The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1919-08-01
Hon. oscar Johnston Makes Reply
TO Criticisms of His Opponents
Substantates Statements by Him by Referrine tn
House Journals and Giving Pages Which Record Nav
BE Found as to Agricultural High School Bill
Banking Law and Others

The following statement has been is
sued by Oscar Johnson, candidate for
Governor, in which he cites the record as
to his connection with the Agricultural
High Scool Bill, Banking Law, and
other measures. 1t will be noted that
he gives the House Journal and page
number so that any voter may see for
himself whether his statements are
correct.
The following is the statement issued
by Mr.. Johnson:
The Clarion-Ledger,
Jackson, Mississippi.
Gentlemen:
In your paper of July 22
you print statement purporting to
have been Issued by Collins Campaign
Committe, which is display of gross
ignorance'regardingthe Legislative His
tory of the State OF Mississippi or of
wiilful mendaclty on the part of "the
writer" unique in the annals of Miss.
tssippi politics. 1t is difficult for me to
conceive that any candidate would per-
init statement to 20 out regarding an
opponent so entirely devoid OF truth as
Is this statement That the people may
not be mlslead by this perverted state.
ment, submit the following:
First. Regarding the Agricultural
High School Bill the Collins Committe
calls attention to the first agricultural
high school law of which Senator Frank
lin Of pontotoc was the author, which
was passed In 1908. This Is true, and
30 far as l know, no human being has
questioned 1t. They should have added
however that IN 1909 THAT ACT WAS
DECLARED UNCONSTITUTIONAL
BY THE SUPREME COURT and is not
the law In Mississippi today. In 1910,
Senator Franklin introduced Senate Bill
No. 4. authorizing the establishment of
Agricultural High Schools in Missi-
ssippi, This bill was passed by both the
Senate and the House, passing the House
at time when l was absent, upon nv
return to the floor of the House, called
attention to certain defects In the bill
whereupon Hon. II. o. Yewell, who was
interested in the matter and who had ad.
vised and assisted me In the preparation
of another bill authorizing the establish
ment of Agricultural High Schools, and
made motion in the House to reconsid-
er the Franklin Bill This was done
and then the House, by unanimous vote,
as will be seen by the record, Page 1893,
House Journal of 1910, the official pro-
ceedings of the House. SUBSTITUTED
MY BILL IN ITS ENTIRETY FOR
THE FRANKLIN BILL. My bill is now
the law in Mississippi
Since the record Is so clear that he
who runs may read, there Is no excuse
for a committee, acting under the advice
Of the Attorney General of the State,
making so gross misstatement as that
contained In the article and embodied
In this statement, which l quote: 80
far as the ritter has, been able tn find
from an investigation of the books,
several laws have been passed bearin g
upon Agricultural High School, none
of which seem to have been originated
by Mr.. Johnson" II "the writer" will
get the House Journal of 1910 and look
on page 723 he will find correct infor-
alton, but fear "the writer" is not
q diigent seeker after the truth. Sena-
tor Franklin was my warm personal and
political friend and under no clrcum-
stances would make any claim which
would detract In the least from the cred
1t due him asa painstaking legislator.
Secondly. 1.-THE writer" next states
that claim to have introduced chapter
I'll of the laws Of 1914. futher stating
that have made this claim In some pub.
llshed advertising. This is wiltully un-
true, and will challenge him to find
any campaign document ever isued by
me claiming any sort of connection with
that Chapter have stated and now
repeat that was the author OF the bill
by which the age of consent was first
raised from ten years. That bill Is
House Bill No. 8. introduced In the legis.
lature of 1908. lam certainly not un-
dertakiDg to claim my credit for the
work of Everett OF Newton, whose bill
neither mordlfied nor amended Chapter
III OF the laws of 1908, of which was
tho anthor as ahove stateo The bill