The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1909-05-20

| the substitute of Mr.. Thompson.
RI voted against the sstIbstitutes
wHich meant. a vote in favor Of the
section as amended on motion 0f Mr..
Boyd: because the substitute IN Its
last three lines gave an advantage
to railroad companies over private
individuals lido not wish to do an
injustice to railroads; but I do not
think - Is an injustice to railroads
when refused to vote to give them
an advantage that is not given to
private individuals.
Under section 81 as it was after
Mr.. Boyd's amendment, no individual
or railroad company could get any
land belonging to the State, or any
interest in such land, without paying
for it, Under the substitute, which
railroad company could get any land
belonging to the State without pay
ing for it, but a railroad company
Fcoul1 get an interest in the laid
--that Is, right to use "a strip 100
feet wide across it, without paying
for it.
/ This is the reason / voted against
the substitute, thereby voting to re-
tain the section as amended by Mr..
Boyd'F motion, and as herein quoted
by me. The substitute, with the ex-
! ception of the last three lines, which
gave the power to the Legislature to
donate to railroads a right OF way
across State lands, which is denied to
! individuals, was substantially the
same as the section was after it had
been amended ON Boyd's motion
Governor Vardaman called the
substitute an article, as If it were an
original article introduced by Mr..
Thompson, and then left off the three
I last lines of the substitute and
! charged me with voting against the
article, when, in effect, my vote was
for section 81 as it came from the
Committee, with Mr. Boyd's amend
ment, and which l will again repeat:
| Lands belonging to or under the
lcontrol of the State shall never be
/ donated, directly or indirectly, to
railroad companies, private corpora
stions or individuals; nor shall such
lands ever> be leased CIR sold to rail
lroad' companies or private corpora
tions for less than the price at which
lthey are offered to Individuals
+ / have been minute In this,even to
stediousness, and may reason it that
/ desire to make this so complete
that every :. intelligent person who
9reads it may see at "a glance how
false Governor Vardaman's statement
? is. have no apology to make for
/: the vote cast in this matter; it is
lin keeping with my lifelong thoughts
land acts ON the same subject.
would encourage them, as L would
Ieyery other enterprise. But at the
same time / would not give them
/ an advantage that / would not give
every individual citizen in the State
and country. I know that railroads
arr u great benefit to a State, but
so are the hllmblest citizens in its
borders. The individuals can get
along without railroads better tina
railroads can get along with the indi-
viduals. While railroads are great
J conveniences, and ought to be treat
ed with exact justice, they do not pre-
duce wealth; they carry the wealth
that others produce.
!. The men who work with their
hands, by their Drawn and muscle
open farms, lay out and improve Set
tlement and public roads, and build
mills and gins and schoOlhouses and
churches, blacksmith shops and shoe
shops and residences and other i'm
prov vements, and produce the grain
and meat and other provisions that
4 feed and cotton that clothes the
world, / think, are entitled to as
I much consideration as railroads.
i These laborers do more to develop
the country than the corporations
that own the money that build rail
roads.
/ Colonel Street had just offered an
amendment authorizing hte Legisla
ture to grant these State lands as
homestead to. actual settlers, or sto
be used exclusively for educational
purposes, which was rejected; and L
thought if the laborer who works
with his hands for living, or his
children, who desire the benefits OF
an elementary education, was denied
: any privileges in this land belonging
to the State, it ought to be denied to
4 the railroads. / think so now.
Il A. j. -M'LAURIN.