MISSISSIPPI. 



557 



gram 



market. We repeat our denunciation of its 



grain inspection law as " stupid if honest, and malev- 

 olent if not," and we point to the fact that complaints 

 continue of the evils it was to remedy, and that the 

 chief inspector admits that all the redress it affords is 

 limited to those farmers who are able to ship their 

 grain directly to the terminals, leaving unprotected 

 that great mass of farmers whose present necessity 

 prevents this, compelling them to sell to the local 

 * elevator, and leaving the syndicates which now con- 

 trol most of the elevators of the State to reap the 20 

 to 30 per cent, profit of which they boasted when pro- 

 moting their schemes on the English market. 



The rapid growth in popularity of Alliance 

 principles was a marked feature of the canvass. 

 At the November election, Merriam received 

 88,111 votes; Wilson, 85,844; Owen, 58,514; and 

 Pinkham, 8,424; a plurality for Merriam of 

 2,267. All the other Republican candidates were 

 elected, except the candidate for Auditor, who 

 was defeated by Adolf Bierman, the nominee of 

 both the Democrats and the Alliance. The vote . 

 for this office was : Bierman, 130,857 ; McGuire, 

 97,659 ; Kron, 10,476. For Lieutenant-Govern- 

 or, the Republican plurality was 11,178; for 

 Secretary of State, 8,347 ; for Treasurer, 12,463 ; 

 for Attorney-General, 12,366; for Clerk of the 

 Supreme Court, 11,960. Members of the Legis- 

 lature were chosen at the same time as follow : 

 Senate, Republican 27, Democrats 15, Alliance 

 12 ; House, Republicans 40, Democrats 41, Alli- 

 ance 33. 



An amendment to the State Constitution pro- 

 viding that five sixths of any jury, after not less 

 than six hours' deliberation, may render a ver- 

 dict received at the same election 66,929 affirma- 

 tive and 48,793 negative votes, or less than the 

 necessary two-thirds majority. 



In accordance with an act of the last Legisla- 

 ture, the question was also submitted to the peo- 

 ple whether the law taxing railroads upon their 

 gross earnings should be repealed. By a vote 

 of 41,341 yeas to 76,052 nays, the people decided 

 that there should be no repeal. 



Of the five Congressmen elected, three were 

 Democrats, one Republican, and one Alliance. 



MISSISSIPPI, a Southern State, admitted to 

 the Union Dec. 10, 1817; area. 46,810 square 

 miles. The population, according to each decen- 

 nial census since admission, was 75,448 in 1820; 

 136,621 in 1830 ; 375,651 in 1840 ; 606,526 in 1850 ; 

 791,305 in 1860; 827,922 in 1870; 1,131.597 in 

 1880 ; and 1,289,600 in 1890. Capital, Jackson. 



Government. The following were the State 

 officers during the year : Governor, John M. Stone, 

 Democrat ; Lieutenant-Go vernor, M. M. Evans ; 

 Secretary of State, George M. Govan ; Treasurer, 

 J. J. Evans ; Auditor, W. W. Stone ; Attorney- 

 General, T. Marshall Miller ; Superintendent of 

 Public Instruction, J. R. Preston ; Railroad Com- 

 missioners, J. F. Sessions, Walter McLaurin, and 

 J. H. Askew; Chief Justice of the Supreme 

 Court, Thomas H. Woods ; Associate Justices, J. 

 A. P. Campbell and Timothy E. Cooper. 



Finances. On Jan. 1 the total cash balance 

 in the State Treasury was $555,450.02. In spite 

 of extra appropriations, it is believed that _the 

 revenue for the year will be more than sufficient 

 to meet the expenses, and that this balance will 

 not be reduced. The rate of State taxation for 

 the year was 3'5 mills for general purposes, and - 5 

 miirfor payment of interest on the State debt. 



Population. The official returns from the 

 national census of this year are compared with 

 similar returns for 1880 in the following table : 



* Decrease, t Name of Sutnner County changed to Webster. 

 County Debts. The total debt of Mississippi 

 counties in 1890 was $1,238,124, an increase of 

 $103,361 in ten years. Of this total, all but $84,- 

 136 is bonded. 'Two thirds of the counties are 

 without debt. 



