The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-08-17

The Leader tries by an unmanly dodge
to escape the issue which its editor def.
antly presented that if Ames had not
been elected on the first ballot, the
Democratic and Conservative members
would have voted for him on the second.
He now plays upon words and says that
our manner of propounding the inquiry
as to the truth Of his statement, was not
calculated to elicit an answer directly
pertinent to the point in issue that We
have asked the members implicated if
they were committed" to do the disered-
table thing imputed to them by the
Leader Our intention was to obtain
unequiyocal answers to the charge with
out reference to mere form, as every in
telligent reader has seen. The writhing
and twisting of the Leader only serves to
sink the author of the charge deeper into
the mire; and to excite wonder that he
has not the courage to extricate himself
from the difficulty by a manly retraction,
seeing. that there is no other escape from
the dilemma.
We have asked the members concerned,
did you commit" yourselves to vote for
Ames for the u s. Senate that is,
acere you pledged By a0Ord, hint, action or
suggestion of any kind to uote for him on
any condition? Some of them have an
swered, "emphatically no ;" others have
said, in effect, they would have gone to
the devil first others have said the state
ment is ''false ;" others have said sit has
not shadow of truth ;" others have
said we "never entertained such an idea"
each answering for himself and en-
ploying such terms as in his judgment
would emphatically contradict the charge
and nail it as base coin to the counter.
They have all been civil enough to ex-
press themselves without recourse to the
little monosyllable of three letters which,
however, would not more emphatically
their answers than if they
had used it.
Is there human being outside of a
Lunatic Asylum who would not have
said that these answers have but one
and that is that their authors |
would not have voted for Ames on the !
second ballot Cor any other) as charged |
by the editor of the Leader
The Pilot gives the Indebtedness OF thirty |
four States, and concludes an editorial on /
he subject with the remark that ''that of |
is the smallest of all."-Aber- |
leen Examiner.
But the Pilot dare not give the figures
showing that on the LIST January, 1870,
after the management of the State by, her
BONA fide citizens for the years 80, &c,
81, and '68 her Indebtedness as repre-
ented by warrants outstanding, amounted
o only s211, 735-(State Treasurer's
Report, page 39,) and that now after
eighteen months of carpet-bag legislation
he ascertained and estimated debt is
me million sir hundred and ninety-seuen
hoatoa',d four hundred ana thtrty-one dot
ars, with six months of the year 1871
yet to be provided for
Nor will the Pilot deny that the
average cost of administering the State
government for ordinary purposes under
citizens rule has been raised from
$4,000 per annum to upwards of
Il, $50, 900 exclusive of the enormous
,oll and privilege tax, under carpet-bag
ule.
But for the constitutional check on the
operations of the spendthrifts, there is no
the amount of debt they would
lave piled up. As it is they have
incurred immense obligations. They
AVE agreed actually to give $4,000 per
nile to companies engaged in the con-
truction of railways through the State.
The authors of the measure estimated an
of about $4,000, 900 under
his head. They have pledged the State
o pay to the lessee of the Penitentiary
1890, 900 in cash and material to operate
WITH. Anu 10 l0eSe are 10 De duueu
he large appropriations to prop. up the
State University which is well nigh
rushed under the deadly blight of its
Radical manipulators and the immense
appropriations for Alcorn University in
which the colored people are to be put
through a course of higher learning
'efore they have gotten through their
\. B. Cs. In their free-and-easy way
f disposing of the public funds, they
oted upwards of million of dollars of
took belonging to the State, worth
everal hundred thousand dollars in cash,
o a railway company as bride to
induce it to perform certain obligations
or which it was held solemnly pledged.
TExAs.-The first real election which
'exas has had since civil government was
uperceded by the mongrel despotism of
he Radicals, viii take place this fall.
md the people are greatly rejoiced over {