The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1881-03-05
ONE OF THE CHARGES AGAINST
GOVERNOR STONE-HOW 1T AP-
PEARS TO ALL CANDID AND
FAIR MINDED PEOPLE,
WHEN SUBJECTED TO
INVESTIGAT
We clip the following from the Ellis

We clip the following from the Ellis
vile Eagle, issue of February oath:
Burket, of the Okolona Messenger,
thinks Frantz, of the Brandon Republican
did Gov. Stone an injustice in complaining
about his appointing nearly all the Com
missioners of the Agricultural College
from the Northern part of the State. The
Northern portion of the State get all the
pie, and II anybody says a word about 1t
they have done an injustice; they think we
ought to be satisfied to eat at the second
or third table. No, Frantz did not do Gov.
Stone an injustice, the Southern portion Of
the State should have had her share of the
appointment.
The charge originally appeared in
the Brandon Republican, that Gov.
Stone had acted partially or unfairly
in the appointment of Trustees of the
Agricultural and Mechanical College,
giving the northern section of the
State the preference, and ignoring the
rights of the good people residing in
the southern portion of the State.
We presume the charge was made
by the Brandon Republican with the
same blissful ignorance of the require
ments of the law under which the
Governor acted, and the facts of the
case, with which the Eagle comes to
the rescue in the above paragraph, at
tempting to justify our brother Frantz.
1t will be seen by reference to the
Sd section of the Act of the Legisla-
ture establishing the A. d M. College,
that in the appointment of the nine
Trustees for the College, the Governor
was required to take six of them from
the different Congressional Districts :
one from each District, and three from
the State at large. This is the law
that governed his action. Now what
did the Governor do? From the LIST
District he appointed w. B. Mont
gomery, of Oktibbeha; from the I'd,
Thos. G. Dockery, of DeSoto; from
the Sd, w. b. Augustus, of Noxubee
from the 4th, l.. b. Brown, of Clarke !;
from the 9Th, J. M. Causey, of Pike;
and from the 9th, DIR. ID. Phares, of
Wilkinson. The Trustees for the State
at large were Hon. A. NJ. West, of
Marshall, Capt. Frank Burkett, of
Okolona, and Hon. Chas. l.. Gilmer,
of Madison. OF these nine Trustees,
four of them, to-wit: Messrs, Brown,
Gilmer, Causey and Phares, are from
the Southern half of the State, while
Maj Augustus, of Noxubee, is from
locality in East Mississippi nearly CELL
trail between the northern and south
ern boundaries of the State, with
greater population in the counties lying
north of him.
Upon the resignation Of General
West, Judge George was appointed,
and when DR.. Phares resigned, Mai
Paxton of Vicksburg was appointed.
In appointing Montgomery for the
lst District the Governor went as far
south as the law permitted, and in
the 3rd, and 4th, Districts the trustees
were appointed from extreme southern
counties and to have gone south of
Pike and Wilkinson, the trustees from
the 5th and 9th Districts would have
come from Tangipahoa and West Fell
ciana Parishes in the State of Louis
lana. From the six Districts Maj.
Dockery Of Desoto, is the only trustee
who seems TO be favored with loca-
ton not In the extreme south.
For the State. at large, two Of the
trustees are from north, and one from
south Mississippi, provided, always,
that the line dividing the State into
north and south Mississippi, runs
north of Jones and Rankin counties.
From this brief statement of the
ldD and the facts, 1T will be seen how
utterly without foundation is the
charge Of the Brandon Republican,
reiterated or justified by the Ellisville
Eagle. We have casually selected
this instance, and illustrated its char
lcter, as fair sample of the numerous
iings and charges appearing from
lime to time in some of the news
papers of the State against the up
light. just and independent gentle
nan who discharges the duties Of
Chief Executive of the State without
ear, favor or affection. To expose
he groundless nature of one charge,
Ierves as a refutation Of the others
d genus Omae.
We have been mortified and surpris-
ID to note with what recklessness the
newspapers Of the State will take up
md republish and send broadcast over
he land, the most serious and grave
harges, affecting the standing and
haracter of gentlemen in the highest
ocial and official circles. 1t does seem
hat every man ought TO feel per-
onal interest in protecting and de-
ending the character of his friends
nd nelghbors. When malice, envy,
evenge, or some other evil passion
'rompts the manufacture and circula-
ion of grave charges involving the
equation and character of a man or
woman, II is certainly highly erimi-
Ial to give currency and publicity to
t. Whoever does SO, becomes pdrti-
cps criminis. When a charge is
referred against even the humblest,
very consideration Of justice and fair
ealing demands that we should first
inquire and investigate, to see II the
harge is false or true, before we aid
II its circulation.
FARMERS CONGRESS.