The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-12-11
A VETERAN DEMOCRATS VIEWS
ON THE POLICY Of ELECTING A
GRAVE ELECTOR
70 the Position Of sPresidenIiaI Mes
senger
VIcksburg Commercial,

NlcksbufB tOmmerchl,
The Presidential Electors for Missis
sippi, who met last Wednesday, after east
ing the eight votes of the State for Gen
Hancock, for President, and Mr.. Englisl
for Nice-Presidcnt, elected one of thei
own number, Uhe Hon. c. d. Mitchell, o
Pontotoc,) messenger to carry the vote Il
| Washington, and deliver ii in person t.
the President of the Senate of the Unite'
States.
In this selection of IL messenger we mus
say that our electors did neither Il gracious
nor Il graceful act. There are at least
hundred young, ardent and active Demo
Gratis in the State who would have accepted
the position of messenger as compliment
and 10 one Of those it should have been
given. 1t would have afforded an active
young worker for the right, an Opportu'
nifty to visit the capital Of the country al
an interesting period, and to such IN one
the position should have been offered. We
have not the honor to he II personal ac-
quantance of Mr.. Mitchell, but all that
we have heard of him is in his favor. He
is rcputcd to be Il gentleman, Il sound DEM
ocrat, man of fine ability, and forcible,
pleasing speaker. We hold, however, that
in being made Presidential Elector, he
was sufficiently hOnorcd, and should have
been content. He should have been above
asking his co-elcctorS for II paltry, subordl-
nate place, and they should have had the
tirmnesS to have refused his demand. 1t
Il N n :
it, and it should have been promptly denied.
1t is this selfish and inordinate greed for
place and the small emolumcnts pertaining
thereto. manifested by men holding official
position, that pro luces dry rot in parties
and leads to inevitable defeat.
We take take it that Mr.. Mitchell was
nominated for the position of Presidential
Elector for two reasons. one was that
he desired the place, and the other that
the campaign. 1t was not deemed likely,
however, that after being thus honOred,
Mr.. Mitchell would demand or accept the
subordinate position of "MeS-
1t was not presumed that amy
gentleman honored with nomination for
Elector, would desire to be the servant Of
his peers in the body of which he was Il
and least of all utilize the pres
tige of his position by influencing his col
This sort of close corporation business,
of which there has been II great abundance
in Mississippi, leads to revolt in the Demo-
cratic organization, to the disruption of
party ties and the destruction OF party dis
ciplne. To look at the newspapers, and
read the laudations adled out to Smith, and
Jones. and jenkins and Simpkins, Il stranger
would come to the conclusion that the State
of Mississippi. with its million and
- 10 nj nnt han n
dozen men qualified tor the position of
United States Senator, Representative in
Congress, Governor or any other State Of
flee. Let jenkins, Simpkins, Smith, or
Jones. once get into an official position,
however. and he cings to it with the per-
sistcnt tcnacity of the old man of the sea,
and no intellect, however exalted, no
service, however great, no patriotism,
however pure and elevated, stands the
chance for pretcrment while these
old men of the sea are allowed to ring the
on their own superhuman merits,
sacrifices and services. We hear little
bird singing Il strain that bodies relief from
the death clutch of these old men of the
sea. That strain tells us that the young
blood of the country is coming to the front,
that blood, which, flowing from the veins
Of the gallant boys who while carrying
muskets and welding sabers, crimsOned Il
hlnufcu Datlle Helus, VIII supplahu lne
sluggish, vital stream now controlling pub
lie affairs in Mississippi. BY Heaven, it
We're worth ten years of strife to see man
who carried musket enter the capitol at
rs Il Senator, or II Representa-
tive, or walk into the Statehouse at Jack
son, as CHEF MAGISTRATE Of the dear old
State of Mississippi! Improbable as this
may seem to some, we shall live to see it.
We shall live to see Il battalion of chronic,
office seeking, fossils, ordered
to the rear, and in the successful perform
ance of that movement lies the redemption
of Mississippi. That done, and the State
takes Il long stride in anew direction, on
the road to wealth, power, improvement,
happiness and prosperity. May Heaven
speed the hour when we can hear the order
''abOut face, to the rear. MARCH -