The Brandon news., 1911-04-06
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE ROSE CASE AT
BILOXI

Some few weeks ago we read much about the
Rose case at Biloxi. The case began with the re-
fusal of S. w Rose to either work the roads pay
the $500 exemption tax. From the reports of the
case as published the general impression was that
Rose was a contrary, crazy fanatic or anarchist.
However there is always two sides to every question
and we believe Mr. Roses side should be heard
and his position explained The fight he is making
is of Importance to every citizen in the state.
Biloxi is becoming very popular winter re-
sort for Northerners especially the wealthy class.
These visitors bring with them their automobiles,
horses and carriages. They desired good roads
over which to drive their automobiles and carri-
ages and Biloxi and that county have been building
them
But these visitors paid no taxes They contri-
buted nothing to the building and up keep OF the
roads. S. w. Rose and others, seeing the injustice
OF the citizens being taxed to build fine roads Tor
the use of this idle class two years ago organized
the Peoples Progressive League, an organization
made UP almost entirely of the common people.
This league wished to call attention to what
they considered Unjust features of the Street and
Road Tax law of the State OF Mississippi IN order
TO get redress. They decided to make test case
s. W. Rose, one of the leaders of the movement
refused to either work the roads or pay the tax
He was arrested and fined by the lower court. He
appealed the case, going to jail in the meanwhile.
The case passed through court after court and is
now before the Supreme Court OF the United States
The grievances for redress of which the Peo-
pies Progressive League is fighting follows :
First: The poor man who has no money must
work six or more days, which at the low figures
of $I.so per day, a tax of 5000 while the
men who have little money to spare, can get out
of the six days work by paying $500 This is class
legislation and is unconstitutional.
Second Various people exempted from
paying the entirely. This is also class legisa-
tion, and is unconstitutional
"Thrd If the work is not DONE and the three
dollars are not paid fine and costs is the next STEP
followed by Imprisonment, until said fine and costs
are paid. This is unconstitutional The State Con-
stitution of Mississippi says there shallsbe no i'm
prisonment for debt, and the State Code defines all
taxes as debt recoverable by legal action. Also the
u. S. Constitution says there shall be no impris-
onment except for crime 1t also says there shall
be no punishment>for ofenses against the law, and
yet if man will not work out this tax, and he has
not the money to pay the fine and costs, prac-
ticay the law calls for life sentence, says the
offender must remain in Jail until fine and costs
are paid
eighteen years old and under twenty-one, which is
taxation without representations and, we beeve
this also to be unconstitutional
Fifth: By allowing the Of money to get
off with tax of three dollars this law places the
.r,oor man on lower level than that of the convict
by forcing him to work at fifty cents day and
he does not get the fifty cents. We believe this to
be peonage by City and State, and that no City or
State has right to fix any mans wage at lower
price than is given in cash when said City or State
employs free labor at the prevailing price tor the
same sort Of work.