The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-07-19
THE OLD CAPITOL
QUESTION AGAIN
HON. A. c. ANDERSON, OF TIPPAH
COUNTY, WILL INTRODUCE
BILL. IN LEGISLATURE.
Thinks That the Property Ought to Be
Disposed of, and Funds Used for
Useful Purposes.

Hon. A. C. Anderson, member of
the lower house OF the legislature from
Tippah county, announces that at the
next session OF the legislature he will
renew his efforts to secure the pas
sage of a bill authorizing the sale OF
the old capitol.
Mr.. Anderson introduced a bill Of
this nature at the last session, but it |
did not receive favorable action, and |
he will present practically the same
measure at the January session. In |
discussing his plan Mr.. Anderson
says:
For sentimental reasons, some de-
sire to have the old capitol remain
standing, as a monument to the past
glory of the state. If there is a SEN
timent connected with this building
that must be considered, we should
provide that the proceeds of the sale
go to establish a normal school for
white teachers, in this state an insti-
tuition very much needed, and instead
of keeping an old worn out building
in Jackson as a monument" we would
erect in the hearts and minds of Mis-
sissippi boys and girls a monument
more useful and more enduring, a mon
ument which can be ssh and felt in
every community of the state, whereas
comparatively few of the rank and file
of Mississippians. My purpose in in
Producing a bill at the last session,
however, was to order the sale of the
old building, which is not now being
used for anything and which if put
upon the market would bring, includ-
ing the land belonging tot it, many
thousand of dollars. If we are tied
by the chain Of sentiment to the old
structure and must hold out for the
monument idea, why not sell it still
and use the money in erecting some
magnificent monuments on the beautl'
full grounds of the new capitol, mon
uments to such immortals as George,
Prentiss, Lamar, Walthall, Davis, Gal
loway, to the private soldiers Of our
wars and to the noble womanhood Of
our state?
MY friend DR.. Rogers, of Holmes
county believes it should be repaired
and converted into a state charity hos
pital another institution much need
ed in this state. AS to that suggestion
am not just prepared to express an
opinion, as the architect says it would
take $4,000 to repair the old building
and even then it could not be made
a modern hospital, and it is very prob
able that a building could be erected
for $50 900 that would be better more
modern and more sanitary for use as
a hospital. But the property should
be disposed of in some way at the
earliest possible moment. The bill in
troduced by me was not voted on II
the house. as a similar bill failed in
the senate, and it was then though
useless to push it further at that seS
sion However, if given permission
by the governor at the legislative ses
sion next January this bill will be re
introduced and pushed as l believe l
to be the best disposition to be mad'
of the property. The property belong
to the state-to the taxpayers of TINS
great commonwealth, and it ought no
to be left there for the habitation O
bats, cockroaches, cobwebs, and tn
spirit of a false sentiment; neithe
should the taxpayers of the state b
asked to plank out $685. 900 for the r'
pair of a building that is not neede
and could not be used to a practici
purpose. I believe very much in sci
timent, but not in the kind that wan
to dig the taxpayers of the state fc
a useless cause If his property
sold and turned into a normal scho
to the state and the school will
good to the stae and he school will
established without taking the mon'
directly from the state treasury. If Il
s. school is not wanted, then turn Il
', money into the general f,''essFef Il
{. isfafe"