The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1923-08-02
G.. A. HARRISON
MAKES REPLY TO
HIS OPPONENT
Gives Opinion of Attorney General
of Mississippi to Show That Office
of Sheriff Has Been Conducted
With Due Regard for the Law.
To the Voters of Rankin County:

would have enjoyed making
canvass that would have permit
ted me calling on every voter in
their homes, but the duties OF the
office prevented me doing so.
When you elected me your Sheriff
and Tax Collector, / promised you
the best administration possible, and
| have considered the fulfilling this
promise my first duty.
| have tried to make all the pic
MICS, hoping to see as many as
possible, but as several places failed
to have picnics it will be impossible
to see you all. SO / take this
method of soliciting your support on
next Tuesday.
l want to say that l can not and
will not solicit your support upon
the weaknesses and short cOmings
of my opponents, neither could l
appeal to your sympathies upon my
own physical weakness, because |
am physically a man.
/ base my claim for your support
upon the following, to- wit: Ny
experience, qualifications and my
moral fitness to serve you as your
Chancery Clerk. And to the good
ladies, / appreciate your entrance
upon the scene just at this time. L
have always appreciated your high
ideals, and / feel that l know some
thing Of the high standard that we
men must measure up to, to merit
your support. To you l invite
careful investigation of my life,
privately and officially as to my
moral fitness as well as my expert
ence and qualifications.
Now, my friends, / would have
preferred that everything worked
smoothly and harmoniOusly, but as
/ must be attacked, | am glad it
comes upon my official record, a
record that I am proud of, and take
pleasure in defending. / am the first
and only Sheriff and Tax Collector
in Rankin County that has operated
under the salary law. L expected
to draw a salary for my services
and the tax payers expected to pay
their Sheriff and Tax Collector a
salary, and / might ask why the
salary law was enacted? To reduce
the amount of pay to the Sheriff
and Tax Collector.
Dlu yOu huOW lAdL LII
proportion to the amount of taxes
collected, that 1 have drawn less
pay than any Tax Collector in the
history of the county?
/ not that Mr.. Tanner admits that
the amount / drew as salary for
1922 was in strict compliance with
the law He undertakes to interpret
said Acts, Chapter 100 Laws 1922,
which / will leave to one whom l
think in position to give an opin-
ion that will stand the test of all.
The opinion of one that is legal
advisor for all state and county
officers, and Boards of Supervisors
in fact, one who is a legal advisor
to all from the Governor down to
Constable, which is as follows:
jackson, Miss, July rs. 1923
Honorable G. A. Harrison,
Sheriff and Tax Collector,
Rankin County, Miss.
Dear SIR
have your request for an
opinion from this department
on the following facts, tO-wit:
AS Sheriff and Tax Collector
of Rankin County, you drew for
the first eleven months of the
year 1922, the regular salary
allowed by law. Beginning with
December, 1922, and during
said month, you drew only the
commissions allowed by law for
your office.
You state that this action on
your part has been construed by
some people to be drawing a
''doubIe salary" for the year
1922, and you desire to know
whether or not your action con-
stituted such.
In response to your request
have to say that, if you COM
piled strictly with the provis-
ions of Chapter 100, Laws of
1922, with reference to commits
sions, the period during which
commissions were actually en-
titled to be drawn by you, you
did only what every other
Sheriff and Tax Collector in the
State of Mississippi were en-
titled to do under said law, and
such fees and commissions to-
gether with the salary drawn
for the eleven months did not
constitute a double salary for
the year 1922.
Trusting that this expression
fully meets your requirements,
| am,
Yours very truly,
CLAYTON d. POTTER,
Attorney General