The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1922-04-14

THE LEGISLATURE HAS PASSED INTO HISTORY.
The legislature elected at the State election of 1919 has
passed into history, and we do not believe that I'VE are stralnlng
prophecy to say that many of its members have passed into po-
men. AS measured by intelligence and by previous successes
tinction, in the body than has sat in any legislature for many
Years. But even solomon in all his glory, and according to
ingly foolish things And it may be that these so-called leaders,
these able aH ordinarily far,seeing men men did in the Eegislature re
is by legislative acts and accomplishments that we are speaking
OF them.
The law-making body assembled in January apparently still
obsessed with the 1918 and early days of 1920 idea of expendi-
sion of a supercillious attitude towards the demand for lower
1 pnasd 1n np s ~ith the aR nBig things" they yR wyr ss eredGted DO w 9s h "a ns
done in the matter of appropriations at the 1s2o.session. Like
large were so foolish as to not know what they wanted them
selves. For the cry from all over the State for lower taxes and
a curtallment OF expenses, men speaking for the Legislature
would answer, begin at home, we are only touching the pocket
they were passing laws-and especially was this true of the
1920 session-that practically opened wide the gates for boards
When the State Tax Payers meet assembled in Jackson, evidence
moTe n tha ma wiIigg 'b to ed 5nerf 6e Tere t fBen menffng IN 10 the inl tTglilai itm
apparently presuming that the men who had assembled there
these gentlemen.
The Legislature wasted its time in riotous talk about taxes
and salaries, and it fooishly burned a great deal of powder
about a false issue created by an imbecie Governor concerning
started the bowling about the Revenue Agent were hit. This
Birkhead experience sought to throw dust in the eyes of the
people by posing a. the champion Of the cause of the masses as
which were sued by the Revenue Agent. And strang" 10 say
that able men of the Legislature played the game so as to create
ammunition for the Governor in this matter; however. in spite
Of the mistaken policy of legislative leaders, the Governor was
harp0oned from every corner, and the session closed leaving
him the most distrusted and most discredted man who was ever
elected by the people of the State to that high office. He chal-
Ienged Ames of carpet bag fame, and who was impeached, for
his place on buzzards' roost, and Won;
from the very first day of the session for nearly three months.
1t was stallng. The matter ought to have been out of the way
It is stated that those in charge Of appropriation bills pur-
posey held them back in order that the public mind might tire
OF waiting and be diverted to something else. This M he
legislative oilgarchy but it is not Democratic craftsmanship.
The people asked for smaller appropriations, the LegisIa-
measured by conditions, greatly increased the appropria-
There were those in the Legislature who were just "agin"
th!ngs. Ihere We're those in the Legislature who were just for
things. The "agin' crowd stood together regardless of facts.
The demand for re~trenchment and economy was used to shield
brainy fellows, did the foolish tiiino OF Of 'f fneGin ~ th naf gan n more nor
warmed the "agln" fellows by using the Office of State Revenue
4gent to ansWer every argument. 1t was the wooden horse at
Just somehow. a very great many very important matters
allowed to llnger either unborn in the Legislative mind or
committee rooms until towards the closing days of the session
there was a rush, and as a result failed of passage or did
Of fI rei III tMe o oe passed over MS veto" The
arg 1 responsible for this.
The mid-term Budget Committee which met in jackson last
all to work out the amount of necessary appropriations and a
OF program for the session this year does not seem to have
.osn Sfv ef i Investigations were had by the lower house, and the
esult OF the findings of each Committee met with public ap-
,roval: The Committees named were fair and Notwithstanding
mere was difference in partisan alignment, reports were unan-
nous. Especially was this true in reference to Gov. RusseII's
barge that the fire insurance companies were behind the Birk-
suit against him. He had two men on the Committee who
oted Tor MN, yet they said, after the Investigation. over their
lma lures, that the Governors charge had no basis of truth. The
anne tnlng can be said of the Committee named to investigate
upper Levee Board, appointed by Gov. Russell. The in
showed that this Board had wasted $4OO, 900 of the
copies money and the Attorney General was instructed to
suit. o "
The Governor did all he could to encourage prodipal an
and never interposed a veto to curtal or stop on
aughts on the treasury at any time, Notwithstanding his veto
lualed that of %two-thirds of each house.
one ct the best and most salutary laws passed at the session
as that fathered by our own Hon. W.. A. Winter which ex-i
npts new manufacturing enterprises of certain kinds and new
iifoad mes from taxes for five years. In passing, it should