The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-01-28

State, to grant exemptions, as 1t had
frequently done in the past. The task
was hopeless one, for 1t was held
beyond the power of the State to grant
the exemptions.
was curious to see how Major Var.
daman voted on this, and, would you
believe it, If the minutes are correct.
he voted for the exemption? (See
House Journal, 1892, page 1922 He
has yet never confessed his error; but
he has recently written of the author
of that amendment that 'he was with.
out exception the best legislator that
have ever known"
Another Exemption.
But, this granting of exemptions to
the rich seems to have become habit
with the Major, for in the same ses-
sion he voted for a measure to exempt
from all taxation money loaned at
rates as high as per cent. blouse
Journal 1892. page 234.) Now what
ever may be the wisdom or legality of
seeking to invite into our State cheap
money from abroad by exempting it
when loaned at rate far below the
current rates, such as 5 or 6 per cent,
surely no one who poses as the cham
pion of the downtrodden poor as
against the rich, could favor exempt
ing loans at s per cent.
How about this, my friends? 1 see a
man before me that has borrowed ST.
900 at per cent and bought him
home. You pay $2SOO year on that
little home; the money lender under
this law would pay nothing on his
loan. Is that equality?
Is there not here an issue about
which the Major and l could debate?
I certainly could do it without any
bitterness or acrimony.
Control of Railroads.
Mr.. Alexander next proceeded to
discuss the matter of the control of
railroad corporations and the regula-
ton of railroad rates. He said that
the people generally did not appre-
ciate how much their prosperity and
their profits depended upon railroad
rates.
The importance of the question he
by calling attention to the
fact that the senator elected last Feb
ruary had stated that three months of
the four months he served last ses-
sion were devoted to the considera-
lion of the national railroad bill. He
to his own experience as an
attorney which had called him at var
GUS times to represent four of the
eading cities of the State in their
light against discrimination in rail-
'oad rates, and said that his first ap-
,earance in the Supreme Court of the
United States was in case where |
he validity of the statute creating |
he Railroad Commission was being |
attacked.
Too Much Capital.
While conceding the constitutional |
light of the railroads to fair interest |
md dividends on their capitalization,
lie pointed out that in most instances
he capitalization was grossly eXces-
i've and that some railroads in this
'tate were valuing their roads for the
king Of rates and of the wages of en-
'loyes at two or three times as much
s they valued them for taxation. He
vas emphatic in denouncing the meth
ds by which the railroad companies
ought to influence legislation, and
ven governors and courts by means
I special favors.
vardaman and Railroad Passes.
Speaking of the evil of railroad pass
8, Mr.. Alexander said: The most
ommon form of corruptly influencing
and public officials is not
y open bribery, but by bestowal of
ayors, and the most comon of these
avors is railroad pass. Prof. Par
ons, in his great work on 1.-THE Rail-
rays, The Trusts, and The People,"