The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-07-28

The RAAOa vs. uMe Ee"7
W. s.,, tbarefore that the Democratic
Press Association has coated itself over with
ionominy that ears will not serve 70 wash
away. liz has. first, belttled itself by re-
fusing to allow Republicans to become
members, etc.-Pilot, oath inst.
The Pilot appears to be determined to
misrepresent the Mississippi Press Asso-
citation, and while it is more than Proba-
BILE that nothing we could say would
change that determination, still we feel
it incum5 bent upon us, when we find such
a statement as the above, to remind the
Pilot of some things in the history Of the
Press Association and in that Of the Re
publican press of this State, which 1t
surely must have forgotten, or at least
the latter clause of the above would never
have been Penned.
The Pilot says the Republicans were
refused membership. What are the facts +?
At one time every Republican paper in
the State, the Pilot at the mead, was n
member of the Association, and they vol
unfairly withdrew TO form a Republican
Press Association, which, after brief
existence, died from the effects Of Gov.
Alcorns veto of the district printing law.
Now for the proof.
The call was made in due form early
in 1869 for a meeting of the Press Asso-
citation, which included all papers Of the
| 4 a., h. In
due time the Association met. As to
what papers were there, we quote from
the minutes of the Association. The
italics are ours:
From the Minutes
! The Association met ut Canton on Tues
day, Sept. 7th, 1869, and was one Of the
largest meetings yet held. The following
journals were represented: kosciusko
Chronicle, Canton Citizen, Natchez Demo
crat Louisville Banner WinOna Democrat
Southern Eagle, Oxford Falcon. Crystal
Springs Herald, Vicksburg Herald, TtckS-
| burg Times, Franklin journal, Southern
Journal (Brookhaven), Canton Mail, MisSis-
sippi Pilot, Holly Springs Reporter, Ndti0nd
Republican, Central Star (GoOdman), Panels
Star, Water Valley Signal, Grenada Senti-
mel. Summit Times, Walden Times, OXFORD
Collegian, and The CLARION.
The three italicised names were the
only Republican papers in the State, ex
cept, perhaps, the Okolona News, ant
we cannot say positively as to that rs w
have not the data before us to show wha
its political status was at the time. Tn,
Pilot has been, it will therefore be seen
bona fde member of the Mississippi
Press Association, which it charges witt
refusing to allow Republicans to be
come members" 1t was represented a
Canton by Col. f. Stafford, editor (nov
Republican Chancellor), and Gov. Il. &
Powers (then Chairman of the Republi
can Executive Committee and candidat,
ON the regular Republican ticket fol
Lieutenant Governor), and Capt. II. T
Fisher Gone of the organizers of the Re
publican party in Kinds, and now editor
of the Jackson Times). Messrs. Power
and Fisher were assistant editors and tn,
proprietors of the Pilot As these gen
tlemen are all living, they can tel
whether or not they had all the privileges
&c, of other members of the Association
The Colleglan, while not itself political
paper, was owned and represented by
Capt. Shoup, then candidate on the
regular Republican ticket for Senator
from Lafayette county, to which position
he was subsequently elected-of which
fact we will also refresh tn c Pilots mem.
DRY.
Having given the proof as to the Pilots
membership in the Association, we will
now proceed to show how it got out.
Some time during the regular session
of the Legislature of 1870 a meeting was
called by the Pilot of Republican editors
and proprietors for the purpose Of form.
ing Republican Press Association. This
meeting was held in the Capitol. There
were represented-it is not necessary to
give the names-the Pilot, two or three
bona fde newspapers, and about fifteen
other papers with truly loyal names,
which had no existence save in the mag
ination Of the persons who represented
them, and who expected to be the bene-
ficiaries of the proposed district printing
law that was then before the Legislature.
This meeting Endorsed the bill and adj
journed. 1t never met again. Alcorn
vetoed the bill that was to furnish the
finances TO run the said imaginary news
papers.
That year the Press Association was
called to meet at Oxford. The Pilot.
though member, was not represented.
1t was probably ashamed to meet its late
brethren, after having withdrawn and
taken part in the farce above referred to-
nor was any other Republican paper.
They we're free agents and of their own
accord remained away, and have done So
ever since, and if the Press Association
there became partisan organization, no
body is to blame but those Republicans
who withdrew from membership and
formed another Association. We mioht
well charge the Union News Association
with being partisan Gall its members save
one being Republican, of its own accord
because the members Of the Press Asso- /
citation do not choose to leave it and ioin
the Pilots pet organization.