The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1948-12-03
What's The Answer? Part One)

would like to do a little editorial back tracking"
this week to bring the record up-to-date on two subjects of
considerable interest to Jackson countians as a whole.
The first of these is the continued and open operation
of the gambling establishments along the Mobile-Jackson
county line, with apparently neither Mississippi nor Ala
bama able to do anything in the matter.
First we quote from a news story carried in the
Chronicle Star and Advertiser on April sth. ls46.
81 Governor Thomas L. Bailey yesterday signed House
Bill 9l5, and the legislation requested by Attorney General
Greek L. Rice for settlement of the century old Mississippi
Alabama line dispute became law.
"A survey by engineers selected by the two states and
a United States Supreme court ruling in a friendly suit"
to be filed by Mississippi are the only steps remaining be-
fore the line is legally and definitely established. The
establishment will force the free state of State Line, where
opens and fragrant violations of the law exist, back into the
union Of law abiding communities and will prevent long
and expensive suits between the states if oil is discovered
in the tidal lands.
THE, legislative authority came exactly two months
after the controversy was reopened with a plea to the
governor on recommendation of a Jackson county grand
jury. Board of Supervisors President K. w. Burnham ask
ed the governors aid and events moved rapidly with the
attorney general and local representatives joining forces
to push the bill through the legislature
The second news story Is taken from the Chronicle
Star and Advertiser OF February 2ist. ls47. and Is
as follows:
Mississippi Attorney General Greek L. Rice announced
Wednesday in Jackson that he would go to Montgomery in
May to seek passage of a bill which may abolish the free
state of State Line"
The Mississippi legislature passed a bill last April
setting up the machinery for the settlement of the century
old dispute between Alabama and Mississippi, long a head
ache to law enforcement officers in Jackson county, and
Mobile county, Alabama.
MIR. Rice will now ask the Alabama legislature to set
up similar machinery in that state for the purpose of settl-
ing the controversy, which grew out of an ambiguous survey
and description of the line in the Mississippi constitution.
The passage of the bill in Mississippi came after an
extended editorial campaign in the Chronicle-Star and
Advertiser and a plea to the late Governor Bailey on the
part of the county board of supervisors to legally settle the
line"
Now for the final entry on the record:
The first of these two stories was dated slightly less
than two years ago and the second nearly a year ago. No
friendly suit has been filed, as far as we know, and no
attempt made to settle the issue of the state line. We sup
pose the appropriation for the suit has reverted to the states
general fund because it was not used. The State Line gamb-
ling establishments are still in open and prosperous opera
ton in violation of both Mississippi and Alabama laws.
What is the answer? Surely the full weight and power
of sovereign state land a States Rights state at that should
be enough to solve an issue as simple as this. We think
the citizens of Jackson county want to know the answer
and we believe also that they deserve it.