The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-10-19

portion of the State funds"
Now this banA is legal State de-
pository and is entitled to its proper
ton of the State funds. 1t is your
duty as State Treasurer to handle
such funds as the law directs, and the
law is the act of 1908 referred to.
l refer you to section u of this act.
whore it pfescribes a penalty, in the
event the Treasurer refuses to comply
with the law, and place the money
elsewhere than is provided by law.
Also to section 10 of the said act
where it says it any officer, treasurer
of the Board of Trustees or other Gus
todian of the States money shall
willfully fail or refuse at any time to
do or perform any act required of him
by this cat he Shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor, and, upon conviction
thereof. shall be sentenced to pay a
fine of not exceeding $4,000"
Now, section of said act requires
a tax collector to pay the amount due
the State over to a State depository
in his county, if there be one in his
county His failure to do this would
subject him to the penalty prescribed
in section 10 of the act quoted above.
| showed the sheriff my commission
and demanded his compliance with the
law. He wrote the Attorney General
for an opinion as to his duty, and de-
posted the money here, for which we
gave him triplicate receipts, as requir-
ed by law. One is sent to you as
Treasurer and one he sent to the Aud
m hn f,, !, t.
office.
You requested him to express you
the money. You are not the legal Gus
todian of it, and if he did so and any
loss occurred by robbery of your
vaults, or in any way his bondsmen
would be answerable, for the law re-
quires him to put it in this depository.
In addition it is here, not to his credit
but to the credit of the State of Mis-
sissippi, and can be drawn only by
warrant on a State depository. The
sheriff has simply performed his duty
under the law, and it would be well
if you would do the same.
CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY.
In your Statement" in the Clarion
Ledger you say you can't understand |
why the Governor and Attorney Gener- |
al signed the list of repositories "un-
less it be that they have prepared and |
signed such a statement to be used, |
Ind to give all the assistance possible
10 the Bank of Yazoo and other banks
surety company bonds, in the
egal proceedings which l am advised
hey will bring in order to compel me
is State Treasurer to accept worthless /
security for the peoples money
In regard to this / have to say that l
when this bank gets ready to insti-
ute proceedings against you it will
ell you so. have not yet contemplate
I'd any legal proceedings to force you
o do anything, and | will exercise
ny own judgment ss to the way in
which l will maintain any rights which
his bank may have in the premises.
You charge here that the Governor.
Attorney General and myself are con-
piring to force you to accept worth
ess securities for the peoples money"
( we would do this they are unfaith-
I'll officers and | am an unworthy cit
zen. This is unworthy Of you, and
Unjust to us. These gentlemen have
lone only what their conception of
heir official oaths compelled them to
10, regardless of either you or me.
l offered surety company bond be-
ause the sovereign power Of the State
n the person of the Legislature, pass
d upon this security, and by law
its use. l offered 1t be-
T IL
rood as any security yau have in your
Tault. I believe that |, am just as hon
st and just as good a citizen, and
With just as much love for my people
IS you. I don't think any man in
believes that would even