The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1910-04-16
4 Pertinent Question.

roy Percy. Mr.. Allen is a private
citizen, and is not prohibited from
riding on pass.
Will the Sentinel tell US what it
thinks Of Frank Burkitt riding on
a free pass in violation of the law
which prohibits d State officer from
doing so2
Then will it tell us what it
thinks Of Gov. Vardaman riding on
a free pass while he was governor
in the face of the law which made
it crime for any State officer to
use free pass on the railroad?
Answer, Brother Sentinel. Car
rollton Conservative.
Oh, yes, it's true that John Allen
is private" citizen and as such
has right to ride on a free pass,
but we know of several private cit
izens in the State who don't get
free passes.
AS to the pass Of Capt. Burkitt
it is necessary in order to explain
fully to give the following facts
which he relates to me in an inter-
view on this subject.
An act of the legislature of
1890, approved Feb. % of that
year, forfeited the charter of the
Vicksburg & Nashville K. R.
Company Ia narrow guage line ex-
tending from Okolona to Grenada,
Miss. ! and incorporated the NASH
vile & Mississippi Delta R. R.
company. naming J. M. Trice,
Frank Burkitt, j. w. Buchanan. j.
w. Winter. j. M. Griffis, w. A..
Bodenhamer, DR.. A. S. Buchanan,
John Howell, j. w. Griffis and T..
W. Young as corporators. Section
2 of the act valued the work done
by the v. & N. company on which
$500, 600 contributed by the counties
Of Chickasaw, Calhoun and Grenada
at $50, 900. The new company or
ganized in the early summer of
1890 by electing a board Of direc-
tors of which Judge j. w. Buch-
anan was made president, and
Capt. Burkitt secretary. Nomi-
nally each Of the new corporators
owned SIS. 900 stock in the road, but
in the efforts Of the president and
secretary to secure capital to build
the road about 1893, $50, 900 of
$50 900 stock was transferred to a
Birmingham syndicate who under
took to build the road. This en-
terprise fell through and various
and sundry efforts were made by
the ficers Of the road to secure
capital to build it. Nothing, how
ever. was accomplished until 1902
when the road was transferred to
the Southern, which corporation
built what is now known as the
Okolona extension, a line about
forty miles long terminating at
Calhoun City, Miss. AS consid-
eration for the transfer of the in
terest Capt. Burkitt had in the
road and as compensation in part
for his IL years of work in trying
to have the road built, an annual
pass was to be given for life, and
thus having paid for his transporta-
tion he had a right to use what
was his own.
To avoid criticism. however, he
has persistently refused to use a
pass while serving the State. and
he offers a reward Of $1,000 to any
person who will demonstrate by the
records in any railroad Office that
he ever rode mile on pass dur
ing the sitting Of the legislature
of 1908 and 1919 or going to or re.
turning from Jackson toy attend
either Of these sessions.
This | am quite sure will be sat
isfactory to any fair-minded man
who is willing to accord Capt.
Burkitt his just and inherent
rights. The editor of the Vicks-
burg Herald ought to join with the
Conservative in reading this ex-
PLANTATION and then make just retri-
button for the injustice done his
old war comrade across whose life
the long shadows are falling and
who must have felt keenly that
harsh criticism from lifelong
friend. The editor Of the Sentinel
often disagrees with Mr.. Burkitt
in the legislature on matters Of
public policy, but there is never
any doubt IN my mind about his
honesty Of purpose and from asso-
citation with him it is my deliberate
opinion that ii his critics knew
him better they will honor him
more and that if his defaners were
half as honest as he is there would
be far less transgression of the law.
As to the free pass alleged to have
been used by Vardaman while Gov
ernor, ! will say that my informa-
tion is that the report is just q
common everyday lie out Of the
whole cloth. He was offered free
passes several times while Govern
Or, but declined to use them.
Now / hope the editor Of the
Conservative will reproduce this
article ii his good paper and be-