Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-12-29
NEWS AND VIEWS
Tie
STATE CAPITAL
By F. r. Birdsall

since the mec and women of Missis-
sippi have found out what it costs to
default in the matter of the payment
of their poll tax. they are reported to
be rushing in hot haste to save, not
only their money, but their franchise.
The man or woman who defaulted for
poll tax in 1921 may pay $500 ON or
before midnight, February 1, 1923, and
become qualified to vote and to hold
office. II they fail to pay the poll tax
for 1922, and have also failed to pay
the poll tax for 1921, the poll tax for
the two years will cost them $6.40,
and they will be bereft Of their votes
and cannot hold office or participate
in any election. In other words, the
payment OF poll tax within the consti-
tutional time only costs $4 for two
years, and enables them to vote and
hold office, whereas If they fail to pay
~ each year within the constitutional
time. tlsey must pay 81 and $2.40 ad-
ditional for damages and become dis
franchised. Teachers of county schools
who get their warrants from boards
OF supervisors and all others who have
bills against the county, will have their
poll tax delinquencies collected out of
the warrants issued by the boards of
supervisors.
The supreme court will hard down
no more opinions, nor sit on tha
bench, Lntil Jan. 2. They have a
number Of cases. however, which
have been argued, the opinions of
which may be ready, as they are un-
lerstood to be working on then,,
when they again go on the bench.
Among these is the appealed case of
State Insurance Commissioner Thomas
M. Henry, removed from office by
Governor Russell for alleged embez.
element, Judge Wiley H. Potter hav-
ing held that Govvrnor Russell had
right to remove him from office.
Another case is that OF the revolving
school fund, on appeal from Judge
Potters court. In this case, Judge
Potter held that the legislature had
a right to make an appropriation un-
der the constitution enacted In 1890,
and regardless of the initiative and
referendum amendment to the consti.
tuition, which the supreme court held
null and void, because unconstitution-
ally submitted and because it failed
to receive a majority of all those
voting.
The publication of the fact that the
aggregate bonded county Indebtedness
of Mississippi is between s50,0O0,000
and s6O0OO,00O, followed by the pub
lication of the additional Yact that the
state of Mississippi has $1,000, 500 of
outstanding payable bonds and the cur
rent report that the legislature which
will assemble in 1924 will be confront
ed with a deficit Of $4,000 900, seems
to be accentuating the interest in the
Legislative contests for seats in that
body. The people have found out that
a 20-year, million dollar bond bearing
per cent interest means that the tax
payers must pay $2,000,000, because
the interest in 20 years becomes as
great as the principal. 1t seems that
legislatures have been issuing bonds
and shortterm notes to pay the cur
rent expenses of the government, and
the situation is one that will require
almost superhuman efforts on the part
of the coming lawmakers.
Under. the state constitution SINCE
United States senators have been
made elective by the people, only one
officer can be elected by the legisla-
ture. This is state librarian. Prior
to the adoption of womans suffrage
throughout the country, any woman
20 years of age was eligible to be IL
brarian, made so by the constitution
al convention of 1890 The position
pays $4,000 a year, with an assistant
that pays $4,000.
The. Woman Voter, Of Clarksdale,
IS insisting that there shall be wom-
en- policemen. 1t says that Coahoma
county is going to have a probation
officer, and that some good honest, I
jealous woman should have the posi-
Ton. 1t adds that when she begins
to point out to the grand jury what
she has gathered from term to term
Of court, better moral atmosphere
will prevail.
Automobile Clerk Y. D. Lott. of the
auditors office, is sending out 10000
automobile tags to the So counties Of
mississippi. Five thousand OF these
tags so to Kinds county, which ~
1000 more than any other county re-
ceives. It is estimated that the cost
Of automobiles, accessories. Insurance