The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-01-11

in such work in our midst but if they fai
to respond, there is no cause for despair.
people who have proven themselves TO b
equal and superior To exigeneies OF peacs
and war, sech as those under which othel
States aud nations have persisted, cannot b
/ incapable of improving and appropriatins
I the advantages and opportunities we enjoJ
on this subject Our own means anC
talents are sufficient to reVolutionize ths
State in this respect. The president OIL
t managers of successful factory among Us
ought t. be more highly appreciated ane
h0nored BY us than any public funetionarJ
| in the land. Whatever legislation can b
accomplished in this behalf shall have my
cordial approval and support.
RAILROADS AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
| The various lines of railroads now pro
jected and being constructed in the State
| commend themselves in every respect to our
most favorable consideration. When com
! pleted, they cannot fail to confer great and
/ lasting benefits on the State. contemplate
with pride and satisfaction the prospect of ad
ditionaI railways, connecting our sea-board
with the North and West, and of Others
| traversiug the State and linking together the
Atlantic and the Pacific.
| But while we do all in our power to en-
courage and stimulate such enterprises, We
should be careful to guard the privileges and
! franchises extended To them, and 20 see
| that the~public interest suffers no detriment
| from unjust and unlawful exaetions of corpo-
rations now or hereafter to be created But
measures of legislation adopted for this pur-
pose, should provide ample safeguards
against any hindrance to the efficiency and
success of such enterprises, or to the interest
of stockholders who have invested their cap
ital in the establishment of them.
There are now in the penitentiary of the
State about nine hundred couvicts, whose
terms Of imprisonment vary from life to a
few years. This number may not be mate
rally diminished for some time TO come.
But few of these convicts are qualified to
perform any useful or profitable labor
within the walls of the penitentiary,
and to keep them there without employ
ment would be an oppressive burden.
To avoid this oppression the policy has
been adopted of hiring them to the highest
bidder, but thus far the rates realized for
them have been merely nominal. This
labor ought to contribute very much to
improve Mississippi, and develop her re-
sources. Where there is so much to be
done in the State, on roads, rivers, bridges,
cilities for transportation are so much need
ed, and different communities in the State,
are donating from time to time vast sums
of money to secure them it does seem that
such a number ofable- bodied persons, so well
adapted to such work, and under the abso-
lutte control of the State might be rendered
highly useful and valuable. If this labor
is profitable to those who hire it, it is not
perceived why it might not also be made
profitable to the State. But if it is not safe
or proper for the State to embark in such
business, why may not counties do so, if they
are willing to vote the means necessary for
guarding and supporting, the convicts while
employed on such works? The action of the
State heretofore in relation to this subject
has no doubt been limited and embarrassed
by the depressed and unsettled condition of
our affairs but to continue to dispose of this
amount of labor, from year to year, for but
little more than its food and clothing, and
to spend nothing, and to take no risk what
ever in order to utilize it and realize its full
value, can hardly be reconeiled with the
ordinary rules of good management. 1t is
not the timid and covering servant, who
hid his talent in the the earth and derived
no income from it, but the active and wide
awake servant who doubled his lords
money, that deserved nd received the re-
ward of "well done thou good and faithful
servant. thou has been faithful over few
things, [ will make thee ruler over many
things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord"
EDUCATION.
| heartily concur with those who place
education in the front rank of public and
private duties, and who regard our free
schools and institutions of learning as
indispensable to our well-being. One gen.
GRAFTON performs no more sacred and i'm
portant trust and obligation for another
than that of qualifying its successor, by
proper education, to appreciate and dis
charge its duty.
No matter what evils may exist in social
and political organizations, there is always
room to hope for good where the means of
moral and intellectual culture are literally
provided and vigorously employed. Free
institutions cannot be separated from free
schools. Universal suffrage is tolerable only
when connected with universal education.
Notwithstanding the successful operation
of our free school system, and the large
sums of money devoted by us annually for
the last ten years to educational purposes
the extent of illiteracy among US is appall-
ing. 1t is manifest that the State alone
has not been able, and is not now able to
deal effectually and satisfactorily with this
great evil; but this does not relieve us from
responsibility. The dangers and obliga-
tions connected with this subject are ma
tional as well as local.
1t was well said by the late President
Garfield, in his inaugural address, that
the dangers which arise from ignorance
in the voter cannot be denied 1t is a
danger that turks and hides in the sources
and fountains of power in every State. We
have no standard by which to measure the
disaster that may be brought upon us by
Ignorance and vice in the citizen, when
Joined to corruption and fraud in suffrage.
The nation itself is responsible for the ex-
tension Of suffrage, and is under special OBJ
legations to aid in removing the illiteracy
which it has added to the voting popula-
ton. For the North and the South alike,
there is but one remedy. All the Constitu-
tional power of the nation, and of the
States, and all the volunteer forces of
the people, should be summoned to
meet this danger, by the saving
influence of education. In this benefcent
work, sections and races should be forgot
ten, and partisanship should be unknown"
We owe it to ourselves and to those who
are to come after US, to maintain, increase
and improve our educational facilities to
the best of our abilities and to appeal TO the
General Government, and to patriots
in this behalf.
IMMIGRATION.
On the subject of immigr alton, l have no
uncertain convictions. Every good citizen
who settles among US is an accession of pos |
tive wealth to the State. In my judgment, |
but few things could be more beneficial to
US now than a copious infusion into our
population and pursuits of the energies and |
improved methods of industry which dis
tinguish other States and countries Toob- |
tain this desirable end, exertions must be
made for it. Under these circumstances |
which surround us, we cannot afford to be |
Indifferent or inactive, or to rely merely on
causes, to turn the tide of immigra- |
tion in this direction. That serious diff
culties and obstacles obstruct the course Of
immigration to. Mississippi, is admitted; but
that they may be gradually and ultimately |
overcome, have no doubt. But influences
for this purpose must be exerted both at
home and abroad. Prejudices against us
must be neutrality-suspicious. of in
security among US, whether just or unjust, |
must be removed, and the advantages
and attractions of the State must be |