The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1923-05-03
RECORD

Judge Bell has lived in Greanville,
Washington County, Mississippi, since
be was three years old, his parents
having moved from Yalobusha County,
Mississippi. He attended the public
schools of Greenville until prepared
10 enter the University of Mississippi,
from which institution he graduated
with honors in 1892, at the age Of
eighteen He then taught school for
four years, and was made Superin-
tendent of Education of Washington
County in 1896. During the four years
following he increased the term of the
county schools and saved the county
the sum of 100000.
In 1904 he represented Washington
county in the Legislature, in which
body he was Chairman of the Commit
tee on Universities and Colleges, all
the recommendations Of the Commit
tee to the Legislature being adopted,
including the payment Of long stand
ing floating debt at the University,
and the building of Music Hall at
the then l. I. G. G.
He resigned his seat In the Legisla-
ture when appointed by Governor
Vardaman as Chancellor Of the Sew
enth District, in November, 1904. He
resigned the CHARACTERISTIC in 1908.
AS a Chancellor he was endorsed by
the Bar and upheld by the Supreme
Court in one of the best records Of the
State. The judicial experience was a
valuable training in business methods
and the exercise of careful judgment,
as many large estates and business
interests were passed upon by him.
Since 1903 he has engaged in the
practice of his profession in Green
Vile. In 1920 and 1922 he served in
the Legislature as a Senator from
Washington and Sunflower Counties.
During the session of 1920 Judge Bell
was one of the Senate leaders In the
fight for suffrage for women-the
Senate finally passing the suffrage
amendment. His vote and his voice
were uniformly for all measures advo-
Gated by the federation of Women's
Clubs. and for all bills looking toward
the development Of Mississippi, and
the betterment of conditions for WON
en-. children, our educational system
and labor, whether agricultural or in
Gustrial.
Among the measures then intro
t;uced by him was one protecting in
vestors by a vital amendment to the
Blue Sky Law, which has saved a
great deal of money to the people of
Mississippi; bill for the education Of
adult illiterates; one creating a Com
mission to investigate the reclamation
Of cut-over and eroded lands in Mis-
sissippi; one for the establishment
of the parole and indeterminate SEN
tence, and one for an income tax.
During the 1922 session he intro
duced a measure making the compen-
eation of Assessors dependent upon
the amount of property returned for
taxation, and especially looking to the
reaching of personally that is at pres
ent escaping taxation. and thereby
Increasing the revenues of the State,
while reducing the present tax burden
borne by the land.
He also drew and introduced bill
looking to the reforestation of waste
cutover lands, in order to create new
wealth. Another important measure
introduced by him was a bill to place
the State Colleges upon a millage
basis of support, which would be a
long step toward removing these in
situations from politics.
His public life as been one of eff
cient labor in the interest of the
State, with the needs of which his
varied experience has made him ia
orifiar re is q l2Wvor