Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1914-03-12
Senator Lee N. RusseI's
Weekly Letter
EDrroR EAGLE:

important LEGISLATIVE matters OF
the past week.
The University appropriation
bill passed the House but it was
lowered somewhat from the f.
CURES It carried in the Senate.
That means OF course that the
Senate will either have to adopt
the amendments offered by the
House or else call for n confer
ence to see If an agreement can
not be reached. However, let
me say that in any event the
University will be fairly cared
for.
The A. d ". College bill is still
having a hard time Of it; much
has been cut out Of the appropria-
ton asked, but many think it will
finally come out all right. The
|. I. & c. bill has also passed and
they were cared for IN a reason
ably good way. One reason
these big colleges have such
hard time in getting appropria-
tons every year is the fact tina;
1t takes an enormous SUN Of
money to run them. They iry to
grow and keep abreast OF the
times and therefore have 70 ask
increased appropriation each
year. This, of course. causes
friction; many Legislators think
they are getting too much in pro-
portion to the common schools.
Tho May-Lewis- Mott liquor
bill has been signed by the gov
ernor and is now law. The
present bill is not so drastic as
the first one drawn. The present
bill is such that every fellow that
orders any whiskey must register
his order with the Circuit Clerk !
of his county, and this il kept as
a pub ic record 50 that the entire
public can see just who is order
ing whiskey and other intoxi
cants. and then there is q lot OF
other red tape" to go through
before the the bibulously inclin-
ed can get dram-and under
this bill he can only order one
gallon of whiskey At time; one
cask of beer being allowed.
Since whiskey has been put out
IF Memphis. it will be somewhat
harder 70 get drinks now.
The Senate has passed the six
proposed amendments TO the con-
stitution seeking to allow the
people CT the state 70 vote as
TO whether the supreme bench
shall be enlarged from three
judges to six and have them all
elected by tins people. The en-
tire Senate, with the exception of 4
about three, voted for the passage |
of these amendments. As many |
know, the work of the supreme
court is 50 far behind now-al-
most two years behind with its
work, that We must have some
relief. A Gan that gees into
court wants to get MS case decid-
ed in his lifetime. as my good
friend Charlie McCharen says,
and TO do this the court must be
aided IN some way. With six
judges they can work in two d.
visions as they do in Alabama
and other states, and in that way
will soon be able to keep up. 1t
is a great worry to the people
now 10 have to wait on the court
so long; they lose money and
have a great deal OF worry that
they won't have If they had the
six judges and besides this new
law, If enacted by the people,
will allow them to elect their own
Judges thing that every citi-
zen is interested IN. Some peo-
pie say that is wrong but 4 large
ma orlty want to elect the judges.
IN my opinion, and the election
feel sure. will show this by their
votes. For many years Mississ-
ippi elected her judges and we
had one Of the very finest bodies
Of judges We ever mad; we eau
Go that again l am sure. | am
in favor of allowing the people u
elect everybody that has any
thing 70 do with their business.
J | do not know when the bill for
. the election Of judges and chan
celiors viii pass the House;
trust 1t viii pass right away 30
that all may know just when the
. election will be and get ready for
it. / hope every man in this 5ls-
triet and in Lafayette county
especially will begin TO look over
the candidates for these places 10
: see that the very best men only
I are elected. AS have stated be-
: fore, this will be THE TEST. Il
our people don't take interest in
| these elections for judges and We
/ get incompetent ones, then we
l are TO blame. wan. every vot-
: er TO take the time to study this
: question, get the best availabl,
l information as to the fitness oil
| every candidate, so that We may
2 have no regrets after the election
! If We make a mistake, We won
e have the Governor to bIame-il
: all lies with the individual voter
: But | desire that every voter in
o terest himself in this election
: II the voters will study these
5 matters and be present at every
n election OF this and every kind
L it won't he long when we shall
Y have the finest government ir
) the world. Heretofore we hav,
D been entirely too careless abou
D the selection Of men for all Of.
: fees; each time We console our.
: selves by saying we won't d.
that again, yet many times W,
- nqaxa fhA q a mo raiatuLa