge that thi'
+ bank has sought to do wrong to the
, state when it has only obeyed thu
| law.
j. merely suggest to you that an!
, loss suffered by this bank for failure
, on your part to do your duty undo
3 the law is recoverate from you and thu
2 sureties on your official bond. .,
Trusting you will pardon the lengti
Of this letter and receive it in tn
spirit it is written, I am, yours yer,
truly,
n II WILLIAMS President.