Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-04-05


giving the negroes the same
amount-S5,000 for 1918 and
$1,000 for l919-for farm devel-
opment and war work, that we
gave the white folks. The ne
groes are doing their bit" and
| am sorry that this was done.
Had the veto gotten back to the
House while We had quorum, |
believe it would have passed over
his veto. am sorry about this,
as wanted to make some speech
eS to the negroes of our county
and tell of this, and l believe it
would have been of great benefit,
The House passed the revenue
bill recommended by tie Ways
and Means committee, fixing the
levy for the years 1918 and 1919
at six mills about February 18th,
and the Senate held it up and
did not act on it until the last
day it could be acted upon, and
then amended the bill, making
the levy five mills. The House
refused to concur, committee
was appointed, and finally they
agreed on a 5 1-2 mill levy, and
this was passed by the House and
sent to the Governor, who very
promptly did as he had written
us he would do-vetoed it. We
stood pat on it, and passed the
5 1-2mill levy over his veto, but the
Senate declined to do this, and
amended it by making the levy 5
mills. The House refused to con-
cur and was about to adjourn
without making the levy, but the
Senate finally passed it, making
the levy 5 IL mills for the years
1918 and 1919, oyer the Cover
nor's veto.
Alt Stone said IN the speech he
made to override the veto that
this veto message might be a fine
compaign document to use on ig-
norant people, but as a financial
argument, it was a complete fail
ure. The Governor contended
that a 4 IL mill levy would bring
in sufficient revenues to pay all
appropriations, and Mr.. Stone
showed conclusively that if we
only levied A 1-2 mills, we would
have to issue more bonds in 1920,
just as we had done for the last
decade, and that while every
thing the farmer raised was high,
we ought to collect enough reve-
nue. to pay all appropriations, and
that it would take 6 mills to do so,
but we would compromise on
5 IL.
The general impression was
that if the Governor had gotten
in his veto message, so he
could use it on the dear people"
to show that he was not respon-
sible for their taxes being higher,
that he really wanted the Senate
to pass the 5 1-2 mill levy, for he
must have known that this was
necessary, and his main hench-
men voted for this at last.
The Senate, like Bilbo, favored
larger appropriations, and then
refused to pass the Income Tax
bill, which would have made
those most able, pay the most.
and wanted to have a levy that
they knew would not bring in
enough revenue to pay the ap-
preparations. This action on this
revenue measure made us stay
two days longer than we would
have. A good many legislators
would not stay until the end, but
| am glad to say that our woruhy
Senator and all three of Noxubee
uounty's representatives stood by
their guns to the last. | do not
believe any other county had all
of their representatives there
when we adjourned.
We had the usual speeches at
the last. The House, on motion
of Mr.. Howerton, showed by a
rising vote, their appreciation of
the few representatives of the
thin gray line" who occupied
seats in the House, and | re-
sponded for the old boys. After
dwelling on the glories of the
past and the great part the old
Confeds had taken, both in war
and reconstruction days, | told
them that we must now turn our
backs on the past and go to work
in earnest to get all Mississip-
plans to do their full duty in
helping to win this great war;
that it was no child's play. and
it would take all of our united eff
forts to bring success to our ar
mics, and each member must feel
it his duty to go home and en-
deavor to have his county go
over the top"