Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-11-03
NEWS AND VIEWS
From T lie
STATE CAPITAL
BY F. r. Birdsal1


grand juries to inquire into the condi-
tion OF public highways in the various
counties. and II they find them bad
to apply the remedy prescribed by
law for failure to properly maintain
the public roads. 1t Is said that in
some counties judges are asking grand
Jurors to find out why county and dis
trict attorneys have failed to enforce
the orders of boards of supervisors
against heavy logging trucks and 9TH
or heavy vehicles with narrow tires
which have ruined many public roads
and which have violated the orders Of
supervisors by hauling logs and other
heavy loads within the specified hours
after a rain. 1t is reported that mil
lions of dollars worth of public high
ways have been practically destroyed
in Mississippi by such heavy traffic
In fragrant violation of orders of
boards of supervisors which have all
the force and effect Of law, having
been drawn strictly in conformity with
the law to protect public highways
against destruction.
Boards of Supervisors throughout
the state continue to pass resolutions
urging constituents to vote to rat
ify the constitutional amendment TAX
ing the trunk highways out of the
hands of boards of supervisors and
placing them under the control of the
state highway department. 1t seems
to be well understood now that unless
this amendment is ratified and be-
comes part of the state constitution
Mississippi will lose millions of dol
lars annually appropriated by the fed
eral congress for the maintenance and
construction of trunk highways in Mis-
sissippi. The country people seem to
be thoroughly aroused on this amend
ment because they appreciate the fact
that good roads are more necessary to
them than to the people of the cities
and towns. who already have good
streets and who do not have to travel
miles through mud roads to the mar
ket to the various towns throughout
the winter months.
The whirligig of time is making
some strange political discoveries.
Under the constitution Of $780, in or
der that ministers Of the gospel OF reg
uarly organized churches would not be
deriied the right to vote, the constitu-
fNr, Cd ,ictn ~
the gospel could vote provided they
had been citizens of county for six
months. The constitution requires two
years residence In the state and one
in the county to make one qualified
elector in Mississippi. At the same
time that the constitution was adopted
women had not been given the suf-
frage, and now it is discovered that
ministers wives, where the ministers
change their charges yearly, as is the
case tn many instances, are not quail
flied electors and cannot vote. There
is no way to make them qualified elect
ors unless the constitution shall be
changed to fit the cases of ministers
wives the same as It does ministers.
The awful catastrophe near Bovina
station, In Warren county, where some
eight Of ten children and the drive.
OF the truck were killed by a freight
train and others OF the twenty
children all injured but four. is enough
TO make civilization shudder. The
friends and relatives of those whose
children lost their lives while the auto
mobile truck was contesting the right
OF way with a freight train have the
sympathy net only OF the people Of
the capital city OF Mississippi. but OF
all people of the state. DDrass.c legis-
lation must be had to punish hsedess
and reckless drivers of motor cars
who disregard the danger signals at
railway grade crossings Such legis-
lation was urged by the press before
the assembling OF the last legislature,
but 1t seems that no adequate steps
were taken to prevent such tragedies
as the horriblet one which occurred
near Bovina-
Visitors from all parts q ~ne state
Who attended the state fair in the capt.
tai city went hon.. delighed and pro
nounced 1t the best fair they have at
tended. The agricultural and live
stock exhibits seem to CRAFTY the peo-
PIE who live both in the cities and the
country. The poultry exhibit was also
very fine. All the paradas were uns
usually good and the school childreu's :
day excellad anything ever seen at the
capital OF OF Mississippi. Visitors from
everywhere stated that county and
community fairs were unusually good
this year. Everybody who spent even
part OF fair week In Jackson express
ed themselves as proud OF the growth
and hospitality OF their capital city.