The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-05-26
BREWER BLOCKS
STATE PRINTING
FROM THE ISSUE.
GOVERNOR WILL NOT APPROVE
CONTRACT AWARDED elLeo's
WEEKLY PAPER.
SAYS IT Is In Direct
VIOLATION OF The Law
Wives And Relatives of Lieutenant
Governor and Members of Legisla-
ture Hold Stock-Looks Like Plain
Evasion Of the Statute, Says The
Governor.
Special to The NeUs.

Jackson, Miss, May 26-The Issue,
the weekly newspaper that is being
operated in the interest of Lieut.-Gov.
Theo. G. Bilbo, candidate for governor,
and which is controlled by him, Will
not be given the contract to publish
the monthly Bulletin, of the depart
ment of agriculture, notwithstanding
the fact that the board of contracts
has so decided. Gov. Brewer, without
whose approval the contract cannot be
made, has ascertained that the wives
of a number of state officials or men,
bers of the legislature own stock In
The Issue Publishing company, and
holds that this is subterfuge to
evade the law providing that no state
official shall participate in any con-
tract with the state.
The secretary of state, Jos. w. Pow
er, will readvertise for bids to print
the monthly Bulletin. They will be
opened at an early date.
Ethridge Gives opinion.
Asked for an opinion on the matter,
Assistant Attorney-General Geo. II.
Ethridge sent the manager of The Is
sue reply, holding that the mere
holding of stock by ''few minority
stockholders" would not prohibit the
corporation from bidding on public
printing work contracts. The COVER
nor, however, says he will not ap-
prove anything that smacks of law
/. evasion, or that is violative OF the
spirit of the statutes, and explains
his position fully in letter that ne
has written to Commissioner OF Agri'
culture Blakeslee, who informed him
of the opinion from the attorney-gen'
erals office and asked him whether
he would approve the contract.
To this letter Gov. Brewer replied
that he could not approve the con
tract. as the wife of lieutenant-gover
nor, the wife of Senator Lee Russell
and the wife of DR.. Goodman were
stockholders, intimating that he be
lieved the money for the stock was
put up by their husbands. 1t is known
that Senator Russell is a close per
sonal and political friend of Bilbo
and the same applies to Dr. Goodman
Brewers Letter.
The letter of Gov. Brewer in reply
to Mr. Blakeslee makes highly inter
esting reading. 1t follows:
jackson, Miss, May 10, 1914.
sMr. II. E. Blakeslee, commissioner ol
/ Agriculture, Jackson, Miss.
"My Dear Sir-I am in receipt o.
YOUR letter of the 10th instant en-
closing communication from the as
sistant attorney general, addressed tt
J. r. Oliphant, manager of the Issue
Publishing company, in which the at
torney-general takes the position tina
il is perfectly competent for the Issue
Publishing company to publish th'
bulletin for your department of th'
state government. In reply will sa!
that the list of stockholders Furnished
me by you did not give the amount o
stock held by each stockholder, ant
hence it was impossible for me to tel
whether it was majority of the stocl
or a small minority, but l note Mrs
R;lbo. wife of Lieut.-Gov. Bilbo, Is
stakeholder in this corporation; not
that Mrs. Russell, wife of mempe
of the legislature; Mrs. Goodman
wife of a member Of the senate, an
various others who are related TO OH
\ cers of the state, including one or wv
state officers, are stockholders In thi
oornoration. If this stock were hel
NV Iieut Gov Bilbo, members OF tn
state senate and house of represents
tives, it would be manifestly in viol'
tion of the constitution for this CO.
noration to make contract to prln
the Journals of the legislature or ~
CONTINUED on Page F''r'