The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-07-25
Address by Hon. III. ID. Money,
Association, at its 18TH Annual
Meeting. Holly Springs, June
9Th, 1877
GENTLEMEN OF THE Press ASSOCIATION OF
MISSISSIPPI:

GENTLEMEN OF THE Press Association OF
MISSISSIPPI:
As your presiding officer call your con-
vention 10 order under the most pleasant
circumstances. All these surroundings afford
me am pie reason tor cheerful greeting and
cbngratulation. We have d fuller conYeu-
ton than we ever yet held. | see before
me nearly AL the old familiar faces, and
many new ones which hope will not be
missed at our future meetings. When we
last met in our annual convention at Kos
ciusko. we shared in common with our fell
lOw-citjZens deep political depression :;
our efforts to establish home rule had been
unavaIling, and the future was dark; the
solitary star OF hope hung tremulous in our
sky; to-day we meet in the blessed light Of
thcHp-risen sun of self-gOvernmenL, which
is liberty. What share, you gentlemen, had
in that liberation is known OF all men. and
OF il you are justly proud. Without detract-
ing from the praise due to all professions
and classes OF our people for the part they
took in that splendid political drama, il
must be conceded the Press play ed the most
important character. 1t was always vigil
liant and brave, it sustained the bold and in
spirited the timid; it poured It's own fervid
zeal, its own burning enthusiasm and resist
less energy into the public mind and eXaIt-
ed il to that determined temper that disdain
ed anything short of supreme triumph.
The Mississippi canvass OF 1879 was the bat
tlefield of Capitalization and local State
government. Its influence is already seen
in the Liberation of Louisiana and South
Carolina, and is felt in that policy OF the
administration which wi hdraws the fed r
al troops from the arbiLram6nt OF State
questions. If our preservative art should
pass to-day from the possession of men, that
glorious and ever IN emorable contest would
remain in the traditions of freemen worthy
10 be preserved with the stories Of the grand
civic struggles for liberty that Illuminated
the past OF the human race.
In a material and business sense we have
not proSpered The corruption and mis-
management of our State and national AZ
fairs operating with other causes, cDnse-
qucnt in measure upon these. have pro-
duced that industrial and financial EN- bar
rasSment and depression which was com
DrehensivelY and significantly called "hard
tines" We have shared and mus yet share,
the poverty of the people. UntaVOrable
Iepfslation for which we were not pre- pared,
has reduced our income The last legisla-
ture, able and patriotic as it was, yet did
not meet in regulating legal advertisements,
ou- reasonable expectations. Ii yon Will
allow a practical suggestion, l would rec
ommend that a committee be appointed to
draw a bill providing protection 10 the legal
advertiser and Il fair compensation for the
publisher, aud to present with the bill re
,pecttul petition, not tor generosity but tor
Justice. | feel confident that the legislature
would recognize our right to insist that our
on a fairly rcmunerative footing. We pride
ourselves on our achievements in politics
there is yet much Tor US to do; we must
hold manfully what we have galiautly won
we must discountenancc division and bick-
prinUs about trileS; we must discourage
..Tndependents," and preserve that organi-
zation of our people which IS so necessary
to political success.
In one matter do not feel that can con-
| oratnIate you. We know our power and
oil dor nd a a
! Sifion in ethics, that ability and response
| bilitv are relative terms. Unhappily for us
| our moral influence has not been eXerteC
| according to our capacity. The little we
/ have done in this regard shows the muci
| that is To do, by this Improvement in the
/ processes of printing and Jelegraphic com
| munication. The transactions OF the ciVlliZ
ed World can be produced for the reade
any hour at any poin- This renders no
only possible but easy. a Simultaneous con
cord Of action that could produce the mos
important results. Let us give our atten
ton more to the moral aS well as To the pc
Iitical training of the public and acquit our
selves more cOnSciensc|OuSly OF our oblIga
ton to our country and the times in whIc
! we live. we have now time and occasio
to look after the material interests OF on
| country. The question OF the tarln nced
| discussion. 1t must soon subordinate "A
other questions. Mississippians should b
taught the principles of political econom
and he made to understand how they ar
burdened with CaN IS for the enrichment {
other sections. The grand questions Of th
Mississippi LeveeS and the Southern Kan
f, road to The Pacific demand your advocacy
They afford the widest scope for the eNer
else of your finest talent. The protecuo
of the alluviou of the Mississippi Rive
, from annual inundatiou would redeem a
empire OF 30 800 square miles OF the riches
land in the most favorable latitude OF Tn
e robe: it would give u the monopoly
= the cotton trade of the world, and WDui
keep at home the millions we annually sen
| abroad for sugar. The Pacific Railroa
/ would pour into Memphis, Vicksburg, Ne
e Orleans and Galveston, the mineral Wealt
4 of the Rocky mountains, the vast graz
+ crops OF the marvellous Pacific slope, who's
e production is only limited by transport;
: ton. and also that priceless commerce
| Asia which was the splendid PRIZE sougl
y by Europe for hundreds OF years 1t Won
= make our cities quicken into new life al
growth, and every enterprise and buslne
Y in the South woIld be vltal!Zed and deVe
II oped. ,...., 49,;
= The committees of Congress charged WI
c these subjects expect from the Iress
the South, and more especially OF u
= quarter, an earnest united active al
n hearty support; and l do not Halter y
when I say that your aid is the most efit
o tive that can be secured.