Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-01-07
GOVERNORS MESSAGE

thOrIZed the issuance of $500. 600 in
bonds for current expenditures, the bor-
rowing of several hundred thousand dol
lars to meet temporary debts, and the
retirement of $500. 900 of six per cent.
bonds from the proceeds of sales of $500
QUO OF 80 per cent. bonds, the 80 per
cent. series being intended to be substi-
tuted for the 6 per cent. OF the $685.
O29.o7 of our states payable indebted
ness, $1,000 900 was thus incurred. Only
S136,500 of the 80 per cent. bonds were
sold, for want of demand, or other
causes; and the remainder of the 6 per
cent. series of bonds were retired bv cur
rent funds, leaving in the treasury I'M
sold, where they now are, $685. 0 of the
312 per cent. bonds. As no appropria-
tions was made for their interest, and
the proceeds are limited to retiring pur-
poses, these bonds are not, and have
not been, available for any use during
my administration.
According to the published report of
the State Treasurer, the fiscal year be-
ginning October 1, 1907, opened with
only $2,319.72 in cash on hand, and with
~uneXpended appropriations a~ggregating
$976,377.01, constituting, if the appropri-
ations were expended, a deficit of $685.
O57.29. The Auditors report shows So
65O.07 to be outstanding in war
rants. As the terms of tax collectors
were closing, they pushed their collec-
lions SO that on January 81, 1908, the
treasury contained $1,15O,637.47.
On October 1, 1908, the beginning of
the last fiscal year, practically identical
conditions prevailed, slightly improved,
S. ,56O.6O in cash being then On hand, the
outstanding warrants and unexpended
appropriations being about the same as
October 1, 1907.
Financial Outlook, 1915 and 1911.
Appropriations for the neXt two years
should be made to come within the
states expected revenues, and the times
of payment so regulated as to avoid,
hereafter, any requisition on the treas
ury when funds are not probably avail
able. At my request, the Auditor pre-
pared an estimate of the probable finan
cial condition of Mississippi, receipts and
expenditures, during the years 1910 and
1911, based upon appropriations and eX-
penditures of the past two years.
According to this estimate the reve-
nues for the current calendar year will
be $3,552,313.93, with expenditures, on
the present basis, $3,389,3O7.91, leaving
a cash balance of $163, OO6.O2 on Janu-
AIRY 1, 1911; and the collections for the
year 1911 will be So, 5,976.70, with ex-
penditures a~ggregating $3,345,163.77,
with a balance then in the treasury on
January /, 1912, of $34O,S12.93.
E-foroorooo4 of Tri~ooJ WV
Protection of life, liberty and property
and the safeguarding the enjoyment of
a fair opportunity to earn a livelihood,
are among the highest duties of every
government. During the past two years,
taking the state as a whole, our laws
nave been better enforced than at any
previous time since the civil war. Off
cials have been more vigilant, and grand
and petit juries, while not at all places
doing their duty, have become more eff
cient. To this, in some counties and
municipalities, there are notable excep-
tiOns which can be, and ought to be,
remedied. The number of convictions
from felonies and misdemeanors is con-
stantly OF the increase, the increase be-
ing marked in some sections where there
has been al equally marked decrease of
crime, due to the better enforcement of
the law. During the last two years the
efficiency of the law has been proved by
the conviction and punishment of some
offenders backed by large wealth and in
tluence.
While we nave reason to congratulate
ourselves on the advance made, numer-
Gus defeats of justice, on account of
delays and technicaIities, nave prevented
the courts and government from having
that full confidence in the laws of en-
forcement to which they should be en-
titled. It has been said: Laws are
made to restrain the bad and protect the
good" Even a casual review of the hun
dreds of criminal convictions in this
state reversed. for technicalities, absO-
lutely foreign to the question of guilt or
innOcense, creates in many the belief
that flaws are made to protect the bad,
and to restrain the good" / shall here
after deal more fully with this question
and the remedies.
Increase of Judges and Redistricting.
Our supreme court, consisting, as when
our state was organized, of only three
judges, with our business and population
increased more than tenfold, has more
business than its members can efficient
ly perform. Not only does 1T constantly
pass on questions involving lives, liberty,
and all the property of citizens, but their
decision both settles, finally, the law in
that case, and also establishes a prece-
dent for similar litigation for all time.
Such vital and far-reaching results
ought not to be hurriedly and imperfect
~ attained. OF necessity, when the
proper labor involved exceeds the avail
able time of judges, nothing is left to
them, but such quick, though imperfect,
action as will clear the dockets. Even |