Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-03-01
An Open Letter.

| AS lOuT lSllSI 10 pupilohSN S'iNoASiiS
and commencing my colleague, Hon.
Prince Hubbard, on his vote on the two
year exemption bill. and as voted
against it, it is necessarily criticism
on my vote, l thought l would answer
it and give my people my side of the
question. In the very beginning though,
| want to know by what right do you
speak, as you say you do, for Noxubee
county and every other county in the
state? Why do you arrogate to your
self this privilege? don't think that
you represent anyone but yourself. but
of course you are entitled to express
your views on any public question.
Now, if we admit your statement that
persons, when deprived of the bas-
is of credit, through the value of his
land as to the two-year exemption
clause would do, has to depend upon
his neighbors and friends for en-
dorsement. y
If we admit this, then of course, your
position on this matter would be entire
ly correct, but we do not admit this at
all, for right there in Pickens and Sum-
ter counties of Alabama, right across
the line from Noxubee, same class of
people and same class Of land, divided
only by an unseen state line, parties in
Alabama are procuring loans on their
lands with the same facility and for as
great amount as their neighbors do
across the Noxubee line. The Union
Central Life Insurance Company and
other foreign loan companies make
loans in Alabama at the same rate they
do in Mississippi, therefore | contend
that had we this law in Mississippi, no
one would be deprived of a loan on &C.
count of it, for the lender is especially
protected, and the borrower. If he is
closed out and wants to redeem his land
any time in two years, has to pay dam
ages, all accrued interest, all cost and
all necessary repairs on the property
that have to be made during the two
years. So you see without the lender
wants to get the land without paying
full value for 1t, he ought not to have
any objection to this law. and l some
times think that it would be better If
wife could not waive her exemption at
all. l remember that my own mother
told me once that the exemption laws
in this state we're no protection to a
wife; that my father wanted her to sign
away this exemption, and while she
didn't want to do it, because she feared
she would lose her little home. to please
him she had to consent, and sure enough
she lost her home and never had another
until she went up higher and occupied
the one "made for her eternally in the
heavens"
When | was in the last Legislature,
this bill was up for consideration, and |
asked Senator Price to vote for it, Wal
ter gave the same excuse that Tom
gives now-he was afraid that parties
who needed the money, with this right
of redemption would not be able to get
it, so he voted against it, went home
and died, the war came on, lands had
no value, the trust deed fell due, no
right of redemption, his land was sold
for mere pittance, and his wife and
and children were left penniless,
Lands soon recovered their value, and
had we had this right of redemption,
we could have saved a lot of money for
his dear wife and children. Another
instance-a gentleman down in Natchez
borrowed ten thousand dollars on his
home, in good times, from a money
shark. Wnen the war came on. this
man told the borrower that he had to
have his money and wouldn't wait any
time. Money couldn't be raised on
land at that time, and the gentleman
pleaded with him to give him time and
not turn his dear wife and children out |
from their home. He said, "No;
have got to have my money" The
man then said, "Weli, that ruins me,
and we will both 60 to hell together"
pulled his pistol out, killed him and
then killed himself. So you see there
are some people who would have been
benefited had we had this law passed |
at that time, and no one injured.
Now, Tom is at least consistent; he
doesn't think that there ought to be any
exemption allowed at all for he
came to see me the last session
of the Legislature, and asked me if |
would vote for the bill giving him the
power to sell the furniture and bedding
of any old people or young people who
might rent from him and couldn't pay
the rent. l, of course told him, mo,
would vote for no such BILL" l am
glad to see though that Tom is begin
ming to think of the other fellow. He
has made a remarkable success of TAX
ing care Of his own affairs, but Billie
Bryan said that when one of these
money lenders sit up all night figuring
out something good for him, he always
got scared Now, am glad to say